tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4463741452928717432024-02-20T11:51:03.975-08:00The Inkwyrm BlogLet's talk about writing...Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-10579920414754574412019-01-30T16:38:00.000-08:002019-01-30T16:38:19.113-08:00Top 5 First Sentences<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShyC9KmRT1kDiACkmfHLBx-TNsz4dz31P1zGg87SONAPI3N7CTtH71OF0K3gkMaxBO62f6n6HctwCGH_l2Ca2HzMjN9lQqG42laURfDmSNyVLLVwgcwS_T9uaerCKW4MEpmyVN_vsmm32/s1600/Top+5+New+Base.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShyC9KmRT1kDiACkmfHLBx-TNsz4dz31P1zGg87SONAPI3N7CTtH71OF0K3gkMaxBO62f6n6HctwCGH_l2Ca2HzMjN9lQqG42laURfDmSNyVLLVwgcwS_T9uaerCKW4MEpmyVN_vsmm32/s400/Top+5+New+Base.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Hey, there!<br />
<br />
Been awhile since I did a Top Five Wednesday, so I thought I'd jump back in, since this week's topic is a freebie!<br />
<br />
If you don't know what Top Five Wednesday is, it's an open group on Goodreads where people are given a topic every Wednesday to do a top five list of, and they post their answers. It's basically a massive weekly collaboration between bloggers and vloggers and such. If you're interested in joining or checking it out, take a look over <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/118368-top-5-wednesday">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Since today is a freebie, which basically means I can make up a new topic or steal one from past, I decided to steal from the past.<br />
<br />
Three years in the past, actually, since this topic is from August 2016.<br />
<br />
Anyway, let's get down to business.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I'm going to talk about favourite first sentences. The first line is so important to a book, and I absolutely love looking at them.<br />
<br />
I'm going to leave out some of the more obvious favourites, like the ever-beloved:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit."</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>-<i>The Hobbit</i>; by J. R. R. Tolkien</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Did I technically just do it anyway? Yes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Do I care? Absolutely not.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Another author I'm not going to use in this list is actually a bit surprising, and that is Brandon Sanderson.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Why? Well, for one, I've used him in almost all my lists so far, and don't want to overuse him. And for two, HE HAS A LOT OF REALLY WONDERFUL OPENING LINES AND I DON'T WANT TO CHOOSE JUST ONE.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Alrighty. Now with all that out of the way, let's get to the Top Five List, shall we?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>#1</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"The building was on fire, and it wasn't my fault."</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>-<i>Blood Rites (The Dresden Files #6)</i>; by Jim Butcher</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Let's start with the big leagues of my favourites.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I really don't know what I can say about this first line without pointing out the obvious. I mean...just read it. How can you<i> not</i> want to know about what's going on when you read something like that?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's also a line that really sums up Harry's life throughout this series. The trouble he gets into is rarely his own fault. He just keeps getting dragged into problem after problem and having to fight his way out.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Also, it's just plainly hilarious. I love it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>#2</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"The morning air was still as Caeden brushed his thumb against the axe's edge, nodding as a fine line of crimson blushed where the skin made contact."</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>-<i>An Echo of Things to Come (Licanius #2)</i>; by James Islington</b></div>
<i></i><i></i><br />
It was a battle between this book and the first book in the series (<i>The Shadow of What Was Lost)</i> for my favourite first line, but since my favourite opening for book one appears in chapter one and this one appears in the prologue, I had to go with this one.<br />
<br />
That's right, I consider the prologue to be part of the book. So sue me.<br />
<br />
Anyhoo.<br />
<br />
Without the context of book one, this sentence probably doesn't have the same emotion for most people as it did for me.<br />
<br />
However, when I read and understood what was going on with Caeden in that scene, and particularly being able to look back after finishing the book...<br />
<br />
Let's just say it perfectly sets up a haunting and tragic character arc that leads into a beautifully unfolding story as we learn more and more about Caeden's backstory.<br />
<br />
I love it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>#3</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"When we encounter a voice that moves us on an emotional level, by turns wringing tears from our eyes and plucking laughs from our bellies, there is an ineffable quality to its power: all we know is that we like listening to it and want to hear more."</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>-<i> A Plague of Giants</i>; by Kevin Hearne</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Probably a strange choice, since I haven't actually read/finished this book yet, but I still really like this first line. It's what got me wanting to buy the book in the first place.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What I love about it is the poetry behind it. It reminds me of something written by Patrick Rothfuss, just lyrical and beautiful to read.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It was surprising for me when I read it, considering that it was written by the man who I only knew as the man who wrote<i> The Iron Druid Chronicles</i>, which had basic prose and followed...well, a usually naked druid.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's...not even a joke, the more I think of it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Anyhow. Yes. Beautiful writing. Makes me want to read the rest of the book at some point.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Let's carry on.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>#4</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"It was night again. The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts."</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>-<i>The Name of the Wind</i>; by Patrick Rothfuss.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
I know that this is technically two sentences, so maybe it's cheating, but I don't care. I had to add it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I would add the entire prologue if I could. It's honestly my favourite opening of any book on my shelves.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Not much I can say about it, though. It's beautiful, it's lyrical, and it perfectly opens one of the best written books I've ever read.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>#5</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"Hadrian Blackwater hadn't gone more than five steps off the ship before he was robbed."</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>-<i>The Crown Tower</i>; by Michael J. Sullivan</b></div>
<b></b><i></i><i></i><br />
I couldn't do a list of favourite sentences without bringing up a book by Michael J. Sullivan.<br />
<br />
There are several openings by him that I really enjoy, but this is my favourite first sentence. There are many first paragraphs by him that I love, but this is my favourite opening line.<br />
<br />
Again, not much I can say about it that it doesn't say for itself.<br />
<br />
<br />
Anyway, I could go on about first sentences. I can list so many more. Openings are a tricky beast to work with, but I find them fascinating.<br />
<br />
But that wraps up another Top 5 Wednesday! Do you agree with any of my picks? Are there any first sentences that you love? Let me know in the comments, I would love to hear from you.<br />
<br />
If you enjoyed this blog, please feel free to give it a comment, like, or share wherever you found it. It helps out a lot.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading, and I'll talk to you again next time!Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-41487590622849406432018-12-22T12:09:00.000-08:002019-01-23T02:21:57.540-08:00Review: Sweet Black Waves; by Kristina Perez<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVc67wfo_hmIsd_PhCrMW32w-I6syAYBnpbg0UxfSabB2j_RDly_xKHuUucBHniJZqs8zCv4sTCG5woBxJzvNlLedp-KLitTZ0ToG0BqwKGi-yCK-AH0LdfRsEqzf4Gd3kaasc5Hpp5XI/s1600/IMG_1882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVc67wfo_hmIsd_PhCrMW32w-I6syAYBnpbg0UxfSabB2j_RDly_xKHuUucBHniJZqs8zCv4sTCG5woBxJzvNlLedp-KLitTZ0ToG0BqwKGi-yCK-AH0LdfRsEqzf4Gd3kaasc5Hpp5XI/s400/IMG_1882.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Well, well, well. What
do we have here?</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A book review, that's
what!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
I thought I should get more posts out, so I figured I might as well do a quick
review of a book I read earlier this year.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As in, this summer.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Yeah, I should probably
review more things...</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Anyway.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
This review may be a
bit late in the year, but this is still a new release (as in, came
out in 2018).</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
(What? Me reviewing a
new release instead of a book that's several years old? What is this
sorcery?)</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Let's get the
technogobbledegook out of the way first.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Here's the description
from the front flap:</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><b>Two proud
kingdoms stand on opposite shores, with only a bloody history between
them.</b></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>As
best friend and lady-in-waiting to the princess, Branwen is guided by
two principles: devotion to her homeland and hatred for the raiders
who killed her parents. When she unknowingly saves the life of her
enemy, he awakens her ancient healing magic and opens her heart.
Branwen begins to dream of peace, but the princess she serves is not
so easily convinced. Fighting for what's right, even as her powers
grow beyond her own control, will set Branwen against her closest
confidant and the man she's come to love.</i></div>
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Inspired
by the star-crossed tale of Tristan and Iseult, this is the story of
the legend's true heroine: Branwen. </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Sweet
Black Waves</span><i> is the first book of a lush fantasy trilogy
about warring countries, family secrets, and forbidden romances.</i></div>
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<i>Sweet Black Waves </i>is 419 pages in hardcover, and is Kristina
Perez's debut novel. It was published by <i>Imprint</i> in 2018,
which is a part of Macmillan Publishing Group.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
I got this book through the Spearcraft book subscription box. I say
this, because this is a book that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise,
as it is not carried in Canadian bookstores. It is on the Chapters
website, but not on shelves (according to their order page). At
least, as far as I've seen. Maybe there's a stray copy floating about in
Ontario or Quebec. Maybe in Nunavut.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Who knows.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
With that in mind, fellow Canadians, if you manage to get your hands on
a copy of <i>Sweet Black Waves</i>, I would recommend it.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's get to some of my thoughts.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
As someone who wasn't familiar with the story of Tristan and Iseult,
I really didn't know what to expect with this book, since it's a
retelling. It led to a lot of things that are very evident in the
original story becoming quite the plot twists for me, so I was
actually glad to go in essentially blind.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
That being said, let's talk about the story here.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
As context, I usually don't read books that focus on romance. I
don't mind romance in books, but I've often found romantic subplots
(particularly in YA books) to be distracting from the plot rather
than an enhancement for the story. I prefer it to be a background element.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
As you can imagine, this kind of thing immediately makes me skeptical
of any kind of YA book that talks about romance as a leading plot.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Thankfully, the romance of <i>Sweet Black Waves </i>wasn't the distracting sort.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Even though it was a book that focused on romance, when it actually
came to the leading conflict, the romance faded back into being a
flavour of the story, not the main focus. The characters could
actually prioritize the important parts of the scenes, which I really
appreciated. When Branwen had to focus on a task before her, or was
confronted with an issue that needed her attention, she wasn't
constantly thinking about her love interest.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
It was a definite step up from some other YA I've read, where it felt
like characters would NEVER STOP THINKING ABOUT THEIR LOVE INTEREST
DURING TIMES THAT REQUIRED THEIR ACTUAL FOCUS.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
On the topic of romance....</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
It was adorable.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
I'm a sucker for a really charming and caring love interest, and that
is something that this book definitely delivered on.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Let me put it this way:</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
I don't like it when a male love interest is a guy who is always
charming every girl he sees, sleeping around, being dishonest, and
playing every girl me meets aside from 'that one super-special sweet
little main character'. I really don't go for that. I find I can't
trust a character who isn't loyal to their love, no matter how much
they claim otherwise. It's a rare occurrence for me to like a flirt.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
What I <i>do</i> go for is a male lead who finds <i>one girl</i> that
he loves, and is charming toward her. Where he romances the character
that he has fallen for rather than skirt-chasing every girl who
blinks at him.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Tantris is that second kind of male lead.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
He is charming to everyone he meets, but not the way he is charming
toward Branwen. He acts as a friend to everyone, he <i>wants </i>to
be a friend to everyone, but with Branwen he always acts differently.
You can tell that it's more than friendship, and it really makes for
a lot of sweet and touching moments between them. It leads to a
character that you never doubt will be loyal to the lead, and will
never do anything to hurt her. When he tells her that he would cross
oceans for her and will devote himself to her, you believe it.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
It was the same for Branwen's character toward him. Even though she
had other men pursuing her through the story, and even though she had
a lot of internal conflict about Tantris at first because he is from
an enemy country, you know for a fact that she would never betray
him.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
As someone who finds loyalty and honesty incredibly attractive and
important, it was definitely a relationship I could get behind.
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
On those two characters themselves, both were also just plainly
likeable. Even when they made mistakes, I found myself rooting for
them.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
...</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
...then there's the princess. Essy.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
...my word, did I end up hating this little twit.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
I can't say why. I can't. Because spoilers.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
But.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
She is one of my most hated characters. I related to and liked her at
first, but by the end of the book...</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
..I've never wanted to see a character thrown into a pit of lepers
more in my life. But I guess I'll have to wait for the sequel for
that.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Back to plot.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
The plot of this book is very simple: Branwen, the cousin and best
friend of the princess, saves a man from drowning after his ship was
attacked by pirates. It turns out this man is from the kingdom that
has been at war with her home for years. She fixes him up an hides
him from her countrymen as he heals from his wounds, their love
blossoms, and a whole lot of political intrigue and shenanigans
ensue. I don't want to say much more, because I find the book is
better to go into blind.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Overall, it was well paced, and had good focus. The only thing I wish
it had would be some areas that were from a different POV, as the
entire book is from Branwen's perspective, and some input from a
different character or two could have really fleshed out some of the
plot points.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Considering that this was a debut novel, the way it was all tied
together was pretty solid.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
The writing was also an area that I felt had a bit of a 'first book'
feel to it, but it also felt like it was getting into its stride by
the end of the book, which makes me expect the sequel to have
stronger prose. It wasn't writing that felt bad or anything, it was
still pretty decent, but it's definitely one that I look forward to
seeing evolve as Kristina's writing becomes more experienced.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><b>OVERALL...</b></u></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<i></i><u></u><i></i><b></b><br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
I'd give this book a solid 4/5 stars, for really managing to impress me.<br />
<br />
This was a good read. I really enjoyed it. The ending wrecked me for
a solid day after I finished, and I need book two. I don't care that
I'll need to order it. I need it, and I really looking forward to
seeing where this story goes.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
So, if you're into a book with some sweet star-crossed romance, some
unexpected turns, and with some strong potential to turn into a
really interesting trilogy, give it a go.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
However, if romance really isn't your thing whatsoever, probably give
it a pass. It's a romance at its heart, regardless of how well it's
all put together.</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Anyway, that's all I've got for this review. If you enjoyed this post
feel free to leave a comment or give it a share, it helps a lot. If
have any recommendations for things to review in the future, let me
know in the comments down below or wherever you found this post.
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Have an awesome day, and I'll see you next time.
</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-90146884990423011242018-12-14T15:25:00.001-08:002019-01-23T02:20:48.560-08:00Review: Age of Swords (Legends of the First Empire Book 2); by Michael J. Sullivan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EWOkBo_UrKfADHjy28QjfQpKeExlSvYgSem0F0HXrZwaJiiGi3eIHC7b-E4qS8VFf15eQOC5IaXou3X1_7Bs3V5imJmYX3BSqtVwlnXfkIuBqIcRIpan2fIpKktEyrEI1Yxgh0q813O0/s1600/IMG_1879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EWOkBo_UrKfADHjy28QjfQpKeExlSvYgSem0F0HXrZwaJiiGi3eIHC7b-E4qS8VFf15eQOC5IaXou3X1_7Bs3V5imJmYX3BSqtVwlnXfkIuBqIcRIpan2fIpKktEyrEI1Yxgh0q813O0/s400/IMG_1879.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
Several months ago, I said I would review the Legends of the First Empire books, and keep up as each one comes out.<br />
<br />
Well, now I'm finally getting to book two.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to get into spoilers, so don't be worried about that. Also, if you haven't read my review for the first book,<i> Age of Myth</i>, check it out <a href="https://inkwyrm.blogspot.com/2018/07/review-age-of-myth-legends-of-first.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Ayway, let's get on to book 2 of<i> Legends of the First Empire.</i><br />
<i></i><i></i><i></i><br />
This is my review of<i> Age of Swords</i> by Michael J. Sullivan.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
First things first, let's talk description.<br />
<br />
Here's the synopsis from the cover flap:<br />
<b></b><u></u><b></b><u></u><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><br />
<br />
<i>Raithe, the God Killer, may have stated the rebellion by killing a Fhrey, but long-standing enmities dividing the Rhunes make it all but impossible to unite against the common foe. And even if the clans join forces, how will they defeat an enemy whose magical prowess renders them indistinguishable from gods?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The answer lies across the sea in a faraway land populated by a reclusive and dour race who feel nothing but disdain for both Fhrey and mankind. With time running out, Persephone leads the gifted young seer Suri, the Fhrey sorceress Arion, and a small band of misfits in a desperate search for aid - a quest that will take them into the darkest depths of Elan. There, an ancient adversary waits, as fearsome as it is deadly.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i>Age of Swords</i> was published in 2017 by Del Rey, and is 446 pages in hardcover.<i> </i><br />
<i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><br />
<br />
<b><u>AND NOW, THE REVIEW!</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Considering my enjoyment of<i> Age of Myth</i>,<i> Age of Swords</i> had some decent expectations to live up to.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, it didn't just live up to my expectations: it by far surpassed them. And, not only did this book pass my expectations - it actually surprised me.<br />
<br />
Now, here's the thing: I didn't find there were any huge twists in the book. That's not how it surprised me.<br />
<br />
What surprised me were the characters and the tone.<br />
<br />
For context: I<i> rarely</i> prefer female characters over male characters. Even in the<i> Riyria</i> books, as much as I liked the female characters, I still preferred the male leads.<br />
<br />
In this one, I couldn't wait to get past the male characters and get back to the ladies.<br />
<br />
Part of this could be chalked up to the fact that the women were the ones actually moving the plot forward, but the larger factor is that they were just the most interesting characters in the book. The relationships between the women, their ingenuity, and just their overall likeability made them my favourite points of view to read from.<br />
<br />
In particular, in this book I<i> loved</i> Persephone. She was a woman who saw what issues were happening, and took charge to fix problems instead of waiting for someone else to do it. Instead of going 'oh, I don't know if I can do it', she just went 'screw it, nobody else is doing it, so I'm going to get the job done!'<br />
<br />
It was a breath of fresh air, particularly considering that, though she wasn't always feeling qualified, she still had the confidence and stepped forward as a leader when occasion called for it. She didn't act arrogant, she didn't act self-important, she just got the job done and was motivated by her concern for the well-being of her people.<br />
<br />
Freaking loved her.<br />
<br />
The other women, of course, were also fantastic. Moya was witty and didn't let people look down on her for being a woman, even as she became a warrior against the cultural norm. Roan was sweet and inventive. Suri was uncertain of herself, but clever and curious about the world. Brin was brilliant and saw things that nobody else did. Arion was wise and gentle.<br />
<br />
Every woman in this book made hard decisions and worked their way to where they were, standing strong and supportive with one another. They were independent and strong without having to constantly 'prove themselves better than men' the way that so many female protagonists do. They weren't all talk about how good they were - they just went in, go the job done, and proved their badassery on their own merit.<br />
<br />
Okay, so the women were obviously a high point. What about our leading men?<br />
<br />
Well, a lot of them mostly stood around talking and arguing. But the two that I really enjoyed above the rest were: Gifford and Malcolm.<br />
<br />
Gifford is a man born crippled, with a severe limp, speech impediment, a tragic backstory, and one of the sweetest personalities in all literature.<br />
<br />
He's a gifted potter, and is just plainly adorable. He does his best to be kind to everyone he meets in spite of the abuse he often suffers for it. He's willing to sacrifice himself for the people he cares for, and he just wants the best for everyone around him. Loved the sweet little guy.<br />
<br />
Malcolm I love for a couple very odd, very specific reasons. 1) He's a mysterious fellow, and I have a super soft spot for mysterious characters. 2) He's hilarious, and has a spear named "Pointy".<br />
<br />
...yup. Moving on.<br />
<br />
I still liked other male characters, but for the most part Gifford and Malcolm were my standout favourites.<br />
<br />
There were, of course, also characters that I hated.<br />
<br />
Namely, one character.<br />
<br />
Namely, Mawyndule, the Fhrey/elvish prince.<br />
<br />
Wow, I've never wanted to punch an elf so badly.<br />
<br />
Won't go into details why (spoilers), but if you read the book, you'll know.<br />
<br />
Oh, and Nyphron was a bastard too.<br />
<br />
Again, won't go into why because of spoilers, but dang. I'm pretty sure that Arion was the only "main character" Fhrey that I didn't want to attack.<br />
<br />
They were still well-written characters. I just found that they were good at stoking my frustration.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Okay, so what about plot? How was the book's story? </u></b><br />
<b></b><u></u><b></b><u></u><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><b></b><u></u><br />
It was solid. It was, when simplified and boiled down, a quest to slay a mysterious monster. The stakes were high, the tension and pacing were excellent, and the environments were fleshed out and vivid.<br />
<br />
This book is also<b> THE ONLY BOOK, TO THIS DAY, THAT I HAVE EVER CRIED IN.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Oh, I've teared up in other books. I've become emotional in other books.<br />
<br />
This one, however, -<b><i> THIS ONE</i></b> - had me actually crying. Tears actually fell.<br />
<br />
That's pretty much why I really loved this book. I've never had a book make me cry before, so this one holds a special place in my heart for how it emotionally effected me.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Overall:</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
This book gets an upgrade from its predecessor, with a full 5/5 stars from me. Any book that can make me cry deserves full marks.<br />
<br />
Obviously, I recommend this book as a sequel. You have to read book one first, but this is a fulfilling, well-written, well-paced book. It sets up for an excellent series, introduces whole new aspects to a world that I already thought I knew through the other series in Elan, built up fascinating cultures, and created something that feels, as I said in my previous review, unique among other fantasies.<br />
<br />
Anyway, thanks for reading this review. If you liked it, check out some of my other posts in the archive on the right, post a comment, or like and share wherever you found this blog. It helps out a lot.<br />
<br />
Thanks again for reading, have a great day, and I'll talk to you later.Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-39358892025113395182018-10-10T16:32:00.001-07:002019-01-02T03:55:02.272-08:00Top 5 Wednesday: Favourite Villains<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMy5g6S2T56E2EdUSpmanVowYYIB8TafFOHM23TeklqVn2seo-XfCqke8EMFR_PZu2UZxgKWsaa2wnBnwWtC4ymspJFfCn4nxDRSI_FwfjZKittOzkbSAIo3ULrpLreM5odzKaPqNbFpvE/s1600/IMG_1637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMy5g6S2T56E2EdUSpmanVowYYIB8TafFOHM23TeklqVn2seo-XfCqke8EMFR_PZu2UZxgKWsaa2wnBnwWtC4ymspJFfCn4nxDRSI_FwfjZKittOzkbSAIo3ULrpLreM5odzKaPqNbFpvE/s400/IMG_1637.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
Hello again, dear readers.<br />
<br />
Welcome to another Top 5 Wednesday.<br />
<br />
Welcome to the topic I had been VERY MUCH HOPING FOR in this month's Top 5 Lists.<br />
<br />
That's right. Time to talk about VILLAINS!<br />
<br />
If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you might have seen that last year I did an entire villain-themed month for October. (Links will be at the bottom of this post)<br />
<br />
By the way, if you would like to see my previous Top Five Wednesday, check it out right <a href="https://inkwyrm.blogspot.com/2018/10/top-5-wednesday-top-5-magic-systems.html">here</a>, and you can check out the Goodreads Group for Top 5 Wednesday right <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/118368-top-5-wednesday">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I love villains, so this was a particularly interesting list to narrow down. Since I want to keep my Top Fives to books only, the main top five list will only be book villains. However, I will have a few honourable mentions from other mediums at the end of the post.<br />
<br />
Also, these aren't really in a particular order, these just happen to be my favourites, but I can't really put them one over the other. I love them all for different reasons.<br />
<br />
Without further ado, let's talk about villains!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<b><u>1. Nicodemus Archleone (<i>The Dresden Files</i>; by Jim Butcher)</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u>
<i>' "There's never really a good opportunity for us to have a civilized conversation. I'm seizing the chance for a chat." He gestured at the building around us. "Sans demolition, if you think you can refrain." '</i></b><br />
<i></i><b></b><br />
<b><i>- Small Favour</i> (Dresden Files #10); by Jim Butcher</b><br />
<b></b><br />
Let's start with a villain who has some class, shall we?<br />
<br />
Meet Nicodemus Archleone. He's suave. Charming. Fashionable. A perfect gentleman.<br />
<br />
Possessed by an extremely powerful fallen angel for the past several hundred years...<br />
<br />
Well, then. That kind of puts a damper on things, doesn't it?<br />
<br />
Yeah, I really like Nicodemus. He is the consummate villain of class. He often avoids conflict, instead trying to handle things with words instead of violence. When he<i> does</i> get violent, though...scary. Very scary.<br />
<br />
Extremely-powerful-fallen-angel kind of scary.<br />
<br />
He's also confident enough to constantly wear a noose around his neck as a tie.<br />
<br />
Yup. That kind of guy. Every time he appears on the page, he has such a wonderful magnetism to his character, and enough charisma to always hold my attention.<br />
<i></i><i></i><br />
<b><u><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><br /></u></b>
<b><u>2. Scythe Goddard (<i>Scythe</i>; by Neal Shusterman)</u></b><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i>
<i>' "Human beings are predatory by nature," he began. "That nature may have been bleached out of us by the sanitizing force of civilization, but it can never been taken from us completely. Embrace it...Suckle at its transformative breast. You may think gleaning is an acquired taste, but it's not. The thrill of the hunt and the joy of the kill simmers in all of us. Bring it to the surface and then you'll be the kind of scythe the world needs." '</i></b><br />
<i></i><b></b><br />
<b><i>- Scythe </i>(Arc of a Scythe #1); by Neal Shusterman</b><br />
<i></i><i></i><i></i><b><u><br /></u></b>Ah, Goddard. The most over-dramatic and charismatic character on this list.<br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>
This man is such a showboat. EVERYTHING is about the drama for him. He walks into a room, and makes sure that all eyes are on him. He speaks, he makes sure everyone listens. He moves, he makes sure that he commands attention.<br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>
He honestly drips arrogance and waxes poetic at EVERY OPPORTUNITY.<br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>
Don't get me wrong - some part of me loves the character. He is so over the top and sinister and self-righteous that I can't help but watch every time he walks onto the page.<br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>
He's also unsettling enough that, every time he walks onto the page, I cringe a little bit inside, but I can't look away. It's like finding a big spider in my room. I don't want to look, but if I look away I might miss them doing something terrible.<u><b><br /></b></u><br />
<u>
<br />
<b><br />
3. Black Jack Randall (<i>Outlander</i>; by Diana Gabaldon)</b></u><br />
<i><b><u><br /></u></b></i>
<br />
<div>
<i><b>' "I dwell in darkness, and darkness is where I belong." '</b></i><br />
<i></i><b></b><br />
<b><i>- Outlander</i> (Season One); book by Diana Gabaldon</b></div>
<b></b><br />
<br />
I actually haven't read<i> Outlander</i> yet (which is why I chose a quote from the show), so maybe this is cheating, but I had to include him.<br />
<br />
Part of it is because my first blog on villains last year was actually focused on why he's a good villain, because he nails a lot of qualities that I think villains should have. (Link will be at the bottom of the blog!)<br />
<br />
The other part is because I know that the show did a very good job of portraying him, and I know that if I were to read the books he would still be on this list.<br />
<br />
NEVER BEFORE has a villain managed to make me cringe and want to just squirm away every time they make an appearance. Even just looking up quotes for him for this post made me cringe all over again. Part of it is because of Tobias Menzies, the actor portraying him (He did an AMAZING job of it), but another part of it is that he. Is. So. CREEPY.<br />
<br />
NOBODY SHOULD EVER BE THAT OBSESSIVE OVER ANOTHER PERSON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! AAAAAAAH!<br />
<br />
Ahem.<br />
<br />
There's also the things that he does. There are many things that he does, but if you know the story, you know about the VERY SPECIFIC things that he does to a certain character. Things that are heinous and unspeakable. Things that I do not wish to recount here.<br />
<br />
Just, no. Nope. No thanks, I'll pass.<br />
<b><u><i></i><i></i><br /></u></b>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>4. Straff Venture (<i>Mistborn</i>; by Brandon Sanderson)</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b>'<i> "All right," Straff said, setting down his fork. "Let's be honest, boy. I'm this close to simply having you killed." '</i></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b>-<i> The Well of Ascension</i> (Mistborn #2) by Brandon Sanderson<u><br /></u></b><br />
<i>(Side note here: this quote took so long for me to decide on. He has so many interesting quotes and amazing villainous back and forth with the heroes, but most of his quotes make no sense without context or contain spoilers. Just saying.)</i><br />
<b><u><i></i><br /></u></b>This is a villain that everyone seems to forget in the<i> Mistborn</i> trilogy, and I don't know why. Nobody talks about this guy. Nobody seems to even remember that this guy was a villain.<br />
<br />
This. Guy.<br />
<br />
Let me put it this way: the character of Straff Venture is like Brandon Sanderson asked himself what the worst qualities he could put into a character were, and he put them all into a single man.<br />
<br />
Serial adulterer? Check.<br />
<br />
Child abuser? Check.<br />
<br />
Rapist? Yup.<br />
<br />
Pedophile? Slave owner? Psychopath? Check, check, check.<br />
<br />
He disgusts me. He literally disgusts me. I<i> hated</i> this character. Part of me loved him for how evil he was, but the rest of me was just disgusted by him every time he walked onto the page. It was similar to the feeling that I have whenever I see Black Jack Randall. Just...eeeeeeeeeeeeugh.<br />
<br />
However, the upside is that it makes his comeuppance so satisfying in the end.<br />
<br />
So,<i> so</i> satisfying.<br />
<b></b><b></b><u></u><u></u><br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>
<u><b>5. El/Shammaeloth (<i>The Licanius Trilogy</i>; by James Islington)</b></u><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b>
<b><i>' "I cannot and will not force you to take up this burden - as always, this is the only freedom I can give. But I ask that you look to the greater good. I ask that you remember that all that is done will be undone. And I ask that you never forget that these sins will be mine to bear, not yours." '</i></b><br />
<b><i></i><br /></b>
<b><i>- An Echo of Things to Come</i> (Licanius #2) by James Islington</b><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><b></b><i></i><i></i><br />
<br />
Since I primarily read adult Epic Fantasy, it would be wrong of me to not bring up a really 'big bad enigmatic all-powerful string-puller' type of villain. The mysterious entity that is in control of the darkness. The evil that is seeping its fangs into the world.<br />
<br />
There were so many to pick from, but I wanted to shine a bit of light on the one in a newer trilogy, which is<i> Licanius</i>.<br />
<br />
Why are there two names, you may wonder?<br />
<br />
I put two names because you can never be sure exactly who he/it is. Heck, I have my full suspicions on this character, but I don't want to be spoilery and, since the series isn't done yet...<br />
<br />
I don't want to make assumptions before I know what's going on.<br />
<br />
This character/entity is among the most conniving entities I have ever read. The things that he does to get people to do his bidding without question, the deceptions he weaves, the way he manipulates events into his favour. He's a character that is able to push people in exactly the right way to move them the way he wants them to, and the more I learn about the things he has done, the more interested I become. He's not a villain I would normally pick, but I think he's worth a mention.<br />
<br />
Besides, I honestly have no idea what his plan is, since book three isn't out yet, but so far I'm intrigued.<br />
<br />
Truthfully, this is a bit of an unconventional pick, but I'm running with it. This series is getting traction, needs more love, and if you want to find out more about this villainous entity and the things he pulls, go check the series out. It's well worth it.<br />
<b><u></u></b><u><b><br /></b></u>
<u><b><br /></b>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Honourable Mentions</b></span></u><br />
<u><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></u>
Of course, I had to have honourable mentions here: One for Film, one for Television, and one for Video Games. They're not officially part of the list, but since these are also stories I love I want to bring some attention to them as well. So, here we go:<br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><br /></u></b>
<br />
<b><u>Film: Makoto Shishio (<i>Rurouni Kenshin</i>)</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
I could have chosen someone more iconic for this, but I wanted to think outside the box for this honourable mention.<br />
<br />
Maybe this is cheating, since<i> Rurouni Kenshin</i> started as a manga, then was adapted into both an anime and live action trilogy. (AMAZING series, by the way. Particularly the manga and live actions. As far as live action adaptations of fiction go, this one is among the best I have ever seen.)<br />
<br />
Here's the thing: when I heard that Shishio was going to be done in the live action movies, I didn't know how they would do him in a threatening way. To be honest, he has a...kind of weird and goofy design, even as anime villains go.<br />
<br />
However, somehow they managed to make him intimidating. They made him creepy. They made him sinister.<br />
<br />
They made him perfectly villainous, and it definitely makes him a villain to remember.<br />
<b></b><u></u><br />
<b></b><u></u><br />
<b><u>TV: Jerome (<i>Gotham</i>)</u></b><br />
<b><u></u></b><b><u><br /></u></b>
I could have picked any villain from<i> Gotham</i> for this, really, but I just needed to choose their "proto-Joker", Jerome.<br />
<i></i><i></i><br />
I know they can't call Jerome the Joker due to legal and copyright issues, but I still consider Jerome my favourite Joker.<br />
<br />
I know, I know, unpopular opinion. How dare I not find Heath Ledger the best.<br />
<br />
I don't care. I love Jerome's character, and I love how he is written and portrayed. Cameron Monaghan just has a wonderful stage presence, and I find him mesmerizing to watch in this role. I've never been so entertained and yet so terrified by a villain all at once.<br />
<br />
Bravo, sir. Bravo.<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Video Games: Professor Hojo (<i>Final Fantasy VII</i>)</u></b><br />
<b><u><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><br /></u></b>
Yeah, I've recently been revisiting <i>Final Fantasy VII</i>, so of course it's at the front of my mind.<br />
<br />
There were actually three villains I was debating between for this entry, and admittedly all were from Final Fantasy. What can I say? These games have awesome villains. And, as awesome as all the villains in the series are, the three I was debating between were Sephiroth from <i>FFVII</i>, Ardyn Izunia from <i>FFXV</i>, and, of course, Professor Hojo from <i>FFVII</i>.<br />
<br />
I love Sephiroth and Ardyn. Both have a wonderful magnetism to them, and I have fun every time they walk onto screen. However, the only one of these three to give me the legitimate creeps was Hojo. I mean...just...eeeeeeugh…<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
All you have to do is look up a picture of him, and you kind of get the idea of what kind of character he is.<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Evil scientist. That's all I feel needs to be said about him. Evil Scientists have always creeped me out more than any other villain, and he was an exceptionally creepy one.<br />
<br />
And let's face it. LITERALLY EVERYTHING IN <i>FINAL FANTASY VII</i> IS HOJO'S FAULT.<br />
<br />
Literally. Everything.<br />
<br />
...eeeeeugh….<br />
<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Anyway!</span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></u></b>
That concludes my pics for my Top 5 Villains! Do you agree with my picks? Who are some of your favourite villains? Let me know in the comments down below or on whatever platform you found me on, I'd love to hear your thoughts!<br />
<br />
Also, if you like what you read, feel free to give it a share. Helps a bunch!<br />
<br />
Thanks so much for reading, and I'll see you next time!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Links to my previous posts on villains:</u></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://inkwyrm.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-makings-of-darkness-relationship.html">The Relationships Between Heroes and Villains</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://inkwyrm.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-13-types-of-villains-you-will-find.html">Thirteen Types of Villains You Will Find in the Wild</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://inkwyrm.blogspot.com/2017/10/stopping-villains.html">The Defeat Your Villain Deserves</a>Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-38549424258131278222018-10-02T22:44:00.004-07:002018-10-03T15:19:41.878-07:00Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Magic Systems<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaw6LM7p8hvutl9cdxDrAvJO4G2hIiFtbU9YB27AE0LOCfAYfGfg3z71SkJkXBC5wnEDMU8DHJ4VIrzvgimF5TJsfJouNwWRysfQ7aS43CzqHAjTeg_cNBO_Q-AzFn6mvLNXPjbsRTw2Kp/s1600/Top+5+New+Base.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaw6LM7p8hvutl9cdxDrAvJO4G2hIiFtbU9YB27AE0LOCfAYfGfg3z71SkJkXBC5wnEDMU8DHJ4VIrzvgimF5TJsfJouNwWRysfQ7aS43CzqHAjTeg_cNBO_Q-AzFn6mvLNXPjbsRTw2Kp/s400/Top+5+New+Base.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
Welcome to October, dear readers, and welcome back to another Top Five Wednesday!<br />
<br />
If you don't know, I am part of the<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> Goodreads group Top Five Wednesday, which is an open group where a topic for a top five list is given, and everyone gives their rankings for that list. (Check out the group </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/118368-top-5-wednesday" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">right here</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">, and you can see my previous top five </span><a href="https://inkwyrm.blogspot.com/2018/09/top-5-wednesday-top-5-favourite-book.html" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">.)</span><br />
<br />
Anyway, today's topic is a really exciting one to me, and that is the Top Five Magic Systems!<br />
<br />
As a person who is a huge fan of the fantasy genre (and, for that matter, mostly reads fantasy), I have a certain love of magic systems that has developed over the years. I've even actually written a full blog post talking about some of the basics of magic systems some time back (Check it out right over <a href="https://inkwyrm.blogspot.com/2018/06/magic-systems-101.html">here</a>, if you feel so inclined).<br />
<br />
And so, without further ado, here are my top five magic systems to kick off the month!<br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>
<u><b>1. Biochromatic Breath (From<i> Warbreaker</i>; by Brandon Sanderson)</b></u><br />
<u></u><b></b><br />
<br />
I easily could have filled this entire list with picks from Brandon Sanderson's work on the Cosmere, considering how well crafted his magic systems and worldbuilding is. However, to keep things more diverse, I decided to just go with my favourite one from him.<br />
<br />
Yup. My favourite magic system in the Cosmere comes from my favourite book by Brandon Sanderson,<i> Warbreaker</i>, and that magic system is Biochromatic breath.<br />
<br />
It's a system that has many facets to it, but the way we see it used the most in the book is that people can use biochromatic breath to bring inanimate objects under their control by infusing it with breath. When something is infused with breath (be it inanimate or alive), it becomes more vibrant and colourful. If something has the breath drawn out of it, it loses all colour and becomes grey.<br />
<br />
(Honestly, it would probably be the most cinematically interesting magic system in his books, next to Stormlight. It's REALLY visual.)<br />
<br />
Colour is<i> literally</i> the magic system, and it's really cool.<br />
<br />
<b></b><u></u><br />
<b><u>2. Essence/Kan (From<i> The Licanius Trilogy</i>; by James Islington)</u></b><br />
<b></b><u></u><br />
This is a series that has a dual magic system, so I'm bringing up both.<br />
<br />
In the series, there are two kinds of users: the Augurs and the Gifted.<br />
<br />
The Gifted can only use Essence, which is a magic that is drawn from a source within them. The Essence allows them to use energy as magic in the traditional sense - creating defensive shields and offensive weapons out of nothing but the power within them, that kind of thing.<br />
<br />
The Augurs can use both Essence and Kan, with Kan being a kind of magic that draws from the life of the world around them. Kan also gives other abilities, such as the ability to see the future, read minds, tell when someone is lying, shapeshift, slip in an out of time, etc;<br />
<br />
It's a really cool pair of systems that compliment each other well, and are really fun and interesting to read about.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>3. Grit (From<i> The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn</i>; by Tyler Whitesides)</u></b><br />
<b></b><u></u><br />
<br />
Now this is a system that felt REALLY different to me for a couple reasons.<br />
<br />
First reason: it's a system that is completely external, so absolutely anyone can use grit to create magical effects. It's even used in the world's technology, creating things like guns, airships, transports, etc;<br />
<br />
Second reason: there is a massive variety of types of grit, from kinds that create explosions, to ones that create anti-gravity fields, and they can be mixed to create new and exciting effects.<br />
<br />
Third reason: grit is made by feeding certain substances to dragons, letting them go through the digestive tract, and then harvesting the items out of the dragon's waste before refining the items down into powder, AKA, Grit.<br />
<br />
…<br />
<br />
Yup. This is magic that is literally made out of dragon dung.<br />
<br />
It's way cooler than it sounds. Trust me.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>4. The Skill/The Wit (From<i> The Farseer Trilogy</i>; by Robin Hobb)</u></b><br />
<b></b><u></u><br />
<br />
The Skill and the Wit, like Essence and Kan, are two highly linked magic systems in the same world that complement each other.<br />
<br />
Skill is a system that is based in telepathy between humans. It's commonly accepted and respected among the people of the world.<br />
<br />
Wit is a system that is based in telepathic bonds between humans and animals. If somebody is discovered to have the Wit, they are sentenced to a horrible fiery death.<br />
<br />
...oh dear.<br />
<br />
Seriously, though. This is a magic system that belongs to one of the most famous and beloved adult fantasy trilogies of all time, and the magic system is one that still stands out to me years after reading it, particularly the Wit side of it. Seeing how the people with the Wit interact with the world differently and have to act in ways to hide their abilities and bonds to their animals is one of my favourite parts of it.<br />
<b></b><u></u><br />
<b></b><u></u><br />
<b><u>5. Cloud Shifting/ Water Painting (From <i>The Watergivers/Stormlord Trilogy</i>; by Glenda Larke)</u></b><br />
<i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><br />
<br />
Oh, boy!<i> Another</i> joint magic system! Hooray!<br />
<br />
If you can't tell, I really like it when books have more than one magic system, and when those systems complement one another. I find that it adds a neat layer of complexity to the worldbuilding.<br />
<br />
If you don't know, in the<i> Stormlord</i> trilogy, the world is a massive desert, where the only way for people to regularly get water is through the actions of the Stormlords, people who can pull fresh water from the distant ocean and turn it into clouds, then sending the clouds to give rain at scheduled times to specific areas.<br />
<br />
As I remember it, this was one of the first hard magic systems that I ever really read, and it was really fascinating how creative Glenda Larke got with how it would work.<br />
<br />
Water painting is the secondary magic system, which is basically a system where certain people can paint a picture, and whatever was shown in the picture will become true. Basically, they create the future with their art.<br />
<br />
(As a side note, if you haven't ever read Glenda Larke's<i> Stormlord</i> trilogy, check it out. It's really neat.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Anyway, those are my Top Five Magic Systems! Do you agree with my picks? What are some of your favourite magic systems? Let me know in the comments, I would love to hear them!<br />
<br />
Thanks so much for reading, and I'll talk to you later!Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-48614305492074014752018-09-26T18:12:00.000-07:002018-09-26T18:12:00.265-07:00Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Favourite Book Covers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5vtYXLw2C54bew4zOBpfVkLZ1XL-X1tafrNv8C7qpHrNeFBcOXtTv49zxv1PkSsHoix4pY88sT8-HpJLL64cqSsfqktu4Pl-_hevy59BG1JkWh57PIpJKxFbeJmMm_ZD2f1hkKH9hbYn/s1600/Top+5+New+Base.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5vtYXLw2C54bew4zOBpfVkLZ1XL-X1tafrNv8C7qpHrNeFBcOXtTv49zxv1PkSsHoix4pY88sT8-HpJLL64cqSsfqktu4Pl-_hevy59BG1JkWh57PIpJKxFbeJmMm_ZD2f1hkKH9hbYn/s400/Top+5+New+Base.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
It's Wednesday again! Welcome back to another top five!<br />
<br />
If you missed my post a few weeks ago, I recently got into the Goodreads group Top Five Wednesday, which is a group where a topic for a top five list is given, and everyone gives their rankings for that list. (Check out the group <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/118368-top-5-wednesday" target="_blank">right here</a>, and you can see my previous top five <a href="https://inkwyrm.blogspot.com/2018/09/top-5-wednesday-top-5-favourite-friend.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
<br />
You may have noticed that I didn't do Top Five Wednesday for the past two weeks, and that's because I just didn't connect with the last two topics. I looked at them, and couldn't come up with anything whatsoever.<br />
<br />
This topic, however, made me SUPER EXCITED!<br />
<br />
IT'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT BOOK COVERS!!!!!!<br />
<br />
I. Love. Book covers. I'm a really visual and artistic person, and beautiful book covers make me so VERY happy.<br />
<br />
And that also made this list a bit...difficult, since I had to narrow down the book covers I love to my top five.<br />
<br />
But I did it. Somehow, I did it.<br />
<br />
So, without further ado and not actually in any particular order since I love them all and there are many others that could also rank up here with them, here are five of my favourite book covers.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASGCcEr0iufZtNK-cAWS7PsjsjfKLCvyUGWn69U5RKv9uA9fh-TYuuGRritJhPSTvjlZYuqKrkAGNjZpiEKUDu8Vs0k58NbxipRuJwMpb9oKpnhTfbVwwAD6c0gtL8jH3q6lEBb2cFhgj/s1600/The+Way+of+Kings+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1074" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASGCcEr0iufZtNK-cAWS7PsjsjfKLCvyUGWn69U5RKv9uA9fh-TYuuGRritJhPSTvjlZYuqKrkAGNjZpiEKUDu8Vs0k58NbxipRuJwMpb9oKpnhTfbVwwAD6c0gtL8jH3q6lEBb2cFhgj/s400/The+Way+of+Kings+Cover.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u>The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive #1); by Brandon Sanderson.</u></b><br />
<b><u>Cover art by Michael Whelan</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
In the fantasy art world, Michael Whelan is a bit of a legend. After doing cover design for series like Anne McAffery's<i> Pern</i> books and Stephen King's<i> Dark Tower</i> series, as well as many others, he has made a massive name for himself.<br />
<br />
So, naturally I had to start with my favourite cover by him.<br />
<br />
The picture I took really doesn't do it justice.<br />
<br />
The cover of this book really does the story justice for me, though. From the approaching storm, the sweeping landscape of the Shattered Plains, to the Shardbearer making his challenge across the canyons to his enemies, it really captures the sheer scope of the epic story that Brandon is telling.<br />
<br />
I actually like this picture enough that it was my desktop background for quite a long time, so there is also that to consider...<br />
<br />
Overall, I love this cover. It represents the series well, and continues to draw me in all these years later.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGPC4TGZgj9U3PZ1WNj0vWTqJiGf4UVR7hSnOSHS_gMSQ2qkWkpEf4tu5ihK0VUQAL1vr7gSxlReQhNnUJJPeSXZ0dSXhKUjRkjUKMfwjvnhFRjiIoxNsvDNVTBT7B7XZU8hCNab4R2u7/s1600/Darker+Shade+of+Magic+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1047" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGPC4TGZgj9U3PZ1WNj0vWTqJiGf4UVR7hSnOSHS_gMSQ2qkWkpEf4tu5ihK0VUQAL1vr7gSxlReQhNnUJJPeSXZ0dSXhKUjRkjUKMfwjvnhFRjiIoxNsvDNVTBT7B7XZU8hCNab4R2u7/s400/Darker+Shade+of+Magic+Cover.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u>A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1); by V. E. Schwab</u></b><br />
<b><u>Cover art by Will Staehle</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
What can I say about the design and art for the<i> Shades of Magic</i> series that hasn't already been said?<br />
<br />
Will Staehle outdid himself with these books. The art for<i> A Darker Shade of Magic</i> is what got me wanting to read the series in the first place. I had heard of them beforehand, but then I saw how beautiful these books looked in person. The red, black, and white theme fits the story itself beautifully, and it creates an overall striking image to look at on the shelf.<br />
<br />
Simple and striking, the design for these books is a definite attention-grabber.<br />
<b></b><u></u><b></b><u></u><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjMZzFvwzSHEoOmb10GNe57LsjF4LzpFfNQuEISv3A0QAi7-6Mp30uc2tv3uogGzu5AOjgHWgOfLwSVHBUfgd-yHD-pB92jhxn6bnmr55CH2s2oTDpTzU-Ay0R32adTZiWJFAnNn8lz_U/s1600/Vagrant+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1043" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjMZzFvwzSHEoOmb10GNe57LsjF4LzpFfNQuEISv3A0QAi7-6Mp30uc2tv3uogGzu5AOjgHWgOfLwSVHBUfgd-yHD-pB92jhxn6bnmr55CH2s2oTDpTzU-Ay0R32adTZiWJFAnNn8lz_U/s400/Vagrant+Cover.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u>The Vagrant (The Vagrant #1); by Peter Newman</u></b><br />
<b><u>Cover art by Jaime Jones</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
This book immediately pops to my head when I think of cool covers. I mean...just<i> look</i> at it. This cover, like the ones before it, is a perfect reflection of what is inside the book.<br />
<br />
You'll see that comment a lot in this post. It's one of my criteria for a good cover...<br />
<br />
Jaime Jones managed to capture the bleak, dark, and mysterious feel of<i> The Vagrant</i> in this piece of art. The dystopian-fantasy-high-technology-magical-post-apocalyptic feel of the world is somehow caught. The dark and mysterious atmosphere that is present in the story is present in the picture.<br />
<br />
I love it. I love it so much.<br />
<br />
Also, read this book. It's fantastic.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryQ1kz9FKuRiK-OLfgfSYsUI3K2tSYE3_AHstGhiWNsV2_bl0SFWKLeeCMuU-5IJuzB0wsQDRXU1vcKiuSbIqGdlgLlSlrfNOcjnpZWJR7aO6EZK3OYPIQhsnh7ZVTe7hnX62XpMo5FcZ/s1600/Kill+the+Farm+Boy+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1053" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryQ1kz9FKuRiK-OLfgfSYsUI3K2tSYE3_AHstGhiWNsV2_bl0SFWKLeeCMuU-5IJuzB0wsQDRXU1vcKiuSbIqGdlgLlSlrfNOcjnpZWJR7aO6EZK3OYPIQhsnh7ZVTe7hnX62XpMo5FcZ/s400/Kill+the+Farm+Boy+Cover.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u>Kill the Farm Boy (The Tales of Pell #1); by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne</u></b><br />
<b><u>Book design by Caroline Cunningham</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Ah...yet another one where my picture does not do the beauty of this cover justice...<br />
<br />
The title of this book is what got my attention, but the cover drew me back to it again and again. The colours are beautiful, the design really eye-catching, and the overall look of it is beautiful and illustrative. I particularly love the border design and the silhouette effect for the farm boy, goat, and chicken.<br />
<br />
There's also the tagline on the cover. As a lover of wordplay, how could this cover<i> not</i> catch my attention?<br />
<br />
This book may be a hilarious spoof on classic fairy tale tropes, but the cover is certainly worthy of a great and heroic tale.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVI9J0q3H9llU_IQelWCK4LOlQqk12sgHKHfCbwc8oyeuRM_oUyW35LezplgTMsMlbDQchyphenhyphen665JSOGhAQT6Z9km4PcSGszuw5FyrHo74pQH39btIMkMV9VE2YClG8b8Z4Y99Kb9ep88Rf4/s1600/Legends+of+the+First+Empire+Covers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="849" data-original-width="1600" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVI9J0q3H9llU_IQelWCK4LOlQqk12sgHKHfCbwc8oyeuRM_oUyW35LezplgTMsMlbDQchyphenhyphen665JSOGhAQT6Z9km4PcSGszuw5FyrHo74pQH39btIMkMV9VE2YClG8b8Z4Y99Kb9ep88Rf4/s400/Legends+of+the+First+Empire+Covers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<i></i><i></i><br />
<b><u>The Legends of the First Empire Books 1-3; by Michael J. Sullivan</u></b><br />
<b><u>Cover art by Marc Simonetti</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
...okay, so I<i> might</i> have cheated, but if I didn't then this entire post would just be covers done by Marc Simonetti. These three are my favourites by him, and I really couldn't just pick one, so I'm putting them all together for this one...<br />
<br />
If you couldn't tell, Marc Simonetti is my favourite cover artist. The man's artwork is incredible, and the art that he does for<i> Legends of the First Empire</i> is absolutely stunning. His greatest skill truly lies in creating fantasy worlds and landscapes, and that is exactly what he does for the world of Elan in these books, from great trees to massive cities. The atmosphere of these covers fits the stories within the pages, and he somehow manages to make every character identifiable even as a tiny silhouette before the true focus of the worlds.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u></u></b><b></b><u></u><b></b><u></u><b></b><u></u><b></b><u></u><b></b><u></u><i></i><i></i><i></i><i></i><br />
Anyway, those are some of my favourite covers from my shelves. What are some of your favourite covers? Let me know in the comments down below, I'd love to hear about them.<br />
<br />
Have a great day, and I'll talk to you again later.Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-18672205191554505282018-09-06T18:07:00.002-07:002018-09-06T18:07:12.712-07:00Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Favourite Friend Groups<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNw_jMpNNX14QWzDM_plNxXetz48bf9yjGQ1SpbXybTsS1S6dSVKO0VtrXfLrcBbg63W2lluLpHfg57yPy34qAJ9tKHyUo4jGN7cwcW6CxSy2tgf0U5cAopZm99A9GHgoIkOfzk3LcASA/s1600/T5W+friend+groups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNw_jMpNNX14QWzDM_plNxXetz48bf9yjGQ1SpbXybTsS1S6dSVKO0VtrXfLrcBbg63W2lluLpHfg57yPy34qAJ9tKHyUo4jGN7cwcW6CxSy2tgf0U5cAopZm99A9GHgoIkOfzk3LcASA/s400/T5W+friend+groups.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Hello, everyone! Happy Wednesday to you!<br />
<br />
...or Thursday...I didn't quite get this post finished at a reasonable posting time yesterday...<br />
<br />
...haha...oops...<br />
<br />
HAPPY BELATED WEDNESDAY TO YOU!<br />
<br />
So for the past while, I've been seeing a thing called 'Top 5 Wednesday' on YouTube. When I saw that it was an open-to-join group on Goodreads, I thought I'd join in.<br />
<br />
(You can check the Top 5 Wednesday group out <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/118368-top-5-wednesday" target="_blank">right here</a> if you like.)<br />
<br />
Basically, the gist of it is that every Wednesday there is a new prompt for a top five list, and everyone does a list of their picks for their top five.<br />
<br />
Today's topic is, as you can probably see in the title, the Top Five Favourite Friend Groups. People are allowed to take from all media for these prompts, but I want to keep the actual lists book-centric. I will have a couple honourable mentions, though.<br />
<br />
So, without further ado, here are my picks for my Top Five Favourite Friend Groups in books.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<b><u>1. Bridge Four;<i> The Stormlight Archive,</i> by Brandon Sanderson</u></b><br />
<i><b><u><br /></u></b></i>
This group was honestly the first one to come to mind for me when I started thinking about this week's prompt. From the first time you meet them in<i> The Way of Kings</i> to where they are now in<i> Oathbringer</i>, Bridge Four really is a group of comrades who stay together through hell and high water.<br />
<br />
Literally.<br />
<br />
Even going from the lowest of the low as slaves and working their way up to their current status (Spoilers, sorry), they don't grow apart. Instead, these are characters who shine as they simply grow closer together. Each one brings a unique aspect to the dynamic of their group, and it easily makes them one of my favourite ensembles of friends to follow.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>2. The Fellowship; <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>, by J. R. R. Tolkien</u></b><br />
<br />
Couldn't do this list without including the original epic fantasy group of friends, the Fellowship of the Ring.<br />
<br />
Of course there are the smaller groups within the fellowship that have great chemistry: the hobbits, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas, that kind of thing.<br />
<br />
However, the group I mean is the Fellowship itself. All nine of them.<br />
<br />
There's something really special about how this group interacts in both the books and the movies. They work well together, they fight well together, and they are there for one another through thick and thin throughout their journey, until circumstances force them apart.<br />
<br />
It's a brilliant friendship that keeps them together, even shown through their concern for one another once they are separated and in the joy of their reunion.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>3. Davian, Asha, and Wirr;<i> The Licanius Trilogy,</i> by James Islington</u></b><br />
<br />
This friend group actually does extend past these three, but they are the core group at the beginning of<i> The Shadow of What Was Lost</i>, the first in the trilogy.<br />
<br />
The interesting thing with this friendship is that the three of them aren't usually all together. They are often out with other groups, travelling or working with other people in their respective areas.<br />
<br />
I probably could have chosen<i> any</i> of their MANY groups to add to this list, and the bond between these three is really the smallest friend group of the series, but my favourite friendship here is really the one between the three of them. Even as they go on their separate ways, every time they meet up the friendship between them remains as strong as ever, even as they are changed by the situations forced upon them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>4. The Yellow Hoods;<i> The Yellow Hoods</i>, by Adam Dreece</u></b><br />
<br />
The Yellow Hoods is a little club of children around the age of twelve that start off as three, but the group grows as the series progresses and they make more friends.<br />
<br />
(The series itself is a self-published middle-grade series that the author describes as 'emergent steampunk', which basically means it has the technology being developed throughout the series. It's a fun one. Check it out.)<br />
<br />
These three are adorable. And, even better, these three are adventurous inventor kids. They are constantly innovating, creating, and inventing new ways to use technology on their adventures, and - even better -<i> reading this group feels like reading a group of children</i>.<br />
<br />
It's SO FUN reading these kids making inventions not for the sake of making some huge change in the world, but for the sake of having a good time on their various misadventures. Even as things get more serious and they are forced to grow up to suit the times, they still feel like children. It's a wonderful feeling, and a sweet friendship between them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>5. Kvothe and his circle of friends;<i> The Kingkiller Chronicles</i>, by Patrick Rothfuss</u></b><br />
<br />
Of course Kvothe and his University buddies had to make an appearance here. Now, not all of his friends know each other (literally none of them know poor Auri), but there's something special about Kvothe's friends. He has many friends at the University, and it makes an interesting circle of characters to hang out with.<br />
<br />
They each bring something new and fun to the relationship, from Sim and Wil's banter, Fela's flirting, Denna's mysteriousness and Auri's adorable quirks, as well as the contributions of many, many more, every character adds another facet to the relationships that Kvothe has and the experiences throughout his time at the University.<br />
<br />
Besides, without his friends, who would tell him about the creepy guys who stare at him in bars behind his back?<br />
<br />
Nobody. That's who.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Honourable Mentions:</span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b>
So, as I said at the start, I wanted to add a couple honourable mentions for other mediums that I really love. Therefore, I'm going to do one of each: Movies, TV, and Video Games.<br />
<br />
Here we go:<br />
<br />
<b><u>Movies: The Goonies</u></b><br />
<br />
I mean, come on. It's the Goonies. They're iconic. It's childhood embodied. Once a Goonie, always a Goonie.<br />
<br />
Enough said.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>T.V: The Scooby Squad; from<i> Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i></u></b><br />
<i><br /></i>
Through thick and thin, this group is fantastic. The banter, the adventure, the general zany quality...<br />
<br />
Yeah, these characters are a blast to hang out with. They pack an emotional punch, they bring the laughs, and they are pure 90's-early 2000's cheesy fun.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Video Games: The Chocobros/the boys; from<i> Final Fantasy XV</i></u></b><br />
<i><br /></i>
I know they never get officially called the Chocobros, but once I heard the name for them I just started loving it.<br />
<br />
These guys are such bros. I know this isn't a 'bromance' list, but I don't see bromance with these guys. Just bros. And I love them. I love the way that they interact in battle and while just cruising around the world map, I love the way that they banter and joke around, and I just plainly love the chemistry that they have.<br />
<br />
This little gang is what got me going back to this game again and again, and their friendship is what made me love them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
So, that is my list for my Top 5 Favourite Friend Groups! AKA, my first Top 5 Wednesday! Woohoo! Do you share any of my picks? What are some of your favourite friend groups? Leave your thoughts down below, I'd love to hear them!<br />
<br />
Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see you in my next post. Talk to you later!<u></u>Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-56699441907708792022018-08-27T16:59:00.000-07:002018-08-27T16:59:54.880-07:00A Very Specific Set of Skills: Choosing an Assassin's Method<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oVR4-5PJrRquPtok-fzUUoD_AAu2PCpZqwkcsyzr1O-zQIFPlasO7YhrAtxwsCxTOAbMNCKN10o7LThDkWej3Bgl2lF2YQAzofsRUmyJLabKJl4zNMfKqR9F1JItZb4cDt7ScCouWXrx/s1600/Assassin+Armoury+With+Caption.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oVR4-5PJrRquPtok-fzUUoD_AAu2PCpZqwkcsyzr1O-zQIFPlasO7YhrAtxwsCxTOAbMNCKN10o7LThDkWej3Bgl2lF2YQAzofsRUmyJLabKJl4zNMfKqR9F1JItZb4cDt7ScCouWXrx/s640/Assassin+Armoury+With+Caption.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
So.<br />
<br />
You. Yes, you.<br />
<br />
The "assassin".<br />
<br />
Theoretical assassin.<br />
<br />
You have your target. You have your wardrobe.<br />
<br />
You look<i> fantastic</i>.<br />
<br />
Now it's time for the fun bit.<br />
<br />
Let's. Get. STABBITY.<br />
<br />
...or not stabbity. Many assassins fight without stabbity weapons, and every assassin should be at least proficient at all methods of dealing death, and many also have a specialty that they like to fall back on as their preferred technique.<br />
<br />
But, anyway, it's time to get to my favourite part with assassins: the thing that makes them badass.<br />
<br />
Let's talk about some assassin methods.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
So we'll start with the favoured method:<br />
<br />
<b><u>#1: Swords, Knives, and other Stabbity Weapons</u></b><br />
<br />
This is, of course, the kind of method that most assassins in fantasy seem to favour. And, let's be completely honest, there is a very good reason for this.<br />
<br />
Stabbity weapons are cinematic, action-packed, elegant, classy, and just plainly<i> cool</i>.<br />
<br />
There's something about a skilled swordsman wielding a blade, or two masters having a duel. But, even taking that away, a knife in the dark is a terrifying and excellent threat.<br />
<br />
(If you haven't guessed, I<i> really</i> like swords.)<br />
<br />
I'm obviously not the only one, as here are just a few assassins who favour blades above all other forms of weaponry:<br />
<br />
-Durzo Blint and Kylar Stern, from<i> The Night Angel Trilogy</i> by Brent Weeks.<br />
<b></b><u><i><br /></i></u>
-Haern and Thren Felhorn, from<i> Shadowdance</i> by David Dalglish<br />
<br />
-Royce Melborn, from the<i> Riyria</i> books by Michael J. Sullivan<br />
<br />
-Altair and Ezio Auditore Da Firenze, from the<i> Assassin's Creed</i> franchise<br />
<br />
-Hitokiri Battousai/Kenshin Himura, from<i> Rurouni Kenshin</i> by Nobuhiro Watsuki<br />
<i><br /></i>
-Scythe Goddard, from<i> Scythe</i> by Neal Shusterman<br />
<br />
And many, many more. In fact, most assassins you'll come across in fantasy tend toward favouring the stabbity weapons.<br />
<i><br /></i>
So what kind of weapons do we have at our disposal for this?<br />
<br />
Well, there are the classics that people like to fall back on: sabers, daggers, and katana (or other blades that were commonly used by the samurai. I'm NOT calling them samurai swords. Forget it.)<br />
<br />
There is one that I've seen who uses an axe (hello, FitzChivalry, we'll talk about you later), but for the most part people like using the three.<br />
<br />
The reasoning behind this is pretty simple: all three of these weapons are lightweight and quick. It's easier to hide a katana or a dagger than a broadsword.<br />
<br />
For the sake of originality, though, here are some other easy to hide, lightweight stabbing weapons. Remember to do your own research, but here are a few options that could get you started if you want to find a different kind of weapon:<br />
<br />
- Bolo Swords/knives: These are knives that originated in the Philippines, and their design was the inspiration for the general shape and design of the elven blades in the<i> Lord of the Rings</i> films. They were used for cutting through thick jungle, and were also used in trench warfare during WWI and WWII.<br />
<br />
-Butterfly Swords: These are dual blades that were used in several martial arts styles, particularly in China. They were made famous by martial artists like Bruce Lee and Ip Man.<br />
<br />
-Rapiers: This is one of the most famous kinds of blades, originating in Europe and known as the definitive duelling weapon. However, I don't see these often in fantasy. They are known for being lightweight and flexible, and are very good at stabbing into small targets. (No, I don't mean that they are good at stabbing short people, I mean that they are good at making small puncture wounds. They can slip between cracks in armour. That kind of thing.)<br />
<br />
There are, of course, many, many,<i> MANY</i> more easily concealable weapons that are at your disposal, but I don't have the time to write many more here. Check them out yourself, and see what will suit your characters.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#2: Ranged Weapons</u></b><br />
<br />
These are exactly what they sound like: the weapons that let you get your target from a distance. These are the weapons that allow the easiest method of escape, and they are the choice of sniper assassins.<br />
<b></b><u></u><br />
Honestly, it's one of the safest ways to go about dealing death for sweet, sweet coin. Less chance of encountering conflict, less chance of being seen and, overall, less chance of being caught in general.<br />
<br />
Also, it can look really cool. Case in point: any assassin who uses guns.<br />
<br />
AKA, John Wick.<br />
<br />
That's right, since he uses a gun, he technically is a ranged assassin. Ranged assassins favour guns if possible, but in older style books, it's usually a bow.<br />
<br />
The farther the range, the bigger the weapon they tend to need, so that is something to keep in mind. If using guns, a gunman will need to upgrade to rifles for farther targets. For bowmen, upgrade to a longbow or some form of large crossbow.<br />
<br />
When it comes to bows, though, remember that the farther the range, the larger the bow. And the larger the bow, the higher the tension. The higher the tension, the stronger the archer must be in order to draw the string.<br />
<br />
Basically, do your research before throwing a bowman or shooter into an assassin role to make sure that they aren't making shots that are completely impossible for the tools at hand.<br />
<br />
Bending reality is all well and good, but try not to break it to the point of becoming entirely unbelievable.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#3: Poison</u></b><br />
<br />
This is an assassination technique that is woefully underutilized, particularly since in fantasy you can make a wonderful mix of herbs to create completely random and unique ways for a character to die. Poison can also be used for different things that one with an assassin's skills can bring about: ailments, addictions, impotency, etc.<br />
<br />
One series that explores the whole poison bit is<i> The Farseer Trilogy</i>, by Robin Hobb.<br />
<br />
I told you I'd bring up FitzChivalry later, and that's because he isn't simply a very good axe fighter, he is also the King's Assassin/Poisoner.<br />
<br />
The nice thing with poisons is that, with enough expertise, they can be completely untraceable to the source, the assassin doesn't need to look like a typical assassin, they can become slow killers, and all it really takes is one lethal dose to do the job.<br />
<br />
The downside is that it's less exciting than a stabbity or shooty weapon. However, it makes up for the lack of cinematic flair by opening doors of unique opportunity, showing off a character's brains rather than their brawn, and can also show off unique aspects of your world, if you are writing fantasy. It can also set up plot twists (who's the poisoner?), create intrigue, and really add a touch of ingenuity to a story that could be leaning more to the cliché.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#4: Magic</u></b><br />
<br />
Naturally, this one is just for fantasy stories, though you could consider this technique to be one that applies to any unique terrain or ability found in whatever world you are writing in.<br />
<br />
Here's the thing: Magic is sorely underutilized by assassins.<br />
<br />
So often, they are stuck in fantasy with just a sword, and that is shown as being just the standard style of assassination.<br />
<br />
However, consider this:<br />
<br />
The thing that makes fantasy unique, set apart, and cool is the fact that there are completely alien elements from our own world found in it.<br />
<br />
What makes Szeth in<i> The Stormlight Archive</i> or Vin in<i> Mistborn</i> cool in their fighting techniques? It's the fact that they don't just use a standard weapon - they also take full advantage of the magic at their disposal.<br />
<br />
Consider the magic of your world, and play with it. Have fun with it. Can a character control fire? Have them kill using their magic. Can they control the mind? What would stop them from assassinating by making other characters suicidal? Is there healing magic? Remember that if somebody can heal a person, they can destroy a person just as easily. It's all a matter of conscience.<br />
<br />
Magic is more than set dressing, it is also often a weapon. Use that weapon for your assassins. Who's to say that an assassin can't also be a mage?<br />
<br />
Use the unique aspects of your world to make your assassin unique. Not every assassin needs to be a killer in the usual or expected way. Have fun with it, and see what that magic system can do, gruesome as it may be.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>OVERALL</u></b>:<br />
<br />
What it actually comes down to is this: though there are many avenues for a character to go with for technique, what really matters in choosing what to do isn't in how cinematic or exciting it is, it comes down to what makes sense for the character.<br />
<br />
Is your character sneaky? Are they subtle? Do they favour brawling or avoiding conflict at all costs? Are they showy, or are they more interested in doing their job and leaving? Do they have magic, or are they a standard human/other being? What gender are they? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What kind of person, deep down, are they?<br />
<br />
That is what will determine your character's method. Their method is a reflection of their character, and that's what will make your assassin unique. Don't force a method on them that isn't suitable to the character themselves. Figure out who they are, and figuring out their method will come with that.<br />
<br />
Anyway, those are some of the more common methods of assassination that you will come across, and some options to consider when crafting an assassin. If you want to see some of my thoughts on writing assassins in general, you can see those <a href="http://inkwyrm.blogspot.com/2018/08/writing-assassins-five-questions-to-ask.html" target="_blank">right here</a> , and if you want to see some thoughts on clothing assassins, you can see those over <a href="http://inkwyrm.blogspot.com/2018/08/dressed-to-kill-choosing-your-assassins.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
If you liked this blog, please feel free to give it a share and leave a comment - would love to hear some of your thoughts!<br />
<br />
I'll be back next week with a final blog for #assassinaugust, so stay tuned for that, and I'll talk to you again soon!<br />
<br />
Bye!Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-66737426718697289702018-08-19T18:53:00.000-07:002018-08-19T18:53:14.821-07:00Dressed to Kill: Choosing Your Assassin's Wardrobe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-cbpT8AWtOs927AAoHmqP6Ln5wv4oZM1rhhRU-BU1bT1wnvRPLt9AcXhwdLaAndGc7jKx3l2Ci1wrDA_yoUXh9qM94uzJPAXoJgiLwVhhr76rrHcRPc6BRtkfUcFB4tbHlhG6PjVoKoZ/s1600/Clothing+Pic+Text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-cbpT8AWtOs927AAoHmqP6Ln5wv4oZM1rhhRU-BU1bT1wnvRPLt9AcXhwdLaAndGc7jKx3l2Ci1wrDA_yoUXh9qM94uzJPAXoJgiLwVhhr76rrHcRPc6BRtkfUcFB4tbHlhG6PjVoKoZ/s400/Clothing+Pic+Text.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
So. You're an assassin.<br />
<br />
...just play along for a bit, alright?<br />
<br />
You're an assassin. You've been given a mission. You are now starting to get ready to go kill some fools for some sweet, sweet cash.<br />
<br />
So. What are you going to wear?<br />
<br />
(If you can give me an honest answer as to the right clothes you prepare to wear while killing people...please stay away from me. Maybe turn yourself into the police. Seek help. Don't kill people. Please.<i> Please</i>.)<br />
<i><br /></i>
This might not seem like that big of an issue, but the wardrobe of an assassin is actually quite a big deal. How the character dresses can tell a lot about this character's culture, worldview, methods, and, overall, their personality.<br />
<br />
Do they hide themselves completely when they kill? Do they kill in plain sight? What is their purpose behind their killing? How does their wardrobe play into the method itself?<br />
<br />
The way an assassin dresses can make them stand out and can tell a lot about them, so let's get talking about dressing your killer.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Like all things of this nature, I like to work in lists, breaking down the elements of the blog into a handy dandy format.<br />
<br />
That's not going to be any different here, so let's get started.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>To Start Things Off: Plot Out Your Assassination</b></u><br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>
"Hey! I thought this was about being dressed to kill fools! Why are we talking about plotting assassinations?"<br />
<br />
Excellent question, ever-faithful-theoretical-question-asker!<br />
<br />
Here's the big thing: The method of death is going to be the first factor in figuring out what your assassin is going to wear.<br />
<br />
If you're going to be sneaking into <i>anywhere</i>, you need to know how to blend in.<br />
<br />
Going sneaking at night? Dark tones are best with a quiet fabric and soft shoes or foot coverings.<br />
<br />
Plan on killing someone in plain sight? Dress in the common fashion and move with the crowds.<br />
<br />
How about murder at a fancy party? Time to dress to the nines.<br />
<br />
Situation is a huge part of picking an assassin's wardrobe. Blending in is the best way to get away with murder and get close to a target.<br />
<br />
One of the most famous assassins in Japan was the Hitokiri Battousai, who fought during the Bakumatsu as a government assassin. Apparently, he was so good at blending in that he once approached and killed an official in broad daylight and walked away without being caught.<br />
<br />
(There were actually four Hitokiri during the Bakumatsu, from what I've seen, and what I've heard is that one of them did this, but don't take my word as gospel here. I am not an expert on historical Japanese assassins.)<br />
<br />
The power of blending in is the greatest power an assassin can have, so take advantage of it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>HOWEVER...</b></u><br />
<br />
Sometimes, blending in isn't the point of the assassination. Sometimes, an assassin (or the organization they work for), want to make a point.<br />
<br />
Case in point, Szeth in <i>The Way of Kings</i>.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><i>"Szeth-son-son-Vallano, Truthless of Shinovar, wore white on the day he was to kill a king. The white clothing was a Parshendi tradition, foreign to him. But he did as his masters required and did not ask for an explanation."</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">-The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson.</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><i></i><i></i><br />
Although Szeth isn't wearing white to make a statement, it becomes a defining characteristic throughout the story. When he eventually gets hired to kill more people (not really a spoiler), he is once again told to wear white in order to perpetuate and increase his reputation. Everyone feared the Assassin in White, and the uniform became his trademark.<br />
<br />
Other killers who wear a certain uniform so that their kills are known are killers who act in accordance with a religious sect, such as the assassin priestesses of Karak in the <i>Shadowdance</i> series wearing wraps. As in, all they wear is lengths of fabric wrapped and wound around their body. The wraps act as a way of identifying who/what they are, hiding their personal identities (the wraps go over their faces and hair, hiding everything but their eyes), and the process of putting the wraps on act as a form of meditation and spiritual preparation before making a kill/going into battle.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, having a uniform isn't about showing off - it's about marking oneself as a certain kind of assassin.<br />
<br />
In the<i> Night Angel</i> trilogy, by Brent Weeks, the main 'assassins' in their world are called 'Wetboys'. There are normal assassins as well, but the way that it is put is that there is a distinct difference: where assassins have targets, Wetboys have 'deaders'. As soon as they take a contract, their target is dead without knowing it yet.<br />
<br />
As a way to mark themselves out, they wear what they call the wetboy grays, which consists of clothing that is dyed a mottled gray. They are the only ones to wear this particular uniform, and when the wetboy grays were put on, it meant that death was on the way.<br />
<br />
So it comes down to this when it comes to uniforms: the purpose of a uniform is to mark out a character as belonging to a group, so keep that in mind. Sometimes, people want a statement to be made.<br />
<br />
<br />
Once you have your assassination location decided, you can move forward in the outfitting process. If your assassin doesn't wear a typical uniform for dramatic purposes, it's time to look at the next step:<br />
<br />
<b><u>Function Over Fashion</u></b><br />
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div>
As important as it is for your assassin to be fashionable (the best way to blend in is to work with the generally accepted fashion of the times), the most important element of an assassin's clothing is the functionality of it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The functionality of the clothes will need to be adjusted depending on the method of killing (for example, a poisoner will need different things as a part of their outfit than a swordsman), but here are some basic tips to keep in mind:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
- Fighting in a corseted dress isn't actually that difficult, provided you know how to move in it. If the corset is done up properly (<i>not</i> the way that the French and English found fashionable, but in the way that corsets were designed to be worn), if the person wearing the dress has trained themselves to move with the skirts, and if the dress has been designed to have loose sleeves for a full range of movement, fighting in a dress is a simple enough matter. (You can likely find videos of people fighting in dresses on YouTube. The videos exist, I'm just too lazy to hunt down the links. Go find them yourself.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
- On the topic of dresses, keep in mind that skirts are also excellent places for hiding weapons, and an assassin's clothing overall should have many places for weapon hiding. (Layered clothing, heavy or billowy fabrics, cloaks, coats, etc; are all good for this.) If need be, an assassin should always be able to fall back to hand-to-hand if things come down to a fight or if things are in private, but a good assassin should be sneaky enough to not get into a fight in the first place. Therefore, pockets and hidden compartments are of utmost importance, whether a character uses weapons or poisons.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
- Clothing can also be used in creative ways that complement an assassin's fighting style. In the<i> Shadowdance</i> series by David Dalglish, the main character, Haern, wears several cloaks layered on top of one another, and moves in such a way so that the fabric moves and hides his movement. They tear off easy, and create a distracting, mesmerizing effect to take down his enemies, which allows him to take his enemies off guard. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
- As sexist as it may seem, women can also easily use clothing to distract - in particular - male targets. Charm, seduction, and sexuality are all valid ways for a female assassin to get a target vulnerable, and the clothing they choose to wear is a major part of the method. Although a woman is just as capable of killing a target through conventional means, never underestimate the power of seduction and feminine wiles.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>OVERALL</u></b><br />
<br />
Let's get back to the first point, and that point is that, for the most part, blending in is the best weapon an assassin can have. The clothing should always be on the more functional side of things, but the most important part of function is to allow a character to slip in and out unseen.<br />
<br />
Gain an understanding of the fashions of the times in the world you are writing. Figure out who is least likely to be noticed, who is most likely to gain access, and what role would gain your assassin the best angle of assassination. Learn how disguises work. (Heist and spy films tend to be good for seeing how this kind of thing can work, particularly films like the<i> Oceans</i> and<i> Mission Impossible</i> franchises.)<br />
<br />
<br />
Anyway, those are some tips on how to get your assassin dressed for the occasion, and get ready to do some dark, despicable deeds.<br />
<br />
Now go off, look through those wardrobes, and make that assassin fabulous.<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, feel free to leave a comment and give it a share. Helps a bunch! Have a good night, and I'll see you next week!</div>
Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-79455695932319904972018-08-11T13:18:00.001-07:002018-08-11T13:18:09.426-07:00Writing Assassins: Five Questions to Ask When Making a Killer<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4Y-D0PtbkNLy82SW1SvmiKYPqG1TRVyrehc0-lIQdYMedSGCXJEWfH90IxGH1qVWf9WFRqLVHDrJU-FUxyEMVzg0rvm3dQUy2wrevfPxNGHeknAhZ_y9Z5uMyPaP7F4bpxo1JEdOGSph/s1600/Assassin+Pic+Text+Version.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4Y-D0PtbkNLy82SW1SvmiKYPqG1TRVyrehc0-lIQdYMedSGCXJEWfH90IxGH1qVWf9WFRqLVHDrJU-FUxyEMVzg0rvm3dQUy2wrevfPxNGHeknAhZ_y9Z5uMyPaP7F4bpxo1JEdOGSph/s640/Assassin+Pic+Text+Version.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Assassins sure make cool characters, don't they?<br />
<br />
I mean, just think about it. Who <i>doesn't</i> want a story where a threatening, morally dark, often enigmatic character appears to turn the tables or rattle the cages?<br />
<br />
Let's face it: saying "A knight walked into a bar" is interesting, but saying "An assassin walked into a bar"...well. Now you have my attention. Speak on.<br />
<br />
Assassins have particularly seemed to become popular in the past couple decades, stealing their way into our hearts and heads alike with their dastardly deeds, wicked wit, and often antagonistic/anti-heroic antics.<br />
<br />
With hundreds of stories from <i>Nevernight</i> to <i>Night Angel</i>, <i>John Wick</i> to <i>Assassin's Creed</i>, or <i>Shadowdance </i>to <i>The Farseer Trilogy</i>, assassins have come to infect our media with stabs and shots, and it's a wonderful thing.<br />
<br />
So that brings us to the topic of today's blog: how do we write one? How do we make a convincing assassin character?<br />
<br />
Well, like all characters, it comes down to this:<br />
<br />
It's time to sit that character down, and start interrogating them.<br />
<br />
Or, maybe it would be better to politely interview these ones from a distance. You know. With them being assassins and all. Probably better to stay out of reach... <br />
<br />
Anyway, here are five questions to ask when writing an assassin character.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#1: What Kind Of World Do They Live In?</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
If you're inserting an assassin into a pre-built world, this shouldn't be too difficult to answer. If not, well, it's time to get worldbuilding.<br />
<br />
Everything in the culture is going to effect how this assassin operates. How is death viewed by the populace? What is the climate like? What materials for weapons are available? Are there grand cities, or is everything mostly wild lands? What is the political climate like? How does religion and superstition factor into the lifestyle of the regular citizens of this world?<br />
<br />
All of this can be used to flesh out who this character is. A character who lives in a world without massive cities will use different techniques to kill than one who lives in a more renaissance or modern landscape. One who lives in a bog might favour drowning more than one who lives in a desert. A culture that reveres death won't have to hide their assassins the same way that a culture who fears death would.<br />
<br />
Get creative with your worldbuilding, and see where that assassin's place starts to land.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#2: Why Do They Kill?</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
This is an extremely important question, as it shapes the character's morality.<br />
<br />
Does this character kill for justice? Are they a slave, or forced into dealing death through some other means? Do they see it as an easy paycheck? Are they a psychopath? Do they kill for religious reasons? Are they under the command of a government of some form? The motives behind the character's actions can be as limitless as your imagination.<br />
<br />
The morality and their reasoning behind their actions will shape their entire psyche, and even their methods.<br />
<br />
(An excellent series that displays how a character's motives shape their methods is <i>Arc of a Scythe</i>, by Neal Shusterman, which currently consists of <i>Scythe</i> and <i>Thunderhead</i>. Technically, the Scythes aren't assassins, but they are similar enough that the comparison works. Also, excellent series. If you haven't read it and want to see some really interesting methods of dealing death and just a great story all around, check it out. As another point, I have a review of <i>Scythe</i> on this blog right <a href="https://inkwyrm.blogspot.com/2018/05/book-review-scythe-by-neal-schusterman.html" target="_blank">here</a>)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#3: How Long Have They Been An Assassin?</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
This is quite important. Is this character a renowned killer, or are they just at the beginning of their bloody journey?<br />
<br />
A character who is experienced will react differently to a wide variety of situations than a novice will. If you know how far in their assassinhood they are, you can better inform their choices, tics, and patterns.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#4: Lone Wolf, Or Pack Member?</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Is there some kind of assassin group that this character is a part of, or do they go on their own to commit their murders?<br />
<br />
If they are alone, they have to do a whole lot more for their kills, including dealing with the business side of things, gaining a reputation without any backup, staking out targets, using their own informants, and having a web of people that they use to get other jobs done.<br />
<br />
(Another one that isn't about an assassin but really shows how the business and planning side of a devious plan can go is <i>The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn</i>, by Tyler Whitesides. Really good example of the kind of people that a criminal might need to employ/work with to get a job done.)<br />
<br />
If your assassin is part of a group, here are some things to consider:<br />
<br />
Does the group have a partial commission on each kill? (Think Unions) What kind of position does the assassin have in the group? What conflicts are happening? Is there competition between assassins? Does the group partake in other business aside from murder-for-hire? What benefits and drawbacks happen because of the group? What kind of security does it give? Do they have group-assassinations? Do the assassins have a choice in their targets, or are they simply given assignments to fulfill?<br />
<br />
The bureaucracy of an assassin group is definitely something to keep in consideration when building a guild, and can bring about a really interesting dynamic if done well, as much work as it may be to craft.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#5: Melee, Poison, Or Sneak? AKA, What Is The Preferred Method Of Killing?</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
This is the fun question. Your character has been given license to kill, so how are they going to do the deed?<br />
<br />
There are many, many, MANY options, and, depending on the worldbuilding, there can be many options that are completely unique to your world.<br />
<br />
Does your world have magic? Use it.<br />
<br />
Is there a mix of poisons? Use it.<br />
<br />
How about different weapons or diseases or fighting styles or racial differences that can be exploited in an assassin's favour?<br />
<br />
Use it. Use it, use it, use it.<br />
<br />
There are more ways to kill than just stabbing and shooting, so don't be afraid to get creative with your assassin. Your assassin is unique, so why shouldn't their method of killing be unique as well?<br />
<br />
(On that note, don't be afraid to research weapons of all kinds and origins. The internet is there at your fingertips. Use it.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Anyway, those are five questions to ask yourself when writing your very own assassin character. If you enjoyed, give the blog a comment and a share. Helps out a lot!<br />
<br />
Have a great night, and I'll see you again soon.Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-35727424673607721002018-07-11T17:50:00.002-07:002019-01-23T02:20:00.301-08:00Review: Age of Myth (Legends of the First Empire Book 1); by Michael J. Sullivan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWslz1RG2q0BfM70RMCSJ6p053BCJRFAVVi20tVRjOFVjLhhC5eaZCZlIiJMQ02P7trc3UrsSGFyVKgV8F95ENVkHoWmxxhJVQ6nXpyRTCJoQWCMwUMgwAG-BpXP4BKKI7w7ymeYN885hq/s1600/IMG_1169+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWslz1RG2q0BfM70RMCSJ6p053BCJRFAVVi20tVRjOFVjLhhC5eaZCZlIiJMQ02P7trc3UrsSGFyVKgV8F95ENVkHoWmxxhJVQ6nXpyRTCJoQWCMwUMgwAG-BpXP4BKKI7w7ymeYN885hq/s400/IMG_1169+%25282%2529.JPG" width="330" /></a></div>
So, if you don't know (and, since I haven't talked about this on the blog before, most of you probably don't know), the author on my shelf who is most likely to be called my favourite is Michael J. Sullivan. Ever since I read his first series (<i>The Riyria Revelations</i>) and fell for his dynamic mercenary/thief duo, I was hooked on his writing.<br />
<br />
And so, I eagerly have been buying every book he has put out since.<br />
<br />
His newest series, <i>The Legends of the First Empire</i>, obviously falls under that category.<br />
<br />
Last week, the newest book in that series, <i>Age of War</i>, hit the shelves. However, since I think it would be weird to start reviewing a series on book 3, I thought I would do something different.<br />
<br />
Start on book one, work my way up to book three, and then review the rest upon their release in the next while.<br />
<br />
You know. Stay up to date and all.<br />
<br />
So, long story short, that's why I'm reviewing <i>Age of Myth</i>. The one that came out in 2016.<br />
<br />
Let's get started, shall we?<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Okay, so let's get the technical gobbledegook out of the way first.<br />
<br />
Here's the description from the cover:<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Since time immemorial, humans have worshipped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power between humans and those they thought were gods changes forever.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Now only a few stand between humankind and annihilation: Raithe, reluctant to embrace his destiny as the God Killer; Suri, a young seer burdened by signs of impending doom; and Persephone, who must overcome personal tragedy to lead her people. The Age of Myth is over. The time of rebellion has begun.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Age of Myth</i> was published in 2016 by Del Rey, and is 379 pages in hardcover.<br />
<br />
As a bit of background on the series, while it does take place in the same world as Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria books, you don't need to read one series to enjoy the other. Particularly since this one takes place a few thousand years before the Riyria books. Also, anything you learn about the history covered in <i>Legends of the First Empire</i> while reading Riyria is shaky at best. Nothing is quite as it seems.<br />
<br />
Basically, have no fear. There is no particular order required for full enjoyment.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>REVIEW!</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
One of my biggest fears when I first read this book was that, since I loved Hadrian and Royce in the <i>Riyria</i> books so much, that without those characters carrying the story I wouldn't enjoy it as much as Sullivan's other books.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, I was proven wrong.<br />
<br />
The characters in <i>Age of Myth</i>, though they didn't grab me quite as quickly as Hadrian and Royce, were interesting and fun to read.<br />
<br />
Starting with the Fhrey, I would like to point out that these might be the most unique elves I have ever read. They weren't the sweet, peace-loving, tree-hugging elves that I have grown used to in other books. Instead, they were competitive, vain, arrogant, had a severe superiority complex, and were surprisingly cruel and vicious. They had a unique and well-crafted society, and brought about an interesting set of conflicts that comes from a society that encounters little change over the centuries.<br />
<br />
Also, they were the first elvish characters I had read that had a wide range of body types. Thought that was an interesting and refreshing change.<br />
<br />
How about the human/Rhune characters?<br />
<br />
Raithe, the God Killer, makes for an excellent reluctant hero, with clear motivations for his desire to avoid heroism (in spite of being dragged into taking up the heroic role time and time again.) His main travelling companion, Malcolm, is absolutely hilarious, and quickly took his place as a personal favourite in the series.<br />
<br />
The mystic, Suri, was a neat take on a druid type of character, which isn't a type that I find I see often. She was quirky, interesting, and a fun perspective to read from.<br />
<br />
The character that surprised me the most in <i>Age of Myth</i>, however, was probably Persephone.<br />
<br />
Usually, I'm not a huge fan of many female characters. I often find them difficult to relate to, boring to read, or just plainly less interesting than the male characters.<br />
<br />
Persephone, however, I actually really enjoy reading. She was complex, strong, wise, and actually had the guts to stand up and get stuff done. She didn't complain about the work - she took the influence she had, even when it was breaking, and took control of the situations the best that she could. Tragedy didn't turn her into a victim, and terrifying circumstance didn't make her back down.<br />
<br />
One of the most unique parts of <i>Age of Myth</i>, I found, was actually the setting.<br />
<br />
Though it took place in the same land as the <i>Riyria </i>books, it is set two thousand years earlier. Instead of just making the world a 'dark ages' style world, Sullivan actually rewound time. There are no cities or trade. People live in clans. Most technology hasn't been invented yet, superstition is everywhere, and the world actually <i>feels</i> like Elan taken back in time. It created an awesome contrast between the primitive lifestyle of the humans and the luxury of the Fhrey, and really helped distinguish the cultures once they began to collide. It was a new flavour of fantasy for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.<br />
<br />
The plot of <i>Age of Myth</i> is simple enough, and isn't particularly complex. However, every event in this book is <i>hugely</i> important to the series. At this point, I have only read the first two books, and the things that happen in <i>Age of Myth</i> truly act as the catalyst that launches the entirety of the main conflict of the series. As the first book in a series, it neatly sets up the rest of the story, introduces characters, and begins to unveil Elan in a time that is completely different from anything else that had been seen before.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Overall</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>I'd give this book a 4.5/5 stars.<br />
<br />
Do I recommend it?<br />
<br />
Obviously, yes.<br />
<br />
<i>Age of Myth</i> is a great start to a unique and interesting series, and is a wonderful addition to any fantasy lover's collection. It explores thought-provoking themes and brings a new take on timelines and history in a fantasy world. Michael J. Sullivan's writing style is easy to read and feels accessible without sacrificing storytelling and themes. It's a good story for both people who are experienced with the genre and those who are new to fantasy. Go check it out if you're interested.<br />
<br />
Anyway, that's all I have for today. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-61635653926101505762018-06-21T18:55:00.001-07:002018-06-21T18:55:23.786-07:00Magic Systems 101<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4BwdzrJMxH1N5I9UnZE8ZiTiCWQ6wmb3gw-WzTKnggYiM3AFWapte3jY0x5txJcfxRJzrSENQKSJg6N_NbvXY7IKuVx6O9QXsr988RYsysoZzu-CXVO426RSazuDSouwAcqV28QC3spy/s1600/Magic+System+Pic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1247" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4BwdzrJMxH1N5I9UnZE8ZiTiCWQ6wmb3gw-WzTKnggYiM3AFWapte3jY0x5txJcfxRJzrSENQKSJg6N_NbvXY7IKuVx6O9QXsr988RYsysoZzu-CXVO426RSazuDSouwAcqV28QC3spy/s640/Magic+System+Pic+2.jpg" width="498" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
What makes a fantasy a fantasy?<br />
<br />
Well, there are obviously many things. It takes place in a different world, tends to have lower technology, has new and mysterious cultures and creatures...<br />
<br />
Arguably, though, there is one thing that comes to mind immediately when people hear the word fantasy: MAGIC.<br />
<br />
Magic sure is fun, isn't it? Adding it into a story can bring mystery and mysticism to the mundane, uniqueness to things that could otherwise be ordinary.<br />
<br />
Magic also happens to be <em>everywhere</em>.<br />
<br />
Every fantasy world seems to have a form of magic. From Middle Earth to the Nevernever to Narnia to the ever expanding Cosmere, Magic Systems are in just about everything fantasy.<br />
<br />
So what sets each of these apart? What makes the magic in <em>Harry Potter</em> different from the magic in <em>Mistborn</em>?<br />
<br />
Well, it's all about spectrum, really.<br />
<br />
That's right. Time to get to some magical definitions.<br />
<br />
Oh, yeah.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
So let's start with this bombshell: all magic systems have one thing aside from the mystical in common: RULES.<br />
<br />
That's right. Rules are present in absolutely EVERY SINGLE MAGIC SYSTEM.<br />
<br />
These rules are meant to cover the main bases: Where the Magic comes from, who can use the Magic, how it is used, how it is learned, and what its limitations are.<br />
<br />
As an example, in the <em>Dresden Files</em> by Jim Butcher, the main magic system can only be used by people who have the affinity for magic. It is based out of science and physics, is used through several methods that generally involve study and focus, and can be cancelled out by running water, as the person using magic needs firm ground beneath them. Magical parentage can influence whether or not someone has the affinity for magic, but anyone can have the affinity.<br />
<br />
The revelation of these rules, and how much the reader/character know about them, bring about a little thing I like to call the Spectrum of Magic Systems.<br />
<br />
Yeah...that sounds official and fancy enough.<br />
<br />
Basically, the Spectrum works like this: it arranges magic systems from Soft Magic System to Hard Magic System.<br />
<br />
A <strong><u>Soft Magic System</u></strong> is a magic system where the rules are undefined.<br />
<br />
A <strong><u>Hard Magic System</u></strong> is a magic system where the rules are strongly defined.<br />
<br />
It might not seem like that much of a difference, but trust me. The level to which the rules are revealed actually changes <em>EVERYTHING</em> about a magic system and how it works.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><strong>In A Hard Magic System:</strong></u><br />
<br />
<br />
We are made aware of the rules and limitations of the magic system in a usually clear and concise way, which can lead to some interesting benefits and drawbacks.<br />
<br />
Having a hard set of rules forces the author and characters to be more creative within the confines of their system, allowing for more unique and less deus-ex-machina style solutions to problems. It can make the magic feel like a stronger piece of the world, allowing the author to integrate it stronger into the culture and worldbuilding itself, making it feel more natural.<br />
<br />
Because the magic system has more concrete rules within its world, a hard magic system also tends toward influencing the culture in greater levels than with a soft system.<br />
<br />
(A good example of this is in <em>The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn,</em> by Tyler Whitesides, where the magic system is linked to just about every aspect of culture, from the highest parts of politics, governmental structure, and religion, all the way to issues like economy and basic ways of life. The magic system works itself into every part of the peoples' daily lives.)<br />
<br />
The drawback to this kind of system is that is can be difficult to make everything feel realistic and yet creative, and it forces more flexibility in the storytelling, which can cause some challenging mental gymnastics to make work.<br />
<br />
(Super satisfying when it all works out, though, for both the reader and the writer.)<br />
<br />
Another bonus of having a hard system is that, by knowing the limits of strength that the characters have, it can tend to raise the stakes of the story, allowing the magic to carry the climax in ways that are more unique to the individual story and world.<br />
<br />
<br />
Some examples of Magic Systems that are closer to the Hard Magic System end of the Spectrum are:<br />
<br />
-Allomancy, Feruchemy, and Hemallurgy in <em>Mistborn</em>, by Brandon Sanderson (Or anything in a Cosmere novel. Sanderson always leans toward Hard systems)<br />
<br />
-Grit; in <em>The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn</em>, by Tyler Whitesides<br />
<br />
-Essence and Kan; in <em>The Licanius Trilogy</em>, by James Islington<br />
<br />
-All Magic in General/ 'The Art'; in <em>The Dresden Files,</em> by Jim Butcher<br />
<br />
-Saidin/Saidar; in <em>The Wheel of Time,</em> by Robert Jordan<br />
<br />
-Naming/all other forms of magic; in <em>The Kingkiller Chronicles</em>, by Patrick Rothfuss<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>In a Soft Magic System</u></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
Though there tends to be levels of power, rules, and limitations in the magic system, we are not made aware of what those rules are. Some parts of the magic's rules may be made aware to us, but for the most part there isn't a clear-cut system for the magic to conform to, leading to the author being able to bend and flex the rules and power levels of the magic system at will. <br />
<br />
The benefits of a soft system seem pretty obvious: the sky is the limit. You can do whatever you want, as long as you never said it was impossible. There are absolutely no limitations on what the magic can do. <br />
<br />
The downfall of this, is that magic can start to feel like a plot convenience rather than a piece of the worldbuilding, and can become like a deus ex machina. Without understanding the limits of magic as well, it can lower the stakes for magic-using characters when they enter the conflict. Without knowing or understanding the specifics of a character's abilities, it can make a fight between two mages feel a bit flat rather than thrilling.<br />
<br />
Some examples of systems that lean closer to the Soft Side are:<br />
<br />
<br />
Soft Magic System Examples:<br />
<br />
-Magic; in <em>The Last Unicorn,</em> by Peter S. Beagle<br />
<br />
-Magic; in <em>The Lord of the Rings,</em> by J. R. R. Tolkien<br />
<br />
-General witchcraft or magic in Classical Fairy Tales<br />
<br />
-Magic; in <em>Harry Potter</em>; by J.K. Rowling<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
In recent years, magic systems have VERY ARGUABLY turned closer to being at the hard end of spectrum rather than the soft end. Part of this could be the advent of authors with complex hard magic systems rising to the forefront of modern fantasy (Such as Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, and Patrick Rothfuss, to name a few), though it is also just the way that magic in fantasy has begun to trend.<br />
<br />
Though there is nothing wrong with a softer system, it just seems to be going out of style. Just the way that it goes. They can still obviously be extremely well done and successful, but they just don't seem to be as common as they once were.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>So how do you choose which one to use?</u></strong><br />
<br />
Well, think of it this way: what role is magic playing in your world?<br />
<br />
Is the magic a mysterious force wielded by a mystical side character? Do you need a wizard to barge in, cause some problems, and leave? Do you need the magic to fulfil a role of adding layers of mystery to your tale?<br />
<br />
In that case, a soft system is really all you need. In fact, when it comes to making a mysterious power that sneaks its way into a story, the less you know about the magic, the better.<br />
<br />
Is the magic integral to the main character? Is it a story of them learning to wield a great power? Is the magic a huge part of the world's culture and structure?<br />
<br />
In that case, a hard system is probably better. The more you know and reveal about the magic, the more impact and creativity it can add to a culture.<br />
<br />
(Also, as a side note, if you don't know what you want to do or how far to go with the magic, remember that it's easy enough to add more rules, and it's better to add rules than to become inconsistent.)<br />
<br />
<br />
Anyway, that is what I have on some basic magic systems and their classifications.<br />
<br />
Now go off, make your worlds magical, classify some magic, and have some fun.<br />
<br />
The possibilities are, truly, endless.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this blog, please help it on its quest for world domination by giving it a share on whatever platform you share such things on, and leave a comment if you feel so inclined. Thanks again, and have a lovely day!Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-24480593516019494152018-05-29T18:33:00.000-07:002019-01-23T02:19:37.842-08:00Book Review: Scythe, by Neal Schusterman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8k8Aba8xD9Z915VWssWsJKUvakvM-kaOpJ2pUOFnIgEXw3G_QBPSIgRCHDwv65YzHuycE_ww5sLAAjvn7cNtwTcGSBuMwPuUA2MkwUBdE3ZGZt_jls4r5p3TiqSAJ6SSqwSB9FT7fDNPv/s1600/Scythe+Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8k8Aba8xD9Z915VWssWsJKUvakvM-kaOpJ2pUOFnIgEXw3G_QBPSIgRCHDwv65YzHuycE_ww5sLAAjvn7cNtwTcGSBuMwPuUA2MkwUBdE3ZGZt_jls4r5p3TiqSAJ6SSqwSB9FT7fDNPv/s640/Scythe+Picture.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
This book.<br />
<br />
<em>THIS BOOK</em>.<br />
<br />
Let me tell you about it, because darn it people need to <em>know</em>.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Alright, so I was really excited to read <em>Scythe </em>because I had only heard good things about it. It seems quite well loved in the YA community (on BookTube, at least, since that's where I hear about these things. I don't know about elsewhere, but on Goodreads it has a nice fat rating as well), and, to be honest, the concept was <em>REALLY</em> intriguing.<br />
<br />
So I actually had expectations this time when I went into it.<br />
<br />
Were my expectations met?<br />
<br />
YES.<br />
<br />
Yes, yes, yes, yes. And another yes.<br />
<br />
Before getting into the review portion of the review, let me tell you a bit of the more technical gobbledegook.<br />
<br />
<br />
Here is the description from the cover:<br />
<br />
<br />
<em>Thou Shalt Kill.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>A world with no hunger.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>No disease.</em><br />
<br />
<em>No war.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>No misery.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life - and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe - a role that neither wants. These teens must master the "art" of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.</em><br />
<br />
<br />
<em>Scythe</em> is the first book in the <em>Arc of a Scythe</em> series, and received the Michael L. Printz Honor for excellence in Young Adult literature in 2017.<br />
<br />
This book is 435 pages long in hardcover format, and was published by Simon & Schuster in 2016.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>ON TO THE REVIEW</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<br />
As a precursor, let me put things this way:<br />
<br />
I'm currently only getting YA books out of the library. I know that YA is fairly hit or miss for me, and with how expensive books are (especially with Canada's current economy...), I don't want to have a whole bunch of books that I find mediocre or worse hanging out on my shelves and draining my bank account.<br />
<br />
After reading <em>Scythe</em>, I went out and bought book two and I ordered the hardcover edition of <em>Scythe</em> so that I can have a matching hardcover set of this series.<br />
<br />
That's how much I loved it.<br />
<br />
So first off, I want to address the elephant of the book:<br />
<br />
How violent is this?<br />
<br />
Very. And yet, not very.<br />
<br />
Let me explain: this book has A LOT of death. There are literal scenes of mass killings. This is a HUGE plot point that there are mass killings. There are also a lot of suicides, a lot of study of death, and a lot of overall talk about death.<br />
<br />
It's a book about people who are being trained to essentially be Grim Reapers. What else would you expect?<br />
<br />
This isn't a spoiler, but essentially the world it takes place in is Post-Mortalist, so if somebody dies they are brought to a revival centre and brought back to life. The only ways that somebody permanently dies is if they are 'Gleaned' (killed by a Scythe), or if they die in a fire, because you can't revive a body if there is no body to revive.<br />
<br />
However, the way that death is handled in this book is very mature. There is little to no gore, in spite of the amounts of corpses being piled up. There are a few scenes that are more visceral than others, but it's nothing too bad.<br />
<br />
Basically, if you're a bit squeamish about violence, I don't think you need to worry about it. Many deaths are extremely chilling, but beyond that they're nothing graphic.<br />
<br />
Honestly, if you're fine with something like <em>The Hunger Games</em>, you'll probably be fine with this. <em>Hunger Games</em> is likely more violent just based on how the violence is treated by the series itself.<br />
<br />
On the subject of how this book handles death, I found it was done very well. There are philosophical questions introduced and left unanswered, only lightly speculated on, which I really appreciated. I've read books before that tried to go all philosophical on concepts that they introduce, and it gets old <em>REALLY</em> fast. This book, while introducing the questions to the readers, allows the story to still take the forefront and act as the way we see the questions explored through character development.<br />
<br />
In fact, this book is really character driven. The action that is there is excellent, but it's not a book with a breakneck pace. It's a book that lets the characters and the way they develop drive the story.<br />
<br />
ON THE SUBJECT OF CHARACTERS, CAN WE TALK ABOUT THESE CHARACTERS?<br />
<br />
Okay, okay, okay.<br />
<br />
Let's talk about our leads: Citra and Rowan.<br />
<br />
Badasses. The both of them.<br />
<br />
Confession: I wasn't really keen on reading Citra at first. I was expecting her to become really whiny and useless as a character. I expected her to be an 'empowerment' message rather than a character, since that's what I've seen and felt about some female leads in the past, particularly if they are in a similar situation as Citra. I expected her to have severe self-confidence issues. Constantly griping about not being good enough. Always being timid and squeamish about everything that she had to do.<br />
<br />
I couldn't be more wrong.<br />
<br />
Citra was a character who went so far past being 'the girl one'. She was competitive. Sassy. Stubborn. She didn't want to be a Scythe, but darn it she was competing against someone now and she sure as heck wasn't about to lose.<br />
<br />
Yeah, she's a girl who doesn't do anything in half measures. The idea of losing is abhorrent to her. She was driven to succeed, clever, and developed into a really wonderful character to read about. (Super excited to read about her in the second book, as well.)<br />
<br />
What about our other lead? Rowan?<br />
<br />
OOOOOOOOOOOH. THIS GUY.<br />
<br />
I WANT TO GO INTO SPOILERS SO BAD ABOUT THIS CHARACTER BUT I CAAAAAAAN'T!<br />
<br />
Watching this character evolve was incredible. He went from apathetic yet compassionate to all-out badass. He's shrewd, snarky, and somehow he was also frequently adorable. He has every excuse to become something he's not, and yet he stands against it, though you still see the effects of it upon his character.<br />
<br />
He was so incredible to read.<br />
<br />
Again, I would detail more, but I CAN'T WITHOUT DROPPING ALL THE SPOILERS.<br />
<br />
Every Scythe you meet in this book is distinct in everything they do. They all wear different coloured robes, glean with a different technique and attitude, and act in their own way, making them so much more than just the background characters that they easily could have become.<br />
<br />
There's also the matter of the romance in this book.<br />
<br />
IT ISN'T THE FOREFRONT OF THE STORY! YAY!<br />
<br />
There is chemistry that is slowly built between Rowan and Citra throughout the story, and it does effect them and their choices, but it isn't an aspect that is really focused on. It feels like a subplot, because it is a subplot.<br />
<br />
As I said earlier, this book really is about the development of these two characters throughout their training. It isn't plot driven so much as it is character driven. I really can't stress that enough.<br />
<br />
On the topic of training...<br />
<br />
This book takes place over the course of a year, and considering that they are spending every waking moment doing something that revolves around their Scythe training, it really does make sense just how skilled they become, even though they still have much to learn by the end. Both of them are also shown to be very intelligent teens before they become apprenticed, so their learning development does make sense.<br />
<br />
I'm sorry if this review sounds a bit incoherent. I can't talk much about the character development or plot without giving away a lot of really cool points in the book, and I really don't want to give any spoilers for this.<br />
<br />
On that note, do not read the description of book two. I did before reading <em>Scythe</em>, and there are some spoilers in the description. It didn't ruin the read for me (obviously), but I feel like the ending of the book might have had a bit more impact for me if I had no idea what would happen next.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>OVERALL</u></strong><br />
<br />
This book is a 5/5 stars, hands down.<br />
<br />
Do I recommend this?<br />
<br />
Obviously, yes. If you want something driven by really cool character development, interesting psychology, and really neat futuristic concepts, then please read this.<br />
<br />
Anyway, those are my thoughts on <em>Scythe</em>. I'll probably post a more analytical spoiler review as well, since this is a book I really just want to talk about. It was so cool.<br />
<br />
Hope you enjoyed the review, if you did leave a comment and give it a share. Helps a lot!<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading, and I'll talk to you again soon!Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-61796620732352009322018-05-21T15:12:00.000-07:002018-05-21T15:53:44.945-07:00Killing the Darlings: Giving Impact to Character Deaths<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1iH_nD0J2Fyra0NfN_7Wz3n495O58ChO7A2tauxeuD5SlATWnqk-nieWCUU3Xw7Afz6g7f_8-4LggjrTG0Fh1XRIDDtMT1yJWEwlpO3RKhuYVGlUnhBkQCU_PMo3akyXp8_2JvYq0D8R/s1600/Death+Scenes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1175" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1iH_nD0J2Fyra0NfN_7Wz3n495O58ChO7A2tauxeuD5SlATWnqk-nieWCUU3Xw7Afz6g7f_8-4LggjrTG0Fh1XRIDDtMT1yJWEwlpO3RKhuYVGlUnhBkQCU_PMo3akyXp8_2JvYq0D8R/s400/Death+Scenes.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
It sure does suck when a favourite character dies, doesn't it?<br />
<br />
I mean, there's not many feelings quite like it. You're just sitting there, reading or watching or gaming, and then suddenly POOF! Character dead. Gone. No more.<br />
<br />
All it takes is a snap of the writer's fingers, and a favourite character is forever written out of the story, never to be seen again...<br />
<br />
Hehehe...<br />
<br />
(So I'm a mean writer. So what?)<br />
<br />
AHEM. Returning to the point of the blog...<br />
<br />
As much as it can hurt to have a character die, admittedly sometimes there are character deaths that are just...well...<br />
<br />
Let me put it this way: As much as I know I should be caring about the character dying, all I feel is something along the lines of "Meh. Guess that's that."<br />
<br />
Kind of surprising how often this happens, now that I think of it...<br />
<br />
So that got me thinking. What separates the deaths that make me go 'meh' from the deaths that tear my heart out, stomp it into tiny pieces, and then offer it back to me in a mess of broken shards and sticky glue?<br />
<br />
Well, I have a theory that might shed a bit of light on the subject...<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b><u>It's all in the Emotions.</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<br />
There's a famous quote from Robert Frost about writing that goes a little something like this:<br />
<br />
<em><strong>"No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader."</strong></em><br />
<em></em><br />
This is a quote that I really do agree with. Boiled down, if the writer feels nothing, then how can we expect a reader to feel anything?<br />
<br />
However, for this blog, I'm going to put a bit of a spin on this quote.<br />
<br />
<em><strong>No tears in the character, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the character, no surprise in the reader.</strong></em><br />
<br />
If the characters don't care, then why should the reader care?<br />
<br />
This, to me, is the biggest thing in making a death scene have impact.<br />
<br />
Basically: it isn't the fact that a character died that is sad, it's the way that the character's death effects everything else.<br />
<br />
Imagine watching <em>The Lion King</em> and you get to the part where Mufasa dies. I mean, the scene itself is kind of tragic, right? You see him learn that his son is in danger. He races to the rescue, grabs Simba, and gets him to safety before being swept away by the stampede. Then, triumph! Mufasa surfaces, and there is a moment of relief.<br />
<br />
Then, as we all know, we see Scar betray his own brother and throw him to his death. You hear him scream, and you hear Simba scream as he watches his father disappear into a mess of dust and hooves.<br />
<br />
Pretty sad, right?<br />
<br />
That's not the part people cry at, though. It might startle some people, it might scare some kids, but it isn't what makes people cry.<br />
<br />
What makes people cry is the aftermath, as you see little Simba crawl down from the rocks.<br />
<br />
And he sees his daddy lying there, not moving.<br />
<br />
And he goes up to Mufasa, not understanding what's happened and yet knowing that something isn't right.<br />
<br />
And you see him quietly start calling for his dad. And he begs him to wake up. And he begs him to take him home, only for there to be no response as he starts to come to a realization.<br />
<br />
His dad isn't going to wake up, and he sees it as his fault.<br />
<br />
<em>That</em> - the scene where you see Simba pleading for this all to just be a bad dream - <em>that </em>is what makes people cry.<br />
<br />
It's the same thing with <em>Bambi</em>, with the death of his mother. It isn't the gunshot that makes people cry - it's Bambi calling for his mother to find him, only for her to not be there, and he doesn't understand why.<br />
<br />
Imagine if these scenes didn't have the aftermath. If Simba didn't find Mufasa's corpse and tried to wake him up before being exiled. What kind of impact would that have, then? Probably very little. It would have just been 'Oh. Guess he's dead now. Alrighty. Moving on.'<br />
<br />
Instead, what we get is a death scene that is considered one of the most heart-wrenching death scenes in animation.<br />
<br />
<b><u>However, this leads to something else...</u></b><br />
<br />
"That's all well and good," you might say. "But what about a character who doesn't have anyone around to react to their death? If everything that brings emotion to a character death is related to how the characters around them react to it, what about if the character dies alone?"<br />
<br />
Excellent question, theoretical question-asker.<br />
<br />
Let's look at another example.<br />
<br />
<em>Doctor Who</em>, the post-season four specials, with the regeneration of the Tenth Doctor.<br />
<br />
If y'all have watched this, then you already know.<br />
<br />
If you haven't, I'm sorry.<br />
<br />
...I'm so, so sorry.<br />
<br />
Basically, the Tenth Doctor's regeneration is considered one of the most emotional death scenes in television history, and he dies alone.<br />
<br />
Of course, the fact he is leaving at all is quite emotional - we spent three seasons with Ten, and he was brilliantly portrayed by the wildly talented David Tennant. <br />
<br />
That's not what makes it emotional.<br />
<br />
What makes it emotional is, this time, the set of scenes leading up to his death, as opposed to the aftermath.<br />
<br />
If you haven't seen this sequence of events or watched <em>Doctor Who</em>, basically we knew that his death was coming. It had been very well foreshadowed, so you knew it was happening. Yet, throughout the post season-four specials, we see the Tenth Doctor go through avoidance and denial about his death. He's terrified, and he's doing his best to run away from his fate.<br />
<br />
The climax of his final episode happens. He faces his enemy, and he comes out victorious. For a moment, you see him feel nothing short of relief.<br />
<br />
Then he sees that his friend is going to be killed by radiation poisoning.<br />
<br />
You immediately see him know what he has to do, and it terrifies him. He starts railing against what he has to do, screaming that it isn't fair. That he can do <em>so much more</em> if he lives. That his friend - who is an older man - has already lived a long life. He desperately tries to talk himself out of it, but comes to the conclusion of what he has to do regardless.<br />
<br />
So he trades places with his friend, and takes the lethal dose of radiation.<br />
<br />
Afterward, you just see him live out the last hour or so of his life, silently travelling to take an unseen look at his past companions. Some of them notice him, others don't, as he wants one final look.<br />
<br />
Then he enters his TARDIS, flies it away so that it won't destroy everything around him when he regenerates.<br />
<br />
Everything is silent, and the moment before he lets the radiation kill him, you see one last flash of fear cross his eyes, and he shakily whispers his infamous last words.<br />
<br />
"I don't want to go."<br />
<br />
Then boom. Regeneration. Ten dies.<br />
<br />
You can hear the sound of shattering hearts resonate through the earth as whovians worldwide are emotionally destroyed.<br />
<br />
The point is this: when there isn't a character nearby to react to a character dying, then show the character reacting to their own death.<br />
<br />
It can be any kind of reaction, and depends on the character. Do they rage against their fate? Do they accept their death with open arms? Are they numb? In disbelief?<br />
<br />
Show emotion. Show how they feel about dying.<br />
<br />
Show the moment when they realize what is happening. The numbness. The pain. The cold. The fear. In some characters, perhaps the relief or the acceptance of the situation.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>SHOW THEM FEELING <em>SOMETHING</em>.</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<strong><u>I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH.</u></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
If your characters don't care about the fact that they are dying, then why should your readers? If a character sees their best friend die and doesn't react, then why should your reader care when they have only known the character who died through the pages of a book?<br />
<br />
<em>Make your readers believe that a character just lost their friend. Their sibling. A parent. A child.</em><br />
<br />
CONVINCE THEM through emotion.<br />
<br />
This is where show don't tell comes in. You can't technically show them freaking out the way a visual medium can, but you can do one better than the movies.<br />
<br />
You can show them the emotions.<br />
<br />
A movie can only show what's going on in a character's mind through dialogue and visual cues.<br />
<br />
With a book, you can one-up them.<br />
<br />
Your character doesn't need to say 'I feel cold'. You can show it through their impressions as they die. You can use sentence structure and pacing to show feelings like panic and anger and acceptance.<br />
<br />
Believe it or not, this doesn't just go for heroes. <i><b>It also goes for villains.</b></i><br />
<br />
Case in point? <em>Iron Man.</em><br />
<br />
As in, the first <em>Iron Man. </em><br />
<em></em><br />
Technically, the death of Obadiah in <em>Iron Man</em> should have been one of the most heartbreaking moments in the movie.<br />
<br />
Don't believe me? Consider this: Obadiah was practically a father to Tony. He was the one who acted as a guardian, confidant, best friend, and business partner, and yet when he dies Tony has no reaction. We don't see anything in the aftermath. No emotion. No internal conflict when it comes to fighting one of the people that he had trusted the most in the world.<br />
<br />
And so, Obadiah became the first in a long, <em>long</em> line of throwaway Marvel villains. Tony Stark just brushes it off like a psychopath, and moves on. No mourning. No internal conflict.<br />
<br />
Imagine what it would have been like if Obadiah's death had been given the emotional weight that it deserved. This wasn't Tony just fighting an unknown man like Whiplash - this was Tony killing a close friend.<br />
<br />
Don't let your death scenes be like those that are afforded to the throwaway villains.<br />
<br />
The villain is one of the most important people in your book. They are one of the drivers of the story. Their deaths should have just as much impact as the death of a hero.<br />
<br />
<b><u>But what if the death is off-screen or, in a book's case, off-page?</u></b><br />
<br />
Good news: you don't even need to show the death itself in order to make it emotional, but the reaction to the death can make it have all the emotional impact you need.<br />
<br />
There has been only one death scene to ever make me cry in a book. Have I teared up slightly in others? On occasion. <em>This</em> death, however, had me crying.<br />
<br />
It was a death that wasn't even shown on the page. You see the lead up, and you see the aftermath.<br />
<br />
That's it. And from the reactions of the character alone, I was crying. She wasn't even the POV character of the scene, and I was crying.<br />
<br />
<em>That</em> is the power of emotion added to a death scene.<br />
<br />
<b><u>EMOTION IS EVERYTHING. REACTIONS ARE EVERYTHING.</u></b><br />
<br />
Whether it is numbness, or rage, or terror, or shock, or denial, the only way you are going to get an emotional reaction out of the reader is to show an emotional reaction in the characters.<br />
<br />
That is how you give a death scene impact.<br />
<br />
Of course, there are other factors, such as build up, commitment to actually killing characters and not reviving them, giving the death meaning, etc;<br />
<br />
However, to me, this really is what will give it impact.<br />
<br />
So how do you learn to do this, then?<br />
<br />
Practice. Study powerful death scenes. Look deep into what is actually happening. Ask yourself <em>what</em> makes the death scene impactful. Test these things out.<br />
<br />
Now go. Kill some characters. Make those readers cry.<br />
<br />
Go be the vicious author that we all secretly admire.Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-59552062487159938162018-05-01T19:40:00.002-07:002019-01-23T02:19:12.782-08:00Book Review: Cruel Beauty; by Rosamund Hodge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7goGcGtDQ4s-VGuUtVhw2hcsy9v1A5OTCVI8PWJ9lxUYf1fP7UrIiVyRjR6rJHnbO2sc5UwGZpQIqnyp29v0JcRcR9ejUzDDLVsRYSNcGic-b0sX0tCBLiiwUMCBoGVxQQFfNSgDTjWzd/s1600/Cruel+Beauty+Review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1390" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7goGcGtDQ4s-VGuUtVhw2hcsy9v1A5OTCVI8PWJ9lxUYf1fP7UrIiVyRjR6rJHnbO2sc5UwGZpQIqnyp29v0JcRcR9ejUzDDLVsRYSNcGic-b0sX0tCBLiiwUMCBoGVxQQFfNSgDTjWzd/s400/Cruel+Beauty+Review.jpg" width="346" /></a></div>
<br />
OH BOY! A REVIEW!<br />
<br />
FIRST YA REVIEW!<br />
<br />
HUZZAH!<br />
<br />
Ahem. Anyway, this is going to be a review of <em>Cruel Beauty</em>, by Rosamund Hodge.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
I know that this isn't exactly a massively popular book, and that it's one with fairly mixed reviews, but here's why I chose it to be the first one:<br />
<br />
This book intrigued me when I first saw it announced back in 2014 (I think I saw it on Goodreads), and its concept has kept me kind of eyeing it ever since, in spite of the mixed reviews.<br />
<br />
If you haven't heard of it, the concept tagline I saw was something along the lines of this:<br />
<br />
<em>What if Beauty was an assassin sent to kill the Beast?</em><br />
<br />
Oooooooooh. How could I <em>not</em> be interested? I enjoy fairy tales with a twist. I was enjoying Once Upon a Time when this book came out, one of my favourite childhood series is <em>The Enchanted Forest Chronicles</em> by Patricia C. Wrede, which is basically a comedic crossover of fairy tale concepts (and, if you haven't read them, please read them. They need ALL THE LOVE).<br />
<br />
Basically, I like a twisted fairy tale, and I like Beauty and the Beast. And I like assassins.<br />
<br />
This should be a winning formula for me. <br />
<br />
Which is why I got quite excited when I saw it at the library and took it out.<br />
<br />
By the time I read this (as context), it had been out for a while. I had read a review or two, read a sample. I knew a bit of what I was getting into.<br />
<br />
So, I went in with no expectations aside from a fun time.<br />
<br />
Did I have a fun time?<br />
<br />
We'll get into that soon.<br />
<br />
Here is the description from the cover:<br />
<br />
<em>Since birth, Nyx had been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom - all because of a reckless bargain her father struck. And since birth, she has been training to kill him.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>Betrayed by her family yet bound to obey, Nyx rails against her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, she abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, disarm him, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>But Ignifex is not what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle - a shifting maze of magical rooms - enthralls her. As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. But even if she can bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him?</em><br />
<em></em><br />
Pretty straightforward description.<br />
<br />
The book is 342 pages long in hardcover format (not sure what word count that would be, but you get the picture). It's written in first person POV from the viewpoint of Nyx.<br />
<br />
This book was published by HarperCollins in 2014, and was Rosamund Hodge's debut novel. Before publishing <em>Cruel Beauty</em>, the bulk of her work was in writing short fiction, which you can learn more about on her website at <a href="http://www.rosamundhodge.net/">http://www.rosamundhodge.net/</a><br />
<br />
Okay, now to the review.<br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<strong><u>Here are my thoughts:</u></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
This book was...fun. I read it in a couple of hours (but I find YA extremely quick to read, so that came as no surprise to me), and I found that since I went in with no expectations, it was an enjoyable enough story. There were some interesting ideas presented, the setting had some creative elements with the castle having thousands of shifting rooms, and I found Ignifex to be a particularly interesting and funny character.<br />
<br />
On the subject of characters, though I did really like Ignifex (he really made the book for me), I did find Nyx to be very inconsistent with her choices and actions. One moment she would be saying one thing, and the next she would be convinced that her world revolved around the opposite. There were several times that her character transitions, though they should have felt natural, felt indecisive. However she did have some really interesting aspects (such as resenting her family for forcing her into marriage to the Gentle Lord), and there were some really good individual scenes with her, particularly when she was interacting with Ignifex.<br />
<br />
Let's talk about that love interest for a moment.<br />
<br />
He was hilarious. To be honest, his character was more of a Rumpelstiltskin style character than 'Beast' kind of character. Since I hadn't expected it, it came as a welcome surprise. He was clever, charming, and had a bit of a dark side to him as well, though there was a slightly tragic edge to just about everything that he did.<br />
<br />
The writing, unfortunately, I did find quite clunky at times. The worldbuilding could have easily been spread out throughout the story rather than shown through exposition from the get go, and there were quite a few times where I had to backtrack a few sentences or pause to try to figure out what exactly was going on.<br />
<br />
There was also the matter of pacing. I really would have liked to see this with another fifty to one hundred pages, to let events sink in and really develop organically. A lot of the individual scenes I found to be really cute or interesting, but as a whole there was a lot that felt unexplained or disjointed due to the pacing issues. This is likely because of Rosamund Hodge's past experience being in short fiction, so I don't find it to be too much of an issue.<br />
<br />
One thing that did really surprise me in a good way was actually the lack of sexual content in this book. I'm not huge on books that get explicit, and considering that this was a 'dark reimagining' of Beauty and the Beast, and I had heard of how smutty many YA books have been in recent years, I was really surprised at how clean this book actually was. There was a lot of banter, stolen kisses, mentions and conversation about sex, and a bit of lusty thought, but nothing ever got explicit, which was quite a nice change from the expected.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Overall:</u></strong> <br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
I would give this book a solid 3.5/5 stars.<br />
<br />
Do I recommend it?<br />
<br />
Actually, yes. Though I don't find it the most developed fantasy, it is a fun little jaunt into an interesting castle with some cute romance. There were some unique concepts presented, and it had an interesting world.<br />
<br />
I would be curious to see some of Rosamund's other work after reading this, especially since this is just a debut, and she has likely learned quite a bit in the past four years since <em>Cruel Beauty's</em> release.<br />
<br />
Anyway, that wraps up my first review for the blog. If you enjoyed this review, feel free to leave a comment and share.<br />
<br />
Talk to you later!Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-10920417499062463792018-04-09T13:57:00.001-07:002018-05-03T20:22:15.875-07:00Repeating Yourself: The Art of Bookending<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlkJjQOB2sW_QuUHg1cdahOO6dx6PKmvIHlDdkTB3-wPT84xO7LhhGHxoCy0VA80S7THFBqxfMw3orcADzvFiY1Zlkx1U3oapdJBNtv6YE2OXocOjVRY7x3BFycZp-D3pnEf3tkmO08Hu/s1600/bookending.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlkJjQOB2sW_QuUHg1cdahOO6dx6PKmvIHlDdkTB3-wPT84xO7LhhGHxoCy0VA80S7THFBqxfMw3orcADzvFiY1Zlkx1U3oapdJBNtv6YE2OXocOjVRY7x3BFycZp-D3pnEf3tkmO08Hu/s400/bookending.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
We all like a cohesive story, don't we?<br />
<br />
There's something incredibly satisfying about a story that has a cohesive feel, where it ends with a tight plot and a nice little bow on top. Ambiguity is nice, too, but there's just something wonderful about a perfectly tied together ending.<br />
<br />
Of course, there are many, <em>MANY</em> ways to do this. Everyone has a different answer as to how to make a satisfying and cohesive conclusion for a story, and it's just not a subject that can really be tied down.<br />
<br />
One way, though, is the Bookending Technique.<br />
<br />
Odds are, you may have heard of it before. If not, you may be able to assume what it is.<br />
<br />
(If you are lost, don't worry. I will explain it shortly.)<br />
<br />
This is a technique I see more in film than in books (unless I'm just reading the wrong books for it. I don't know) and it's a technique/subject that was brought to my attention by a friend of mine, who I asked for ideas for topics to write on. (He's really into film, so I wanted to see what topics he thought would be interesting to talk about.)<br />
<br />
This is what he requested, so let's get started.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<strong><u>What is Bookending Technique?</u></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
So, this isn't an official definition of what Bookending Technique is, but here is the basic gist of it/my basic definition. Here it is:<br />
<br />
BOOKENDING TECHNIQUE: a technique in which a theme, line, or scene is reflected in the beginning and ending of the story to create a sense of unification and cohesiveness between the two parts; gives a sense of wholeness to a story.<br />
<br />
Bookending technique could also be called 'Mirroring', but Mirroring is also a term used in psychology which explains the situation in which a person starts to mimic or 'mirror' actions, speech patterns, attitude etc; of another person, often in social situations, particularly in settings with family or close friends.<br />
<br />
Since I don't want things to be confused and to keep the terminology straight for the purpose of this blog, I'm just going to call it Bookending.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>How is it used?</u></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
Well, the basis of bookending is, as said, to create a sense of unification. By repeating the same detail in the beginning and the ending, the result is a way to show development. A line that is said in the beginning of the story can gain great meaning by being repeated at the end (for example, <strong><em>The Breakfast Club</em></strong>)<br />
<br />
The way that this works is that context is added to previously mundane or small lines or scenes to give them power and impact. It adds weight and emphasis to symbolism or foreshadowing that was woven throughout the story or dropped in the beginning.<br />
<br />
This kind of thing can also be shown not through the two 'bookends' being exactly the same, but in the subtle differences, showing a form of development between the beginning and ending.<br />
<br />
Here's a couple examples: In <strong><em>The Hobbit</em></strong>, the story begins with an unwelcome party of dwarves at Bag-end, and ends with a welcome party of dwarves at Bag-end, showing the change of Bilbo's attitude and character.<br />
<br />
A more contemporary example is the <strong><em>Kingkiller Chronicles</em></strong>, by Patrick Rothfuss. If you have read them, you know exactly what I mean. If you haven't, the premise I'm talking about is that the prologue and epilogue of each book is exactly the same, with only a few small lines changed to show a development in the characters and mood.<br />
<br />
Another example is from a short story that is in the Joe Abercrombie short story anthology <strong><em>Sharp Ends</em></strong>, in the story <strong><em>Tough Times All Over</em></strong>, where the first and last line of the story are exactly the same, but over the course of the story it takes on a whole knew meaning, since you are given context of what is actually happening.<br />
<br />
Another way that bookending is done is with a theme from a section that is closer to the middle than to the beginning, and is then repeated or altered in the ending. (It can also be a form of repeated symbolism through a book to give an idea emphasis.)<br />
<br />
An example of this is in the short story <strong><em>Made a Monster</em></strong>, by Joe Abercrombie. (This story is also from the anthology <strong><em>Sharp Ends</em></strong>.)<br />
<br />
There is a character in this story that appears twice, and at the end of each scene (or near the end, at least), is the line: <em>'And he smiled that easy smile he used to have - the smile of a man who'd never entertained a dark purpose'</em><br />
<br />
Each variation of the line is slightly different, but the feeling of them between the first and second scene is vastly different.<br />
<br />
Other books that use this form of repeated lines and symbolism to bookend and unify a story are <strong><em>The Vagrant</em></strong>, by Peter Newman; <strong><em>Red Sister</em></strong>, by Mark Lawrence; and the film <strong><em>Requiem for a Dream</em></strong>.<br />
<br />
(Hm. I seem to have a habit of choosing the darker kinds of stories as examples in this one...)<br />
<br />
This technique, obviously, can also be used to unify an entire series. One of the best examples of this is <em><strong>The Wheel of Time</strong></em> series by Robert Jordan. Every single book begins with the same line: <em>'The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.'</em><br />
<br />
Considering the cyclical nature of the series (how everything turns on the wheel of time, and everything will repeat itself, reincarnation, etc;), the use of the same line to open each book makes perfect thematic sense to unify the series.<br />
<br />
So, that's how it has been used and a couple ways that it <em>can</em> be used, which leaves a couple questions:<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Why is it used?</u></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
Well, as said previously, it's used to create a sense of unity throughout the course of a story. It's used to solidify a theme.<br />
<br />
Would the Silence of Three Parts in the <strong><em>Kingkiller Chronicles </em></strong>have the same impact if it wasn't used as a bookending and thematic device? Probably not. It would likely just be seen as a beautifully written prologue, but nothing else. However, by repeating it at the beginning and ending of each book, it pulls in the main idea of the story: A story told in three days, a series told in three books, and a silence that hangs in three parts over the main character.<br />
<br />
Saying a theme only once doesn't make it a theme - it makes it a partial message. By giving the words and scenes meaning and weaving them through the story, a theme is created.<br />
<br />
That's why the bookending technique is used: to give a part of the story more meaning than it previously had.<br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<strong><u>When should it be used?</u></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
Let me be honest: nobody can tell you when bookending should or shouldn't be used. You're the only one who knows your story, and you're the only one who knows your style well enough to tell if the use of bookending and repeated imagery really works. Every story is individual, and every style is individual.<br />
<br />
So, how do you know if you should use it?<br />
<br />
Well, experiment with it. See if it fits. See if it feels natural for you, or if it detracts from your writing process and style. Test it out in short stories. Run it past beta readers, if you are unsure if it is working.<br />
<br />
However, here are some tips on how to go about using it, and things to keep in mind:<br />
<br />
1. Less is more. While repeating symbolism and imagery can be a good thing, too much of it can quickly feel pretentious, and like the symbolism is being thrown into the reader's face rather than being introduced organically and subtly. Just as a phrase repeated a few times can bring meaning, a phrase repeated endlessly can lose any meaning that it previously had.<br />
<br />
2. Don't try to force it. Symbolism should occur naturally. Where experimentation with it is a really good idea, to figure out how it works and get to know it as a tool, trying to force this kind of technique into a story will, again, come off as more pretentious than impactful.<br />
<br />
Basically, use it judicially. That's all that can really be said about when to apply it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Anyway, those are some of my thoughts on the bookending technique. <br />
<br />
Hope you enjoyed, and I'll talk to you later.Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-88534522865168703542018-02-27T18:33:00.002-08:002018-02-27T18:33:45.263-08:005 Things I Wish I Knew Before Holding my First Beta Read<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgio4bXQ0rHCf4uyO4mKWxW3Nf6Ydw0Q1_Sj1X8YQyYF3aynfriW8_5OjNbE6EgG_pzl0lCaqkRtJDDwHROJtcOkvLJmxUWt-s929h5OiDHSI20kBebju9Pzs_fcO7jfVpv8KNDt0x05tb3/s1600/Beta+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgio4bXQ0rHCf4uyO4mKWxW3Nf6Ydw0Q1_Sj1X8YQyYF3aynfriW8_5OjNbE6EgG_pzl0lCaqkRtJDDwHROJtcOkvLJmxUWt-s929h5OiDHSI20kBebju9Pzs_fcO7jfVpv8KNDt0x05tb3/s400/Beta+3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
So you've finally worked your novel to a place where you feel at least vaguely comfortable with letting other people read it. You have a sense of pride in your work, and you are finally ready to show your hard work to the world.<br />
<br />
You're ready for a Beta Read!<br />
<br />
How do you hold a Beta Read so that you get the most out of it?<br />
<br />
My personal experience with Beta Reads has been a bit of a learning curve, to be honest. For my first book, as an example, I held three separate Beta Reads, trying to pin down what the heck I was supposed to actually do (and consulting the powers of Google when I ran into problems).<br />
<br />
Needless to say, I went into my first read knowing absolutely <em>nothing</em> aside from the fact that I needed people to read the book and give me an opinion on it.<br />
<br />
This turned out to be far more complicated than expected.<br />
<br />
That's what brings me to the subject of today's blog: the Top 5 Things I Wish I Knew <em>Before</em> Holding My First Beta Read.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>1. DO NOT USE YOUR FIRST DRAFT</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<br />
This might seem like a bit of an obvious point, but it really wasn't obvious to me when I started.<br />
<br />
Yeah. For my first Beta Read, I gave people my <em>first draft.</em><br />
<br />
Not many people actually finished that one...<br />
<br />
(People who were part of that first Beta Read, if you are reading this I am <em>so</em> sorry. I should have known better.)<br />
<br />
<strong>DON'T</strong> use a first draft.<br />
<br />
What I tend to do now is work on edits in waves. Once the First Draft is done, I go through and do a bit of a self-edit. By the time I'm done the book, I tend to already have any larger issues in mind to fix. I don't worry about smaller issues at this point unless it is glaring out at me. <br />
<br />
The second editing wave is the Alpha Read. I have three people who read my manuscript in this phase, and since they all read fairly quick and they already know the input that I am looking for, they can give me the next stage of edits and I can implement them.<br />
<br />
Now that I've gone through on my own <em>and</em> had a second opinion, I do some more edits to polish it up. Once I've done everything I feel I can do to doctor the manuscript, I send it off to my Beta readers.<br />
<br />
So far, this kind of 'wave' system has worked really well for me, and has really helped me organize my editing. By the time I get advice back from my Alphas, I've had a short break to separate myself from the work, the same as the time between Alpha edits and Beta edits. It allows me to think of the book more objectively, and to find more issues as well if need be.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>2. HAVE AN AUTHOR'S NOTE</u></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
This is something that I actually <em>did</em> do for my first Beta Read, but it's also something that I have vastly refined in the time since then.<br />
<br />
Having an author's note gives the opportunity for a few things:<br />
<br />
- Establishing what my expectations are for the reader<br />
- Giving necessary information about the book (for example, if it is the first in a series or, in the case of a sequel, if any impactful changes have been made to the world/story by the edits)<br />
- Giving a deadline or timeline<br />
<br />
As far as expectations go, I have particularly found that it needs to be specified that the purpose of the Beta Read is to <em>read</em> the book, not edit it. This is something I didn't specify the first time, and I found that what people assumed is that I wanted them to look for problems in the manuscript, which caused them to read slower, enjoy the book less, and, in most cases, not finish.<br />
<br />
Obviously, this was an issue, so I really make sure that my Betas know what is expected from them.<br />
<br />
Beta readers are <em>not</em>, generally, editors. Don't make the same mistake I did by treating them as such.<br />
<br />
As far as giving necessary information, this is something that changes from book to book. For the first book, I just let people know that is was only the first in a series, and therefore wouldn't have every plot thread tied in a neat bow at the end. I like to know if the book I bought has sequels, so I want to make sure that my Betas know the same, as though they had picked the book off a shelf. For book two, the information I needed to give them was based in the fact that I had made some major worldbuilding edits, which could have caused confusion if the readers went in unaware of them.<br />
<br />
The importance of a deadline is pretty evident, as I discovered when I gave out my first manuscripts (which, admittedly, were terribly huge due to being poorly thought out first drafts), and I ended up waiting for up to (if not more than) six months to get some of my work back.<br />
<br />
I know better now.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>3. HAVE A QUESTION SHEET</u></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
Speaking of reader expectations and the 'Beta Package', I have found question sheets to be one of the most valuable things to have for a Beta read.<br />
<br />
One of the things I found when doing my first Beta Read was that people tended to give incredibly unhelpful opinions. I can't blame them for this, considering that I didn't outline for them what I was looking for, but the answers that I generally got when I asked for advice or opinions was 'I liked it' or 'It was good'.<br />
<br />
Great. Those are answers that are entirely unhelpful when I'm looking for flaws.<br />
<br />
So, I consulted the Google for Beta Reader Question Sheets. I managed to find a template <a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2014/06/15-questions-for-your-beta-readers-and-to-focus-your-own-revisions.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and customized it to suit my personal needs from there.<br />
<br />
As an example: I reworded most of the questions in order to make them make better sense for my story, and since I write fantasy I added questions pertaining to the clarity of the magic system and worldbuilding as well.<br />
<br />
By adding the questions, I could get the specific answers that I was looking for, and was able to really find what issues I was having in a more streamlined and workable manner.<br />
<br />
The question sheet, like the author's note, changes in accordance with what book I am sending out. The second book has more questions about whether or not it functions as a sequel, while book one focused more on whether or not it functioned as an introduction to the world and characters.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>4. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE, AND GO FOR IT</u></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
This goes beyond whether you are writing middle grade, YA, or adult, though it is EXTREMELY important to have Beta Readers who know your genre and who fit in your demographic. This also goes into the kind of character your protagonist is.<br />
<br />
If you are writing a middle-grade book about a thirteen year old girl travelling to a magical kingdom, you may want to have girls in that age group to read the book. If you're writing a teen book about a sixteen-year-old boy wandering a post-apocalyptic wasteland, you may want a teen boy reading your book.<br />
<br />
Something I noticed with my first Beta Read was that it was very female-heavy for the readers that I had. Now, it isn't really a problem to have a group that leans more heavily to one gender than another, though a balance is preferable. Honestly, this easily wouldn't have been an issue.<br />
<br />
However, my main character is a male, and I am female. The problem that arose from this was that I had no idea if my character <em>sounded</em> like a man, or thought like a man, or acted like a man.<br />
<br />
And, to be honest, until I had more men reading it, my main character <em>really</em> sounded more like a female character. He didn't have the right voice, because I didn't have enough people who understood that voice reading it.<br />
<br />
If my main character were female, I would endeavour to make sure that a bulk of my Beta readers are female. (At the moment, the group is fairly even, but with my first read I had a VERY distinct imbalance, and it was a very small group)<br />
<br />
This is mostly just making sure that there are people who are meant to relate to your main character the strongest reading your book, as much as possible.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>5. YOU DON'T NEED TO IMPLEMENT EVERY SUGGESTION YOU RECEIVE</u></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
Always remember that <em>you</em> are the author. <em>You</em> have to be the one who, first and foremost, loves what is on the page. If a suggested edit feels wrong, you don't need to do it. If you feel like somebody is suggesting things that feel too much like they are trying to rewrite your book, you don't need to implement those changes.<br />
<br />
<em>However</em>, if more than one person is bringing up a similar issue, then the odds are <em>very</em> high that it is an issue that needs to change. Be open to suggestions and edits. Even test out certain suggestions to see how you like them if you are questionable about how they would work.<br />
<br />
If there is a suggested plot change that you feel strongly against, though, you don't need to change it. Know what you want the story to be, and stick to it. Your book is <em>your book</em>. <em>NOBODY</em> knows what that book is meant to be as well as you do, so as much as you need to be open, you also need to remember that <em>you</em> are the person who needs to love the book the most.<br />
<br />
If you can't be confident in your work and enjoy it, if <em>you</em> aren't enjoying the characters or plot or world of what you're working on, then why keep working on it?<br />
<br />
If someone is making strong suggestions, don't freak out. Don't try to defend yourself to them, and take their suggestions seriously but with a grain of salt.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Anyway, those are the top five things I wish I knew before holding my first beta read. There are more specific things as well, but that is the bulk of what I have learned.<br />
<br />
One thing to keep in mind is that not everyone uses the same kind of beta system. Some people have a few readers. Some prefer a larger group. Some use a writing group.<br />
<br />
Therefore, use what works for you. There is no set system, and there is no 'one right way' to get advice for your book.<br />
<br />
(Unless you have a bunch of people locked in your basement who are being forced to read your work. Don't...don't do that.)<br />
<br />
Ask writers that you follow how they do their beta reads. A lot of authors hold Ask Me Anything sessions on different sites, like on Goodreads or Reddit. Try to take part in beta reads yourself to see how other people do theirs. You never know what you can learn.<br />
<br />
The biggest thing about holding a beta read, though?<br />
<br />
In the words of Douglas Adams: Don't Panic.<br />
<br />
Don't stress about it. If you're going into your first Beta read and this is your first time sending out your manuscript to get a second opinion, take a deep breath and don't worry. Your readers aren't out to get you.<br />
<br />
Now go send your book into the wild. There are people waiting to read it.Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-52545300698109616592017-12-14T21:01:00.000-08:002019-04-18T21:54:09.442-07:00NaNoWriMo musings...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsAAAUj65LPCwEW3dhapHEEz6SUO01rpWUCBbbY1YyajOhyphenhyphen85JmFM0N6GInQxCAuxSj6yIGaViirOC8CKdYJuqxQTu_TjC98NxQihZ1mjkboYkySKvxmMFCb4q5LJrcGp5YkEWmd3bq-m/s1600/IMG_0446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsAAAUj65LPCwEW3dhapHEEz6SUO01rpWUCBbbY1YyajOhyphenhyphen85JmFM0N6GInQxCAuxSj6yIGaViirOC8CKdYJuqxQTu_TjC98NxQihZ1mjkboYkySKvxmMFCb4q5LJrcGp5YkEWmd3bq-m/s400/IMG_0446.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I live!<br />
<br />
NaNoWriMo has officially ended! TWO WEEKS AGO!<br />
<br />
THIS BLOG IS ONLY TWO WEEKS LATE AFTER A MONTH OF ABSENCE!<br />
HOORAY FOR CONSISTENCY!<br />
<br />
...Oh dear...<br />
<br />
Anyway, back to the subject of NaNoWriMo! It's over. YAY!<br />
<br />
Which begs to question...did I actually succeed?<br />
<br />
This seems way more difficult to answer than it should be, but I don't know if I actually 'succeeded' with my first NaNoWriMo.<br />
<br />
Why?<br />
<br />
Well, I made the 50,000 word mark for November 30. (55,514 words, actually, as of November 30.) So, I succeeded in the overall goal of 50,000 words in 30 days.<br />
<br />
However, I do not have a completed first draft. I am in the third act of the draft, yes, but it is not <em>completed.</em><br />
<br />
And I can already see structural issues that will be fixed in revision.<br />
<br />
And there are scenes that need to be inserted and removed. (Again, something that is usually fixed in revision).<br />
<br />
But, even so, I do not have a complete first draft, which was my personal goal.<br />
<br />
So, did I succeed at NaNoWriMo?<br />
<br />
Well, in some regards, I didn't.<br />
<br />
In other regards, I think I did. I went into this as a learning exercise, as a way to learn more about how I write, how to write faster, and what my process is.<br />
<br />
(Part of why I'm really noticing this kind of thing after NaNoWriMo is that I haven't actually written a brand new first draft of a story in...quite a while. I've been mostly working on really heavy revisions on two other books that DESPERATELY needed pretty much a full rewrite to make them work. So it's been a while since I've actually written a first draft of a book. I'm still kind of in revision mode...)<br />
<br />
*Ahem*<br />
<br />
Anyway...back on topic...<br />
<br />
I'm going to focus on the positive side of this.<br />
<br />
Here's what I learned from my first NaNoWriMo experience. I know this is just for my own personal writing style, but maybe it would be helpful for other people to see different writing processes. Maybe someone else writes like this, too.<br />
<br />
Or maybe I'm just weird. Who knows?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>1. I Write my First Drafts very...bare bones.</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<br />
One piece of advice I have seen a lot is that, in editing, a writer should cut out about 10% of their book. Writers tend to write more than what is necessary, and they need to cut out a lot of unnecessary dialogue.<br />
<br />
I feel like I have the opposite problem.<br />
<br />
And yes, I have had beta readers look over my completed work, and usually what they request is that more is added, too. This isn't just me being insecure.<br />
<br />
I write the most basic form of a story, see what is missing (usually the scenes between scenes, character development, foreshadowing...you know, the 'glue' scenes that keep a book structured) and go from there. I find what subplots would naturally fit, adjust existing points, and tend to add a whole lot of word count to a first draft.<br />
<br />
This doesn't mean I don't delete anything. Rather, it means the opposite.<br />
<br />
I delete the things that derail the story, but the amount of words that get put in to fill in plot holes to make the story work in a cohesive manner tend to add considerably more words than what were deleted.<br />
<br />
That's not mentioning the missing environmental descriptions that seem to be cropping up in this NaNoWriMo book in particular...<br />
<br />
Oops.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>2. If I have a scene or detail that I <em>know</em> needs to be fixed, and that I <em>know</em> is wrong, I need to fix it before moving forward.</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
DISCLAIMER!!!<br />
<br />
I don't consider this to be the same as editing work before I'm done the work.<br />
<br />
This is just attempting to keep continuity in a single work as I'm working on it. If there's a problem, I want to fix it. If something is wrong, and I know it's wrong, I like to fix it or check it while I'm thinking of the problem rather than later, when the problem is liable to be forgotten (even if I leave a sticky note to remind myself.)<br />
<br />
It's stuff that can be picked up in editing, but the less work I have to do in a bulk edit, the better.<br />
<br />
If the last scene I wrote in a book is completely off, I need to get rid of it. This makes it a pain when you have a word count goal and then end up deleting a day's work in order to continue onward, but after <em>trying</em> to continue with a wrong scene for a couple days and losing a couple of days of work because of it, I'd rather delete a scene before it causes too many problems.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>3. Apparently, I'm not too good at following my own outlines</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
I <em>know</em> this isn't an exclusive problem, but it's one that I really came across since I actually planned this book out.<br />
<br />
I followed the outline for the most part, but then things just went...weird.<br />
<br />
Let's just say that I changed my outline several times while I was writing, as new ideas popped into my head, and new problems arose as I was working on the book.<br />
<br />
Natural character conflicts and relationships cropped up. New worldbuilding ideas appeared. New realizations for cool plot twists jumped into my face.<br />
<br />
I know that it's a common problem, but I hadn't known whether or not I could follow an outline faithfully as a plotter.<br />
<br />
Now I know. Yay!<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>4. Word Count Limits are considerably harder than I thought</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
In saying this, I don't mean deadlines.<br />
<br />
What I mean is looking at a story and not letting it be the story that it wants to be.<br />
<br />
This was the largest problem I found that I actually faced with NaNoWriMo. I felt so preoccupied with the word count that I lost what the story was trying to be. What the story <em>needed</em> to be. I tried time and again to find tricks to get past this: Focussing on themes, focussing on plot, ignoring issues, but nothing was working.<br />
<br />
The story wanted to be something, and for whatever reason it was causing some kind of conflict in my mind.<br />
<br />
I have <em>no idea</em> what the reason for this was, and I hope I'm not alone in having a story trying to be something other than what I was trying to force it to be.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
In short, though, am I glad I did NaNoWriMo and reached the 50,000 word goal?<br />
<br />
Absolutely.<br />
<br />
I was able to explore a new idea. I was able to try out some new things, and it was fun to try to meet the challenge. It was good to learn things about my writing style, too. I've also found that my regular word count has increased, which is always a bonus. Yay!<br />
<br />
Will I do it again?<br />
<br />
We'll see. Depends on circumstance.<br />
<br />
Anyway, those are some of my thoughts on my personal NaNoWriMo experience, as a first-timer. I know this was a more personal opinion and experience kind of blog, but I should be getting back to regular content again soon.<br />
<br />
Talk to you later.Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-43561060529284628722017-10-31T17:06:00.002-07:002017-10-31T17:06:44.482-07:00The November Monster...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKkjiCKJWwsgrUvKoi4qQQuN9k6PwUrreR3uV8HX2lOgUjOLiCSZ7Xjw6U9gs303xVOMsJuxpdxA8wr-QHo2a6ZkRFM6U_pbST1A5QHU0Ex9gy5bwbLdfPNlQ7lW5xA_TVxKbg2qXBhoM/s1600/monster+writer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKkjiCKJWwsgrUvKoi4qQQuN9k6PwUrreR3uV8HX2lOgUjOLiCSZ7Xjw6U9gs303xVOMsJuxpdxA8wr-QHo2a6ZkRFM6U_pbST1A5QHU0Ex9gy5bwbLdfPNlQ7lW5xA_TVxKbg2qXBhoM/s640/monster+writer.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
Happy Halloween, readers.<br />
<br />
Today, I'm not focussing on candy and ghouls and all things in between. I'm thinking of something else. A different kind of monster.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow is November First, and with it comes NaNoWriMo!<br />
<br />
For those who don't know, that is National Novel Writing Month, the event in which people set out to write a novel from start to finish in the month of November. By the technical definition of the term 'novel', that is 50,000 words. There are contests, goals, the whole shabang.<br />
<br />
This is also my first year where things have lined up so I can actually participate! Yay!<br />
<br />
What, though, is the actual goal of NaNoWriMo?<br />
<br />
I recently read an article that was bluntly against the idea of NaNoWriMo, saying that all it did was create crappy novels and bad book proposals, and that people shouldn't bother with it at all. Basically, it was saying that the whole idea of the event was just fostering an idea of quantity over quality in words, since it focusses so heavily on word count. That NaNoWriMo, in spite of starting with good intentions, had devolved into making bad writing acceptable.<br />
<br />
In some ways, this can be seen as true. Unless people do NaNoWriMo properly and actually treat this as a first draft and do a solid revision and edit through the next months before claiming it to be publication ready.<br />
<br />
The way I see it, NaNoWriMo is similar to an art challenge that has been going around called the 'Sketchbook Slam Challenge'. The concept of Sketchbook Slam is similar to that of NaNoWriMo, but for artists. Basically, the artist has a 300 page sketchbook that they have to fill in one month, both sides of the page, essentially making it a 600 page sketchbook.<br />
<br />
That's 20 full pages of sketches every day for a month.<br />
<br />
This challenge, obviously, isn't for everyone. However, the purpose of it is to foster a habit of sketching, and teach how to draw quickly. Even if the art is bad, even if the sketches are messy and strange and have plenty of issues, the artist has no time to dally on a single drawing, and has to keep going, forcing them to learn and adapt.<br />
<br />
NaNoWriMo works in a similar way.<br />
<br />
To complete the challenge of 50,000 words in 30 days, one must write and average of 1,666 words every day. Some people will write considerably more on some days, while others will write less, but the point is that people are <em>writing</em>, and are trying to reach a goal.<br />
<br />
They are making a work habit, and learning how to get past the first chapter and actually complete a first draft without being hung up on edits, because they have that word count that they want to achieve.<br />
<br />
The words being put to page might not be good, just as the sketches being put to page might not be good.<br />
<br />
But the point isn't about writing the prettiest words or drawing the prettiest picture.<br />
<br />
The good words and good artwork is hidden behind thousands of words and sketches.<br />
<br />
The not so good words and sketches need to get out first.<br />
<br />
My personal goal with NaNoWriMo is to become faster at completing a book, and to actually write a standalone story (everything I've been working on for the past several years has been a connected series, so I want to have practice at tying the threads of a story.)<br />
<br />
The book I plan on writing is a story that has been lurking in my head for a <em>very</em> long time, and it's about time that I give these characters and this world the time that it deserves, and actually finish a story for them.<br />
<br />
Another personal goal I have is to not just write 50k words in this book, but to actually complete the first draft. Considering that my estimate for this book's length is about 100k, that will mean writing 3,333 words on average per day to get it completed.<br />
<br />
Whether or not I will successful in this is...questionable, but here's hoping for the best. <br />
<br />
Anyway, that's my spiel. Probably going to be blogging a bit on the writing process as I go. That kinda thing.<br />
<br />
On that note, happy NaNoWriMo! Enjoy the process, get lots of writing done, and have fun!<br />
<br />
Time to get writing!Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-32113485919641890932017-10-20T16:14:00.001-07:002017-12-14T21:16:39.658-08:00The Defeat Your Villain Deserves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvFYQvdOdeh4EyigM-ysBgAoCevLwMbsz9xRVcNZ9aVpdAA8j4qjuXBwvxJOruB-GNepMlWwyPDKVMckrk7XZkqh04Yc7p8r4p2tM8badWRp7_6-aQGteJJ9TuyFr8I7srz7Jb142gy3I/s1600/villain+killer+cleaned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvFYQvdOdeh4EyigM-ysBgAoCevLwMbsz9xRVcNZ9aVpdAA8j4qjuXBwvxJOruB-GNepMlWwyPDKVMckrk7XZkqh04Yc7p8r4p2tM8badWRp7_6-aQGteJJ9TuyFr8I7srz7Jb142gy3I/s400/villain+killer+cleaned.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
There's a villain on the loose!<br />
<br />
Oh no!<br />
<br />
Stop the villain!<br />
<br />
How are you going to do it?<br />
<br />
...and the silence drops.<br />
<br />
This is a problem that I <em>hope</em> isn't personal to just being my writing problem, but I'm going to talk about it anyway. So you make an awesome villain. Check! You give them terrifying powers. Check! They seem unbeatable, a perfect challenge. Check!<br />
<br />
This villain is UNIQUE to your story.<br />
<br />
Well, now what? You need to beat the villain <em>somehow</em>. <br />
<br />
What do you do?<br />
<br />
There are many options: just kill them, find a kryptonite, banish them, send them to jail.<br />
<br />
For Fantasy and Sci-Fi in particular, the possibilities are endless. Is there magic in the world? Are there downfalls to the magic that can be exploited? What kind of weaknesses can be brought about by their strengths in their respective worlds?<br />
<br />
As much as I love a great fight scene as an ending, sometimes a simple fist or sword fight can become tiring if it's done too often. For a climax in particular, there is also the added pressure of it being the <em>FINAL FIGHT</em>, meaning that it needs to stand out from all the others. In an action-packed story, to just have another run-of-the-mill fight as the finale comes off as underwhelming.<br />
<br />
So how do you make your final battle interesting? How do you make the defeat of your big baddie feel fresh within the confines of your own story and within the confines of the genre?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<strong><u>1. Use the Specifics of your World to your Advantage</u></strong><br />
<br />
The purpose of Science Fiction and Fantasy is to showcase the endless bounds of imagination. You can do literally ANYTHING in these genres. You can make <em>any</em> world, <em>any</em> magic system, <em>any</em> creature or technology or ability.<br />
<br />
So it's a bit understandable why people might be a bit tired of simple fight scenes making up the landscape of villain battles.<br />
<br />
How disappointing would it have been in <em>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</em> if when Voldemort and Dumbledore met they had just decided to go fisticuffs instead of duelling with magic? (Yeah, not the series' final fight, but it's still the final fight of book 5.)<br />
<br />
What about if in <em>Mistborn,</em> rather than fighting the Lord Ruler with allomancy, Vin had just decided to punch him instead? Or if, rather than needing to destroy the One Ring of power in <em>Lord of the Rings,</em> the fellowship just needed to saunter up to Sauron and hit his tower a couple times with a sword?<br />
<br />
Suddenly, these fights and climaxes that are so tense and interesting in their respective stories become boring, don't stand out, and actually degrade both the hero and the villain at the end of the story.<br />
<br />
However, because these fights used the worldbuilding and specifics of their magic systems and established abilities, these climaxes and final battles become memorable and interesting, standing out for fitting in with their own worlds.<br />
<br />
One of my favourite ending fights is actually in <em>Warbreaker</em>, by Brandon Sanderson, because the established magic system is used in a creative way against the villain, in a way that no villain in any other world could have been defeated. It was unique, because it was world specific.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, one of the final fights that disappointed sci-fi fans the most was the ending to the <em>Matrix</em> trilogy, when Neo and Agent Smith fought. Why was that? Well, if you don't know the series, Agent Smith had taken over the entire Matrix. There were literally millions of him.<br />
<br />
What did the fight come down to? All of the Smiths standing around as a completely uninvolved audience while Neo and one Smith battled. The fight was still interesting enough to watch, but when so much had been suggested and built up with Smith taking over the world, a one-on-one fight didn't cut it when the filmmakers could have had a one-million-on-one fight. They set up a cool climax, had a cool idea, and then abandoned it for the mundane.<br />
<br />
Your fantasy world isn't exactly like everyone else's fantasy world. You have unique aspects. You have unique magic and unique characters. No two people in our world fight the exact same way. Use the unique aspects that you've put so much work into when it comes to defeating the villain, and even a regular fistfight can become interesting.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>2. Establish the Abilities of the Hero and Villain</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
This doesn't mean telling all of the secrets of the hero and villain. You can still hide some awesome abilities in them.<br />
<br />
However, what's more interesting:<br />
<br />
A) A hero that is strong but you don't know how strong VS a villain who is strong, but you don't know how strong.<br />
<br />
B) A hero that can lift a truck with one hand VS a villain who is strong, but you don't know how strong.<br />
<br />
C) A hero that can lift a truck with one hand VS a villain who can lift an oil tanker with one hand.<br />
<br />
Odds are, you have an understanding of the hero's power, considering that they are the character with the most page time. By understanding their power and limits, it adds tension the final fight scene, especially if we can assume that the villain is at least as powerful as the hero, if not more so.<br />
<br />
However, how much more interesting does the final fight become if we actually get a <em>glimpse</em> of how strong the villain is?<br />
<br />
What about if the hero tries fighting the villain once before, and gets nearly destroyed? What if there are at the very least rumours of the villain's power, <em>something</em> to show why this villain is considered fearsome?<br />
<br />
FORESHADOWING is important.<br />
<br />
The main thing, though, is that if a villain is built up to be extremely powerful, that MUST be proved in the final fight. Is this character a nearly-flawless magic user or swordsman? PROVE IT IN THE FINAL FIGHT.<br />
<br />
Don't let your villain be all talk. Give the rumours weight.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>3. Keep Consistent Tone and Character</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
This can be said for an entire story, but consistent tone is key.<br />
<br />
Is your villain ruthless and evil through the entire story? They most likely WILL NOT have a change of heart halfway through the final fight.<br />
<br />
What do I mean by this?<br />
<br />
I mean 'Power of Love Ex Machina'. The villain suddenly growing a heart during the climax. The 'Le Gasp! I never knew that I was <em>evil</em>! I hurt people! Oh no! I better self destruct/give up on my dastardly ways now!'<br />
<br />
It's usually not in so many words, but that's the gist of it.<br />
<br />
If you can't tell, the whole 'defeat the evil force with the power of love' trope is something that I really can't stand. Usually, it's because the villain in question is set up to be an absolute badass, and then they are foiled by the feels. And if they aren't foiled by the feels themselves, they are foiled by the hero having a sudden thought that 'hey, the world is garbage! There is nothing worth fighting for! No such thing as innocent people! Oh, wait, love exists! Better kill this fool with ALL THE LOVE!'<br />
<br />
Not even Care Bears defeated their villains with feelings, and they are literally called <em>THE CARE BEARS. </em>They would save the kids, then blast the life right out of the villains.<br />
<br />
Is your villain pure evil? No redeeming qualities? CONVICTED in their actions?<br />
<br />
Sorry, I don't believe that love is going to stop them.<br />
<br />
Will the hero show mercy? Depends on the hero. Show us beforehand. Show us that the hero is a merciful character.<br />
<br />
Will the villain turn from villainy? Foreshadow. Show the possibility that they may change their ways.<br />
<br />
Don't try to convince me that a character who is let on to be as twisted as the Joker is going to suddenly change his mind halfway through the climax.<br />
<br />
Prove things through character action and motivation if you are going to do something involving the feelings in the climax. Keep tone consistent.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>OVERALL</u></strong><br />
<br />
Here's the point.<br />
<br />
Give your villain the defeat that they deserve. Use your world to your advantage. Keep them in character.<br />
<br />
Show what the hero is up against. Give us context.<br />
<br />
There's a villain out there.<br />
<br />
Go get 'em.Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-20703378636313358732017-10-13T17:01:00.000-07:002017-12-02T14:08:05.090-08:00The 13 Types of Villains You Will Find in the Wild<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qRYH3AgKz6ph3tOSj5y5Trxe14MVu5S7yTV26ZBTYR1tzJ-0_bWVV5_aoiW_WEG0WIudaFkELIJz_T-AA7KTG-k9_u_IWL8pSkTi2O-r2kyAqvv5UE4qJdakJb9ZIb8I64BcueF7ObY1/s1600/friday+the+13+clean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qRYH3AgKz6ph3tOSj5y5Trxe14MVu5S7yTV26ZBTYR1tzJ-0_bWVV5_aoiW_WEG0WIudaFkELIJz_T-AA7KTG-k9_u_IWL8pSkTi2O-r2kyAqvv5UE4qJdakJb9ZIb8I64BcueF7ObY1/s640/friday+the+13+clean.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Attention villain hunters!<br />
<br />
On your forays into fiction, you will encounter many kinds of adversaries. It is a dangerous road, and dangerous to go alone, and particularly dangerous to go unarmed!<br />
<br />
Therefore, one must arm themselves with the most valuable weapon of all: Knowledge! <br />
<br />
Knowledge is Power!<br />
<br />
Power Corrupts!<br />
<br />
Study hard...be evil?<br />
<br />
Oooooh...don't do that. Just arm yourself enough to make it in the crazy worlds of fiction, please. We don't need another entry on the list. Not yet.<br />
<br />
Anyway, it's Friday the 13th, and so I would like to arm you with some villainous knowledge.<br />
<br />
Here are thirteen varieties of villains that you may encounter in your fictional travels.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<strong><u>1. The Evil Overlord/The Dark Lord</u></strong><br />
<br />
Fantasy readers, beware! This is a villain who tends to lurk in the fantasy genre, which might have been started by the most famous Evil Overlord/Dark Lord ever, Sauron, from <em>The Lord of the Rings</em> trilogy, by the father of modern fantasy himself J. R. R. Tolkien. <br />
<br />
These villains tend toward being...<em>not</em> as proactive as some of the other villain varieties in this list. Evil Overlords tend to prefer to delegate hoards and hoards of minions to do their work for them, while they sit menacingly in their throne rooms and do the most dastardly thing of all...<em>BROODING.</em><br />
<br />
(Hey, gotta practice somewhere.)<br />
<br />
Brooding aside, these villains are <em>chill</em>. <br />
<br />
There are, of course, a few instances in which a Dark Overlord can <em>lose</em> their chill. For example, if a soldier comes with bad news or a commander fails them, you bet that the Overlord is going to move off that throne and steal that incompetent fool's soul. (Or decapitate them. Decapitation is always an option.) Otherwise, they are mostly active in flashbacks and during final showdowns with those darn heroes.<br />
<br />
Smug, masters of the evil laugh, and melodramatic to the extreme, the Evil Overlord always cuts a striking figure.<br />
<br />
Particularly if said figure is striking at them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><strong>2. The Evil Queen</strong></u><br />
<br />
This is a villain who even predates the Evil Overlord. Who is one of the most used villains of all time. The Evil Queen, who holds a grudge like no other. She is the woman scorned. She is the woman who is jealous of the looks of a seven year old. She is the most vain and wrathful female villain type out there.<br />
<br />
Usually known as being exceptionally beautiful, the Evil Queen is a woman who found a way into power, and will <em>kill</em> to keep said power in her clutches.<br />
<br />
This is a woman who you will see the most in fairy tales, and fairy tale retellings. She has been featured time and time again, often found lurking in children's tales to remind them that she was made to haunt their nightmares.<br />
<br />
She is willing to go to any length to get what she wants, and she is not afraid to show it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>3. The Seductive Sorceress</u></strong><br />
<br />
This is a woman who is frequently put in a similar position to the Evil Queen, a woman who has won control with beauty and magic. (In some retellings of Snow White, for example, the Evil Queen is a Seductive Sorceress).<br />
<br />
This is a woman who often carries many similar traits to the Evil Queen, such as extreme beauty, and some Evil Queens have use of Magic, but there is one key difference: while an Evil Queen might be a Seductive Sorceress, not all Seductive Sorceresses are Evil Queens.<br />
<br />
These women tend to enjoy working in the shadows, subtly pulling the strings. People are drawn to their beauty, and she gains followers through her deception and allure.<br />
<br />
The Seductive Sorceress tends to being psychologically and magically strong, relying on her wits and sexuality.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>4. The Evil Government/Organization</u></strong><br />
<br />
Going on a trip to a Dystopian series? Particularly a YA or Teen Dystopian series?<br />
<br />
Watch out! You will likely run into a corrupt or evil government.<br />
<br />
These are the Governments that have a beautiful and pristine outside, but a horrible and disturbed inner system. It's corrupt and dangerous. You'll find these most commonly in Dystopian books, such as the classic <em>1984</em>, <em>The Hunger Games</em> trilogy, <em>Divergent</em>, and <em>The Maze Runner.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
These governments tend to have a ruthless, cunning, and very dangerous figurehead. When it's Dystopian YA, this is the figure who the spunky group of misfit teens needs to take down.<br />
<br />
These governments are oppressive and often subtly violent, full of death on the inside. There is usually some kind of elitist class system to keep the people in line, and stories involving an oppressive government often follow a story of revolution.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>5. The Crime Lord/ Gentleman Gangster</u></strong><br />
<br />
This is a character who will be swift to make you an offer you can't refuse. And if you <em>do</em> refuse, be sure to run for your life.<br />
<br />
The Crime Lord or Gentleman Gangster is suave, sophisticated, and almost always in perfect control. They are a kingpin of the criminal underworld, and bring about a sense of organization and order to the chaos of crime. They are possessive of their families, and if a character ends up indebted to a Gentleman Gangster, you can bet that the debt <em>will</em> be paid in full.<br />
<br />
These characters are like alpha wolves. They protect their pack and are extremely territorial. Once you are part of the pack, they will protect you with their lives.<br />
<br />
Try to leave the pack, or try to do anything out of line, and it will be your corpse for dinner.<br />
<br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<strong><u>6. The Thug Gangster</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
Much like the previous entry, the Thug Gangster is also a ruler in the criminal underworld.<br />
<br />
The difference? Think of it this way: a Gentleman Gangster is cold. They hide their emotions. They are delicate, classy, and calculating until the moment of a strike.<br />
<br />
A Thug Gangster is hot. They fly into a rage faster. They have a habit of acting before laying their plans. They aren't tacticians; they are fighters. They are dangerous in a way of unpredictability and sudden anger, but they lack the subtle care of their more sophisticated brethren.<br />
<br />
Thug Gangsters and Gentleman Gangsters, naturally, don't tend to get along so well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>7. The Wicked Relative</u></strong><br />
<br />
I would say 'wicked stepmother', but let's face it. We've all seen this kind of villain done in many incarnations.<br />
<br />
Lady Tremaine from <em>Cinderella</em>, the definitive wicked step-mother. Darth Vader from <em>Star Wars</em>. Claudius, from <em>Hamlet.</em> (Or Scar from <em>The Lion King</em>, basically the same character.)<br />
<br />
These are basically the worst. Parents. EVER.<br />
<br />
Or uncles. Depends on the relation.<br />
<br />
These are the abusive parental figures. The ones who should be supporting the hero, and yet are causing ALL THE PROBLEMS. They are controlling. Manipulative. Deadbeats. Overall, 'Wicked' is too kind of a term to describe these villains.<br />
<br />
Just...ugh.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>8. The Self-Righteous Killer</u></strong><br />
<br />
These are the villains who are one hundred percent under the belief that they are fully justified in their actions. Often times, they use the excuse of 'God wanted me to stab that person five hundred times', or 'it must be done because the ghosts wanted me to do it'.<br />
<br />
They make excuses. That is their thing.<br />
<br />
Self-righteous killers are in a constant state of disillusionment, believing that they are honestly doing the right thing. They believe that they are the hero. They are so wrapped in their fantasies that they don't realize that it isn't God telling them to do it, it's just their own twisted minds.<br />
<br />
These might be the scariest villains, because they are so convicted in their actions that nothing can stop them. Even if some part of them says that what they are doing is wrong, it will be completely drowned out by their own conviction. They are the murderous zealots.<br />
<br />
Just as a villain can't reason with a hero who believes that stopping the villain will save the world, a hero will not be able to talk a self-righteous killer out of their evil acts.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>9. The Maniacal Psychopath</u></strong><br />
<br />
This is the Joker brand of psychopath.<br />
<br />
Much like the Self-Righteous Killer, a Maniacal Psychopath cannot be reasoned with. They are agents of chaos. They live in their own worlds where everything is completely snapped. They kill for the sake of killing, and they enjoy every second of being evil.<br />
<br />
The Maniacal Psychopath isn't always the best planner. When they make plans, they are sure to be spectacular, but they enjoy impromptu, unexpected murder sprees and mischief just as much as a planned heist. They live for the thrill. They live to watch things burn.<br />
<br />
They are <em>unpredictable</em>, because the moment their plan starts to fail, they improvise.<br />
<br />
Bounds of fun and terror wait with this kind of crazy.<br />
<br />
Well, fun if you're crazy too. If not...good luck.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>10. The Cold Psychopath</u></strong><br />
<br />
They will enjoy your liver with some fava beans and a nice chiante. Or amarone. Are we talking about book Hannibal, or movie Hannibal?<br />
<br />
Anyway, enough about cannibalism and what wine goes better with liver. Just as there are two kinds of gangster, there are two kinds of psycho to look out for.<br />
<br />
The similarities between the Cold Psycho and the Maniacal Psycho? Well, both are psychopaths. Both are insane and terrifying. Both lack certain qualities that are present in most reasonable human beings. <br />
<br />
The difference is one that can be related to writing: one is a plotter, the other is a pantser.<br />
<br />
The Maniacal Psychopath is the pantser. They act on impulse. What feels right in the moment. What seems fun and interesting. They want to get to the point rather than sit around waiting and making sure every move is perfect. Improvise.<br />
<br />
The Cold Psychopath plots. They are obsessive over details. They make sure that everything is in perfect order. They are willing to bend to circumstance when necessary, but they act more like spiders than wolves. A wolf will attack his prey when its in view. They plot for a few moments, then strike.<br />
<br />
The spider waits. They spin their perfect web, and wait until their prey inevitably falls, struggles, and suffers as it waits for the end to come.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>11. The Anti-Hero</u></strong><br />
<br />
This might seem a little odd, but stick with me.<br />
<br />
An anti-hero is a protagonist that doesn't fit the regular mold of a hero. They do things that are in the grey or dark areas of morality.<br />
<br />
In any other story, the anti-hero could probably be the villain at a moment's notice.<br />
<br />
Let's look at Deadpool. Sure, when we see things from his side, he's not so bad. He's actually quite hilarious and often tragic.<br />
<br />
But if we actually <em>look</em> at what he's doing...<br />
<br />
Backstabbing. Collateral damage. Trying to kill the more heroic characters out of boredom. Killing the ENTIRE MARVEL UNIVERSE.<br />
<br />
(That's not a spoiler. There's literally a comic series about Deadpool killing the entire Marvel Universe.)<br />
<br />
Yeah. From another point of view, he could <em>easily </em>be the villain.<br />
<br />
So, yeah. What is an anti-hero but a different point of view on a villain? (Even if that villain <em>has</em> often been softened to lean more toward the heroic side)<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>12. The Mad Scientist</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
Oh boy.<br />
<br />
Folks. Peeps. Readers. Fellow humans.<br />
<br />
If you ever run into one of these guys, please. I <em>beg</em> of you.<br />
<br />
Run away. Just...run away.<br />
<br />
If you can't tell, these are the villains that creep me out the most.<br />
<br />
They are, in some ways, like the self-righteous killers in that they justify their actions as being for some greater good.<br />
<br />
They are different in that rather than just mercifully killing their victims, they do other horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE things to them. Experiments. Vivisections. Disections. Torture. All the horrible things in the name of 'science'.<br />
<br />
These characters have an unending morbid sense of curiosity. Sometimes they make monsters, but let's face it.<br />
<br />
We <em>know</em> who the actual monsters are.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>13. Monsters</u></strong><br />
<br />
Vampires. Werewolves. Zombies. Oh my.<br />
<br />
Yeah, I know I just lumped 'monsters' all together in one singular section, but they at least deserve a shout-out.<br />
<br />
Monsters, of course, are the things that go bump in the night. They can be a variety of things: the aforementioned most popular three. Mummies. Dragons. Faeries. Demons. Succubus and Incubus. Aliens.<br />
<br />
The list of monsters in fiction is as endless as imagination. As long as we can imagine new monsters, the list will continue on.<br />
<br />
Some of the best villains known are monsters. Frankenstein's Monster. Dracula. The Mummy. The Creature from Black Lagoon. The Xenomorph.<br />
<br />
I can't tell you what to do when you encounter these creatures, fellow fictional forayer. They are all too different.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
But hey, these are just books. Monsters and villains can't get out of the pages. When villains bite, you can just turn the page or close the book. The villains can't get you, but they'll always be there to thrill and entertain. You can just observe from the outside, calmly walking through fictional worlds without the fear of being hurt.<br />
<br />
...<br />
<br />
Right?Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-6338794097097268252017-10-06T12:32:00.000-07:002018-07-08T22:24:07.590-07:00The Makings of Darkness: The Relationship Between Heroes and Villains<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnhDbnFLUlgnCbVuvlOp9F3T3sPDHyM-w6xS46AnTbQjHxzSqxVg_jJsOdA_dx0fsS9euVi2LD7qY52bJHx5-8yrwiQk0ik-6Xn4lmetgvM2ZZSc81fLWavnN1wV0J5Jv21NxlY1AtAGw/s1600/hero+and+villain+gift+WATERMARKED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnhDbnFLUlgnCbVuvlOp9F3T3sPDHyM-w6xS46AnTbQjHxzSqxVg_jJsOdA_dx0fsS9euVi2LD7qY52bJHx5-8yrwiQk0ik-6Xn4lmetgvM2ZZSc81fLWavnN1wV0J5Jv21NxlY1AtAGw/s400/hero+and+villain+gift+WATERMARKED.jpg" width="328" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ah, October. The month of warm
colours, Thanksgiving (if you live in Canada), bountiful squash, and
Halloween.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It seems as good a month as any to keep
the subject a little...<i>dark.</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
And so, let's talk about villains.<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">I </span><i>love</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
a good villain. To me, a villain is what makes a hero. The stronger
and more interesting the antagonist is, the stronger and more
interesting the protagonist must be and must become. Comic books are
a good example of this. Without villains like Joker, Riddler, and
Penguin, then how strong is Batman? How else does he actually grow as
a superhero and prove himself as a genius, unless his villains are on
par with – or further ahead than – him?<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
There are, of
course, many great examples of heroes and their respective famous
villains and rivals. Sherlock Holmes has Professor Moriarty. The
Doctor has The Master. Van Helsing has Dracula. Luke Skywalker has
Darth Vader. The list of memorable and fascinating villains goes on
and on.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Some of the most
famous villains go all the way back to one of the earliest forms of
fantasy, which are the classical fairy tales. The Evil Queen
archetype, the Big Bad Wolf (or, just plainly, the Wolf), the Evil
Stepmother...<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Apparently
the old fairy tale writers had a thing for evil women. Good women
too, considering that the protagonists are frequently girls (as I
recently discovered, sometimes </span><i>very</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
young girls. Snow White in the original Brothers Grimm story was
deemed too hot to live at the ripe old age of SEVEN YEARS OLD.)</span><br />
<span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Anyway. Back to
awesome villains.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">As
much as there are villains that I love, I have also run into villains
that are...lame. Very lame. Pathetic, really. They leave no real
sense of danger for me (personally). They just don't...</span><i>click</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
as a villain. They don't strike me as being particularly great or
scary.<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I'm sure that you
also have villains like this. Villains that feel more like slapped-on
afterthoughts than actual threats. Or villains that are built up as
dangerous and epic but when they finally show up they're
just...well...lame.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So what makes a
villain interesting? What makes a good villain into a good villain?<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
My personal theory
and preference in what makes a good villain can be summed up in one simple word: Relationship.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Some
of my favourite scenes to see, read, and write are when the hero and
the villain are interacting. And when I say interacting, I don't mean
fighting. I mean when they have to have a conversation. When they are
testing the battleground. When they are one-upping one another,
bantering, and working off one another in a very tense, very interesting
scene. Oftentimes, the villain is toying with the hero (which I
love). You know the scenes that I mean. Emperor Palpatine taunting
and luring Luke toward the dark side in </span><i>Return of the Jedi</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.
Jim Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes during their many battles of wit in
BBC's </span><i>Sherlock</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.
President Snow speaking to Katniss in her house in </span><i>Catching
Fire.<br />
</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As with the list of
great villains, the list of villains and heroes having these
interactions goes on and on.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
These interactions
all come down to one thing: establishing the relationship and power
balance between heroes and their adversaries. What this does (for me,
at least) is greatly increase the stakes between their rivalry,
because the fight between hero and villain stops being simply a
battle between protagonist and antagonist, it becomes a battle
between two people who actually <i>know</i> something of one another.
It shows that there has been an effort to know one's adversary. It
shows the villain being proactive and gives a direct taste of just
how dangerous this villain is.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
These scenes can
appear in many different forms. There is, as aforementioned, the
scenes where the hero and villain have a tense but civil
conversation/interaction. There are also, of course, scenes where the
villain catches up to the hero, and there is a pre-climax conflict
between the two, often ending in a stalemate in some way, shape, or
form.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Now, I'm not going
to use a <i>book</i>, per-se, for an example of this. I <i>am</i>,
however, going to use a television series based off of one of the
most famous series of books on shelves right now.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I am, of course,
talking about <i>Outlander,</i> by Diana Gabaldon.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Now, I haven't
actually read these books. I'm not even caught up on the show. I
have, however, watched most of season one, and I think it has a
fairly good example.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Arguably, you could
say that in <i>Outlander</i> the English in general are the
'villain', considering that they are the ones going after our lead
characters, and the story is mostly told through the eyes of the
Scottish side of the war. However, nobody can deny that there is
a...well...<i>distinct</i> villain.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Black Jack Randall.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Oh, the things I
could say about...<i>Randall.<br />
</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I'm going to keep
it tame and PG in this blog, and <i>not</i> detail some of
the...<i>sketchier</i> things that this character does. I'm not
telling you the details. If you know the show, you already know.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Just because he
does some definitely not PG things in his villainy doesn't
mean that he doesn't have some <i>AMAZING</i> villain moments to make
him one of the most (horribly) memorable villains I've ever seen.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
On that note, he <i>does</i> have a lot of the common qualities of
villains that have relationships with the main character, which is
one of the reasons that I am using him as an example. He is a
singular character with several of the characteristics, making him a
nice little bundle of evil.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So what makes this
guy so memorable as a villain, and what can we learn from him?</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background-color: #dddddd;"></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><b>1) He Makes
Things Personal</b></u></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><b><br />
</b></u></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
When Black Jack
Randall pursues a character, he <i>pursues</i> a character.
Endlessly. He is after the male lead, Jamie, and he makes a distinct
point of making the poor guy's life absolutely <i>miserable. </i>
</div>
<br />
<br />
Throughout the
series, he has frequent run-ins with the leads, and every
conversation that he has with Claire somehow relates back to his
pursuit of Jamie. Everything is personal to him. He goes above and
beyond his military duty and past what any sane person should do in
his dedicated pursuit. Jamie is a wanted man, but Randall's pursuit
of him goes far past what any normal character should do. He is
<i>obsessive</i>.<br />
<br />
<br />
We're often told to
write heroes with a personal vendetta against the villain, but having
a villain who makes things personal with the hero can bring a
wonderful and fascinating dynamic, and add a whole new layer to the
villain's character.<br />
<br />
<br />
Another two
characters that I could use for this kind of obsessive pursuit is
from <i>Les Miserables</i>, with Javert and Jean Valjean. The reason
I'm not using <i>Les Mis</i> for this example is that I consider
these two to be rivals rather than just hero and villain. Javert is
perfectly righteous and lawful in his pursuit of Jean Valjean – a
criminal who broke parole. Jean is acting outside of the law, but he
is also just trying to do what's right, and is just trying to live
life.<br />
<br />
<br />
On the other hand,
with Randall and Jamie (or, in some instances, Claire), Jamie really
didn't do anything to deserve being <i>ENDLESSLY PURSUED</i> by
creepy-as-anything Randall. There are, as far as I have seen, no
actual redeeming qualities to Randall, and he strikes a pretty good
villain.<br />
<br />
<br />
Back to the point
of the first point, though: Making things personal increases the
tension between the protagonist and the antagonist. Because the
villain's relationship with the hero is so personal, you know that
the villain is willing to become obsessive to hunt that hero down.
It's not just a job. It's not just a fight. It is a personal
vendetta, and that just makes things more interesting.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u>Some good
examples of villains (in books) who make things personal with the
hero are:</u> Victor Vale and Eli Ever in <i>Vicious</i>, by V.E.
Schwab; Shale/Jasper and Lord Taquar in <i>The</i> <i>Watergivers
Trilogy</i>, by Glenda Larke; LeLoup and Tee in <i>The Yellow Hoods</i>
series, by Adam Dreece.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><b>2) He is in
Some Way Related to the Main Character, Or Previously Knows them in
Some Way</b></u></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
This is a minor spoiler for <i>Outlander</i>, but I don't consider
this one too bad. It's an episode one kind of realization.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Just a warning, though. Minor spoiler.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
If you don't know, the concept of <i>Outlander</i> is that Claire,
the main character, accidentally goes back in time to when the
tensions between the Scottish and the English were at their highest.
(Yeah, terrible explanation, but it will do).<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
How is Randall related to Claire, then? Well, he's not related to her
directly. He is, however, the ancestor of her husband.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
That makes things a bit complicated, doesn't it?<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Even worse, Randall looks an awful lot like her husband. Close enough
that they cast the same actor who plays her husband to act Randall in
the show.</div>
<br />
<br />
What does this add? Well, instead of simply fighting and running from
an obsessive English soldier who is trying to hunt down the heroes,
she is also running from a man who looks exactly like the man that
she loved enough to marry in her own time. She's not just fighting
some random villain, she is fighting a man whose face belongs to
somebody that she loves.<br />
<br />
<br />
Suddenly, this makes things even more personal, adds internal
conflict to the main character, and immediately brings more tension
to every interaction between Claire and Randall.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<strong>
</strong><u>Some good examples of this are:</u> Elend and Straff Venture in
<i>The Well of Ascension</i>, by Brandon Sanderson; Haern and Thren
Felhorn in the <i>Shadowdance</i> series, by David Dalglish; Victor
Vale and Eli Ever in <i>Vicious</i>, by V.E. Schwab; Ellis and Warren
in <i>Hollow World</i>, by Michael J. Sullivan.<br />
<br />
<strong>
<br />
</strong></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><b>3) He Does
Terrible Things</b></u></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Where things are already personal between the hero and villain,
adding this layer simply makes the villain all the more despicable.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
This can take form in many ways: physical, emotional,
psychological...the list goes on and on about how many ways the
villain can do terrible things to the hero. Sometimes, these things
aren't even done directly to the hero. They can be done to the
innocent bystanders, or people that the hero cares about.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
This adds a lot of villainy to the villain, giving them the
despicable edge that makes them a character that we love to hate.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
As stated earlier, I'm not going to state all of Randall's despicable
acts here. If you know <i>Outlander</i>, you know what he does.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
What I will tell you is that he is an extreme sadist. This character
has a certain love of torture, and though he is a subtle and wily
character when he speaks, you still get a sense of the evils that he
has committed toward both heroes and several other characters in the
series. If anything, his soft-spoken nature makes him all the
scarier, because he has a way of being deceptively kind and
gentlemanly.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
In many ways, villains have a tendency to go overboard with their
cruelty, all the while hiding it behind a charming smile.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<u>Some good examples of this are:</u> Straff Venture in <i>The
Well of Ascension</i>, by Brandon Sanderson; Eli Ever in <i>Vicious</i>,
by V. E. Schwab (If this book were better known, I probably would
have used him instead of Randall); Nicodemus in <i>The Dresden Files</i>,
by Jim Butcher; Muzien Darkhand in <i>A Dance of Chaos</i>, by David
Dalglish.<br />
<strong>
<br />
<br />
<br />
</strong></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><b>4) He is a
Consistent Character</b></u></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><b><br />
</b></u></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
This might be the most important one to me.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Honestly, it drives me nuts when stories bounce around with villains
to the point where there is no constant threat anymore. When a series
has a new villain for every single story, and the villain is gone so
fast that you end up with no real emotions toward them, I end up
feeling more underwhelmed than impressed. There is no build up to
their threat, and oftentimes when a threat is built up around them
they die so quickly that the build up ends up being wasted on them.
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Sometimes there will be a twist villain at the end of the series with
red herrings in front of them, or a sudden villain thrown in at the
end of the book. I personally don't like these either. I've rarely
seen this kind of villain work in a way that I enjoy. Sometimes they
are done right, but most of the time I find these last-minute,
throwaway villains to be forgettable and boring.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
As an example, there was a series I read some time ago that I was
enjoying, but something started to bother me, and it was the lack of
consistency. There was a main villain throughout the entire series,
but she didn't really do anything particularly villainous until the
final book. Other villains that were obviously meant to be epic and
scary were killed off so pathetically that it actually ruined the
series for me. None of the 'demi-villains' ever had any point. No
plot moved forward.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Randall, I already know, is not the main villain of the <i>Outlander</i>
series. In truth, it's not a series that is meant to have a main
villain. It's an account of these characters as they deal with life.
It's a historical romance/drama, not a fantasy novel.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
What Randall does in the first book, however, is act as a consistent
villain. He doesn't wish-wash across sides. He doesn't suddenly
change his mind. He doesn't suddenly grow a heart. He stays as a
constant threat to be avoided and feared. He also carries over into
book/season two as a threat.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<i>He isn't just a throwaway.</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
And that is part of why I like him.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">There are ways to make demi-villains
interesting as well, of course. Straff Venture was not the main
villain in the </span><i>Mistborn</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
books, but he still sticks in my mind because of how interesting and
despicable his character was. The character of Irene Adler in </span><i>A Scandal In Bohemia</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> is one of the
most memorable villains ever written in a </span><i>Sherlock Holmes</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
story, and yet she was only in one short story. For that matter,
Professor Moriarty, the greatest villain to go against Sherlock
Holmes, was a throwaway villain. He was literally written because Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle was tired of writing the Sherlock Holmes stories,
so he pulled out a character smart enough to kill Holmes off.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Yeah. </span><i>Professor Moriarty</i><span style="font-style: normal;">,
considered as one of the greatest villains ever written, was arguably
a </span><i>throw<i>away villain.<br />
</i></i><br />
<i><i><br /></i></i></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">But in general, to create a great
adversary over the course of a series, consistency is a must. Create
a conflict early. Create a </span><i>relationship</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
early. Show off that villain. Make sure that people know exactly how
evil this character is. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
IN SUMMARY, here is what I'm trying to get at.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Don't treat a villain as a plot device. Treat them as a character
first. Give them a relationship with the hero in some way. They aren't just there to be slain, they are there to make the hero grow. They exist to develop the main character and take them from where they are to where they need to be.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Villains are some of the most important characters. Don't treat them just as a tool. Give them the page time and respect that they deserve.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Make things personal. Make things cruel. Make things deep. A villain
is just another character. The difference is that they get to do the
darker things.</div>
Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-56970730258130119212017-09-27T17:00:00.000-07:002017-09-27T17:01:13.307-07:00Writing Cultures #2: Belief SystemsThis is part two of a blog set about writing culture. If you haven't read part one, which is on settings, I recommend checking it out first over here: <a href="http://inkwyrm.blogspot.ca/2017/09/writing-cultures-1-location-location.html">Writing Cultures #1</a><br />
<br />
You now have an awesome setting for your book and culture. So what's next?<br />
<br />
Let's talk about belief systems.<em></em><br />
<br />
Belief Systems are really one of the most important things when it comes to defining a culture. Religion and faith is what outlines a culture's morals, their celebrations, their principles, their architecture, mythos, etc; Even if it isn't a <em>religion</em>, strictly, every culture has an outlining set of morals that is seen as common sense and courtesy.<br />
<br />
Which is why I'm bundling them all into the label of Belief Systems. Just for ease of clarity.<br />
<br />
So for a fantasy world and culture, how on <em>earth</em> do we make a belief system that feels realistic, deep, interesting, and sensible?<br />
<br />
Let's look at some different types of belief systems in fantasy series, and see what they do both the same, and differently.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<strong><u>Monotheism</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
In a monotheistic belief system, there is a singular God, though there may be an opposing force. It's often based heavily off of real-world monotheistic systems such as Christianity or Catholicism.<br />
<br />
Examples where monotheism is found in Fantasy: <strong><em>The Wheel of Time</em></strong>, <strong>by Robert Jordan;</strong> <strong><em>The Kingkiller Chronicles,</em> by Patrick Rothfuss;<em> The Watergivers Trilogy,</em> by Glenda Larke.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong><u>Ditheism</u></strong><br />
<br />
In a ditheistic belief system, there are two gods of equal power and (often) influence. Usually, there is a light god and a dark god.<br />
<br />
Examples: <strong><em>Shadowdance</em></strong>, <strong>by David Dalglish; <em>Mistborn</em>, by Brandon Sanderson.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong><u>Polytheism</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
In a polytheistic system, there are multiple gods, often in a pantheon and with a 'King/father god' over them. This is often based off of Greek, Roman, or Egyptian mythologies.<br />
<br />
(This, from what I've seen, is a very common system in modern fantasy.)<br />
<br />
Examples: <strong><em>Riyria/The First Empire,</em> by Michael J. Sullivan; <em>Warbreaker,</em> by Brandon Sanderson; <em>The Night Angel Trilogy,</em> by Brent Weeks; <em>The Gentleman Bastard, </em>by Scott Lynch.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong><u>Superiority Complex/Divine Rule</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
There's probably a more official term for this belief system, but this term seems to work.<br />
This is when the society is based upon one group of people being superior to another. Even within other belief systems, this is a subsystem that is often found.<br />
<br />
Examples: <strong><em>The Forgotten Realms, </em>by R. A. Salvatore </strong>(Drizzt chronicles, female Drow are superior to males)<strong>; <em>The Kingkiller Chronicles, </em>by Patrick Rothfuss </strong>(The Adem, women are considered superior while men are useless)<strong>; <em>The Stormlight Archive, </em>by Brandon Sanderson </strong>(People with light coloured eyes are considered superior to those with dark eyes)<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Caste System</u></strong><br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
This is a similar system to the previous point, where there is a distinct and strict class system that people are forced into from birth. It's basically impossible to get out of a lower caste into a higher one.<br />
<br />
(Much like the previous point, this is also often used as a subsystem of belief within a larger system)<br />
<br />
<strong><em></em></strong><br />
<strong><u>SO HOW CAN THIS BE APPLIED TO A CULTURE? HOW DOES IT SHAPE THE CULTURE?</u></strong><br />
<br />
Let's return to the Arctic culture that was started in Part One.<br />
<br />
What kind of belief system would work well in this kind of setting? What would be realistic?<br />
<br />
What kind of environment do we have to work with?<br />
<br />
This is an arctic environment. This likely means that it is located near one of the poles of the planet (if the planet is similar to our own). This means that in summer, the sun barely sets and in winter, the sun barely rises. Extremely long days for half the year, extremely long nights for the rest of the year.<br />
<br />
Let's make it ditheistic.<br />
<br />
In this culture, there might be two gods. One god is the Day god, the other is the Night god. The Day god is associated with warmth, light, clarity, and life. The Night god is the opposite of that, associated with cold, darkness, deception, and death.<br />
<br />
Great. So what is the mythos behind these gods?<br />
<br />
Well, to this culture the world is either ruled by light or ruled by darkness. There are small transition times, but that's it.<br />
<br />
Therefore, these gods are in a constant, endless battle. The Day god rules during summer, fights with the Night god, and then the Night god rules during winter, so on and so forth. The short nights or short days during either season are explained by the other god trying to wrestle back control. It's an endless cycle of darkness and light.<br />
<br />
How does this kind of belief system effect the culture?<br />
<br />
If there are two gods of equal importance, there are likely two priesthoods: one for the Day god, the other for the Night god. If this is a governmental system based around the main religion of the people, then during summer (while the Day-god is in control), it makes sense that the priesthood of the Day would be in control, and vice-versa for winter.<br />
<br />
Let's go even further. In summer, people are under the rule of the Day god, and follow him. In winter, they are under the rule of the Night god.<br />
<br />
Perhaps it goes even <em>further</em>. If a person is born during summer, they belong to the Day god, and are trained, for a time, under the priesthood of the Day god, and must still follow the Day god even in winter, always linked to the Day priesthood. The opposite would be the same for winter and the Night god. Whichever season they are born determines the god they belong to. What would that mean? During summer, those belonging to the Day god would have more power than those belonging to the Night god (again, the opposite would be true in winter)<br />
<br />
This immediately creates conflict, even as a subplot or as a possibly strong enough conflict for a main plot in a story, simply by adding a belief system to the cultural layers.<br />
<br />
What if someone is born during a transition period? Right between summer and winter?<br />
<br />
Perhaps they choose which god to follow. Perhaps they are part of neither, forced to be on the outside of the system as some kind of outcast. Perhaps they belong to <em>both</em>. <br />
<br />
If this culture is highly dedicated to their system/religion, there would be religious symbols carved in their holy/sacred places. They would have folk art outlining the conflict of the gods and the stories that are a part of their overall doctrine and mythos. There would be certain laws in place during some seasons that are not present in others. There would be different curses, as curses are often linked strongly into the religion that a culture is based on.<br />
<br />
<br />
That's one example of a belief system for this culture. How would a different belief system change it?<br />
<br />
If we go back to the magic system (control of heat), if there is only a small group of people who are proficient with the magic, there is the question of whether those people are considered blessed or cursed. If they are considered blessed then perhaps they are the rulers of the culture. The inverse could also be true, with those who use magic being outcast. (Though, in a society where magic is literally key to survival, there would be no sense in persecuting those who possess it, much like the nonsense of mutants who can breathe underwater being persecuted in Waterworld.)<br />
<br />
There could easily also be a polytheistic society, in which there are gods for multiple things, and every section of society follows a different god.<br />
<br />
For a monotheistic society, there would be a god of all creation, and likely some kind of lesser evil that was trying to destroy the god of creation as a force of destruction.<br />
<br />
Of course, there are also far more ways to show a belief system for a society. Is this a society that was based in pacifism? Is it a society based in combat and warfare, bent on conquering other societies? Are they neophobic, making them afraid of any kind of change and afraid of travellers? Are they seafarers? Explorers? Are they nomadic, following herds of animals, or do they have a permanent town/city?<br />
<br />
All of these things filter down into how the people interact, and the distinct character of the culture.<br />
<br />
That is what a belief system all boils down to: the characterisation of the culture. If a person's character is defined by how they were raised, their environment, their position within their culture, and their personal beliefs, then a culture's character is based upon their beliefs.Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-33123003118131278172017-09-20T16:45:00.001-07:002019-01-23T00:03:36.219-08:00THE SKY IS FALLING! - Writing Descriptions<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87nLktS3PMYmUIdeCOpsg12J5Vr20HmP_jjQ97GYm5KZs5k58X4WUak-hElgrv21KfsiTCT4O-bqAOcmqELRY4HlL1nSLKsHp8BRpX_sDtHe6b9KA8Unp_NOTjTvd4lyiYp5RSVEWiiPj/s1600/Anatomy+of+a+pretentious+hero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87nLktS3PMYmUIdeCOpsg12J5Vr20HmP_jjQ97GYm5KZs5k58X4WUak-hElgrv21KfsiTCT4O-bqAOcmqELRY4HlL1nSLKsHp8BRpX_sDtHe6b9KA8Unp_NOTjTvd4lyiYp5RSVEWiiPj/s640/Anatomy+of+a+pretentious+hero.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I was planning on doing part two of the
cultural series as my next blog, but a certain event changed my mind.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I woke up the other morning to it
raining. It was the drumming kind of rain, a heavy downpour that made
a steady roar on the rooftop above me.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It was quite lovely, and expected.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Then something else happened. Something
very <i>un</i><span style="font-style: normal;">expected.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">It
started to </span><i>snow</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.<br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Let me
repeat that. It was September 19</span><sup><span style="font-style: normal;">th</span></sup><span style="font-style: normal;">.
It was </span><i>snowing</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Yes,
yes, I </span><i>do</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> live in
Canada. Northern Alberta, no less. To people who don't know, I'm sure
this comes as no surprise. Had this snow come near the end of the
month, I wouldn't have been surprised.<br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">But
</span><i>this was September 19</i><sup><i>th</i></sup><i>. </i><span style="font-style: normal;">It
was barely out of Summer.<br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
And yet, here I
was, staring forlornly out of the window as freezing white flakes
drifted down from the sky, making the fields and roof a horrifying
white. For several hours the sky's dandruff continued, moving between
tiny specks to massive clumps, painting a picture that fully revealed
that yes, summer has ended and a Canadian winter is on its way.</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Thankfully, the
snowfall was light enough and it was still warm enough that the snow
was completely gone within an hour or so after it stopped falling, so
there's no need to panic.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
Where am I going
with this?</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
Two things: 1)
Summer is over, and this is a sad event. 2) Let's talk about
description.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
Description is an
interesting topic, considering that it is all based in stylistic
choice. Some authors, like J.R.R Tolkien, choose to have minimal
description, barely noting what the environments and characters look
like before launching into the story. Others, like Patrick Rothfuss
and Peter S. Beagle, are extremely poetic with their description,
never dipping into the Purple Prose territory but still describing
everything with extreme beauty and style. Still others, like R. A.
Salvatore, like to remind people of the description of their main
character several times over in the story with the same description,
e.g; Ebony Skin, Lavender Eyes, and White Mane. Yes, Mr. Salvatore.
Drizzt looks like a Drow with purple eyes. Thank you for reminding
us.</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ahem.
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
There are also
several other ways to use description. Some authors, like Douglas
Adams, Jim Butcher, or Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor use
description for great comedic effect. Others like Stephanie Meyer or
E.L James use description as a way to butcher the art of language
until those words are bloody and murdered.</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So what are some
different kinds of description and how are they used? How do they
work?</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Here are some
examples:</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><b>BASIC
DESCRIPTION</b></u></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“<b><span style="font-style: normal;">It
was a dwarf with a blue beard tucked into a golden belt, and very
bright eyes under his dark-green hood.” - J.R.R. Tolkien, </span><i>The
Hobbit.</i></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“<b>He was tall,
rugged in feature and dress but not unkind or threatening in
appearance. Wrinkles, which might have come from laughter, tugged at
the edges of his eyes. Alenda thought his demeanor was remarkably
cheerful, even friendly. She could not help thinking he was handsome,
which was not the reaction she had expected to have about anyone she
might meet in such a place. He was dressed in dirt-stained leather
and wool and was well armed. On his left side, he had a short sword
with an unadorned hilt. On his right was a similarly plain, longer,
wider sword. Finally, slung on his back was a massive blade, nearly
as tall as he was.”<br />-Michael J. Sullivan, <i>Theft of Swords
(Part One: The Crown Conspiracy)</i></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
This is the most common description, I find. There will be occasional
callbacks to the character's description throughout the story, but
aside from that there's a rundown of how the character looks and
maybe a bit about impressions of the character's personality, but not
much else. It's really good for getting a story moving, putting the
images into the reader's mind, and keeping the prose of the story
fairly invisible, not drawing attention to the writing style rather
than the story.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><b>POETIC
DESCRIPTION</b></u></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
“<b>The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone. She
was very old, though she did not know it, and she was no longer the
careless color of sea foam, but rather the color of snow falling on a
moonlit night. But her eyes were still clear and unwearied, and she
still moved like a shadow on the sea. </b>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>She did not look anything like a horned horse, as unicorns are
often pictured, being smaller and cloven-hoofed, and possessing that
oldest, wildest grace that horses never had, that deer have only in a
shy, thin imitation and goats in dancing mockery. Her neck was long
and slender, making her head seem smaller than it was, and the mane
that fell almost to the middle of her back was as soft as dandelion
fluff and as fine as cirrus. She had pointed ears and thin legs, with
feathers of white hair at the ankles; and the long horn above her
eyes shone and shivered with its own seashell light even in the
deepest midnight. She had killed dragons with it, and healed a king
whose poisoned wound would not close, and knocked down ripe chestnuts
for bear cubs.” </b>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">-
Peter S. Beagle, </span></span><i><span style="text-decoration: none;">The
Last Unicorn.</span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
“<b>The man had true-red hair, red as flame. His eyes were dark and
distant, and he moved with the subtle certainty that comes from
knowing many things.”</b></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>-Patrick Rothfuss, <i>The Name of the Wind.</i></b></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
“<b>The night is like warm velvet around them. The stars, burning
diamonds in the cloudless sky, turn the road beneath their feet a
silver grey. The University and Imre are the hearts of understanding
and art, the strongest of the four corners of civilization. Here on
the road between the two there is nothing but old trees and long
grass bending to the wind. The night is perfect in a wild way, almost
terrifyingly beautiful.”</b></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>- Patrick Rothfuss, <i>The Name of the Wind.</i></b></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
The first difference you can probably see between basic description
and poetic description is the length. Where basic description will
give the rudimentary looks of a character (or scene), poetic
description tends to be more in metaphors, similes and suggestions
rather than in the simple explanations of what something is. Where
the language doesn't tend to go overboard in terms of floweriness, it
gives a full picture of what something both looks like and what their
nature is and often gives extremely beautiful imagery.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
I personally love poetic imagery, but it strikes me as a difficult
descriptive style to use without going into Purple Prose territory,
or sounding overly pretentious. For example, in <i><b>Twilight</b></i><b>,
</b>there are many times throughout the writing that you could tell
she was trying to sound poetic, but it just came off as awkward,
jarring, and extremely pretentious. Part of this was because it was
in first person. Having flowery prose works in <i><b>The Name of the
Wind</b></i><b> </b>because Kvothe, who is telling the story, sees
the world in a very poetic way. He's a storyteller. It's what he
does. In <i><b>The Last Unicorn</b></i> (which is told in third
person) the story is written to feel like a new kind of fairytale,
and the language <i>fits</i> the story. Also, Peter S. Beagle uses it
from page one, not going in and out of poetic description. <i>Everything</i>
is told with that beautiful language.</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Bella is supposed to be the average teen. The words fit a bard, but
not a teenage girl.</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
In short, as beautiful as poetic description is, it is best used
discerningly. In first person, it has to fit the character. In a
different kind of story, it must be used consistently or for
emphasis.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
(Note: there's a great podcast on when to use this kind of prose by the
<em>Writing Excuses </em>podcast right<em> </em><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/03/26/12-13-beautiful-prose-purple-prose/">Here</a>. I highly recommend checking it out.)<br />
<br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><b>DESCRIPTION
USED FOR COMEDY</b></u></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
“<b>He was not conspicuously tall, his features were striking but
not conspicuously handsome. His hair was wiry and gingerish and
brushed backwards from the temples. His skin seemed to be pulled
backwards from the nose. There was something very slightly odd about
him, but it was difficult to say what it was. Perhaps it was that his
eyes didn't seem to blink often enough and when you talked to him for
any length of time your eyes began involuntarily to water on his
behalf. Perhaps it was that he smiled slightly too broadly and gave
people the unnerving impression that he was about to go for their
neck.”</b></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>-Douglas Adams,<i> The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.</i></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
“<b>Imagine a fifteen-year-old-boy.</b></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>Nope. That was not right at all. Try again.</b></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>No.</b></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>No.</b></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>Okay, stop.</b></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>He is tall. He's skinny, with short hair and long teeth that he
deliberately tries to hide when he smiles. He smiles more than he
thinks he does.</b></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>Imagine a fifteen-year-old-boy.</b></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>No. Again.</b></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>No. Not close.</b></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>He has fingers that move like they have no bones. He has eyes that
move like he has no patience. He has a tongue that changes shape
every day. He has a face that changes shape every day. He has a
skeletal structure and coloring and hair that change every day. He
seems different than you remember. He is always unlike he was before.</b></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>Imagine.</b></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>Good. That's actually pretty good.”</b></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>-Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor, <i>Welcome to Night Vale.</i></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
“<b>The driver-side window rolled down and revealed a young man
whom fathers of teenage daughters would shoot on sight. He had pale
skin and deep grey eyes. His dark, slightly curly hair was long
enough to declare casual rebellion, and tousled to careless
perfection. He wore a black leather jacket and a white shirt, both of
them more expensive than any two pieces of furniture at my apartment.
In marked contrast, there was a scarf inexpertly crocheted from thick
white yarn around his neck, under the collar of the jacket. He faced
straight ahead, so that I saw only his profile, but I felt confident
that he was smirking on the other side of his face, too.”</b></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>-Jim Butcher, <i>Small Favor.</i></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
“<b>I looked like a fairly normal American boy, dressed in loose
jeans and a T-shirt. I've been told I was a handsome kid – some
even said that I had an 'innocent face'. I was not too tall, had dark
brown hair, and was skilled at breaking things.</b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<i><b>Quite</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>
skilled.”</b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b><span style="font-style: normal;">-Brandon
Sanderson, </span><i>Alcatraz vs. The Evil Librarians.</i></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
I almost feel as though this one doesn't need explanation, since
description and sassy narration is one of the biggest contributors to
comedic writing. Bad or strange metaphors/similes, subversion of
expectations, strange comparisons, or even just unexpected
description can make even the most mundane descriptions hilarious.
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
For example: Harry Dresden fighting vampires while wearing his usual
epic outfit is standard and awesome, but Harry Dresden fighting
vampires wearing nothing but a pair of duck-patterned boxers
is absolutely hilarious.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
This kind of narration is often done in first person series (<strong><em>Alcatraz
vs The Evil Librarians, The Percy Jackson series/The Magnus Chase
series/The Kane Chronicles, the Dresden Files</em></strong>, and so on) but is also
found with a narrator character, such as in <strong><em>Welcome to Night Vale</em></strong> or
<strong><em>The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.</em></strong></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
This is a kind of humour that lends itself well to character
viewpoint, but must be consistent, particularly because it is linked
so closely to character voice. If the narrator in <strong><em>Welcome to Night
Vale</em></strong> or <strong><em>Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy</em></strong> (Ugh, that's annoying to
type over and over. Let's just go with HHGTTG) suddenly broke
character, then it would lose part of its humour. But by having a
narrator who is on <i>constant</i> sass mode, even the simplest
things become descriptive gems.</div>
<span style="background-color: #dddddd;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
All of these kinds of descriptions (including many other kinds that I
haven't included for time's and specificity's sake) are extremely
useful in their respective situations and works. But this opens
another door: What about <i>bad</i> description?</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><b></b></u><br />
<u><b>WHEN IS
DESCRIPTION DONE POORLY, AND HOW CAN WE AVOID SUCH AWKWARDNESS?</b></u></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
We've all read it. The really bad, really clunky, just...<i>what the
heck</i> kind of sentences that either leave us scratching our heads
or laughing uncontrollably from their ridiculousness.</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Such as the works of a certain 'romance'/'erotic' author who has
famously become one of the worst authors to ever call their work
'literature'...</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
Yes. I'm talking about E.L. James and the <i>awkwardly</i> horrific <i><b>Fifty Shades</b></i><b>
</b>series. (No, I haven't read these, and I never will, but there
are webpages dedicated to the strangeness of this woman's writing.)</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Her work is full of atrocious lines. Lines like...</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
“<b>I line up the white ball and with a swift clean stroke, hit the
center ball of the triangle square on with such force that a striped
ball spins and plunges into the top right pocket. I've scattered the
rest of the balls.” </b>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>-<i> Fifty Shades of Grey</i></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
“<b>His voice is warm and husky like dark melted chocolate fudge
caramel...or something.” </b>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<i><b>-Fifty
Shades of Grey</b></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
“<b>She's like a fallen ethereal wraith.” </b>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>- <i>Fifty Shades Darker</i></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
“<b>They dance and weave bright blazing orange with tips of cobalt
blue in the fireplace of Christian's apartment.” </b>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<i><b>- Fifty
Shades Darker</b></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Or how about its predecessor, <i><b>Twilight</b></i><b>?</b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
“<b>It was beautiful, of course; I couldn't deny that. Everything
was green: the trees, their trunks covered with moss, their branches
hanging with a canopy of it, the ground covered with ferns. Even the
air filtered down greenly from the leaves.”</b></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>-<i>Twilight</i></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
“<b>Then a doctor walked around the corner, and my mouth fell open.
He was young, he was blond...and he was handsomer than any movie star
I'd ever seen.”</b></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<b>-<i>Twilight</i></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
There are, of course, many more awkward books out there that I could
hunt down and reference, but let's stick to these two...<i>examples.<br />
</i></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
What makes these descriptions really awkward?</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><b>1) Incorrect
use of words.<br />
</b></u></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
In the final Fifty Shades quote (the one about fire), the biggest
problem with the description is that the colours are out of order. If
there is blue fire, it is at the base of the flame where the fire is
hottest, and it filters <i>upward</i> into warmer hues. Had it been
written more like:</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<i>They dance and weave, bright blazing orange with a base of cobalt
blue in the fireplace of Christian's apartment.</i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">It's still terrible writing, but at
the very least it makes </span><i>sense</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.
The writing might not be good, but at least the colours are in the proper order.<br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">This problem is also present in one
of my most hated lines of Twilight (Partly because this is a
description used over and over again): and that would be when she
says </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>“Even the air
filtered greenly from the leaves.”<br />
</b></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"></span><br />
<span style="font-style: normal;">What's wrong with this? Well, unless
the air is poisoned, air cannot filter green. </span><i>Light</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
can filter green. Air is transparent, aka INVISIBLE. What she
described is poison gas.<br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
Also, this description took place during a rainstorm. As a person who
grew up in a place of frequent rainstorms, I can pretty much assure
you that 'air filtering green' and general bright greenness is not what tends
to be noticed in a forest during a rainstorm.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
In fact, rainstorms tend to make things look grey. Very grey.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
Dismally grey.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
Simple error, but it makes all the difference. If words are used
incorrectly to describe something that is meant to be taken seriously, then it can create a HUGE problem.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><b>2) Use of the
same word repetitively throughout a single description.</b></u></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
“<b>I line up the white <span style="color: #ff3333;">ball </span>and with
a swift clean stroke, hit the center <span style="color: #ff3333;">ball</span>
of the triangle square on with such force that a striped <span style="color: #ff3333;">ball</span>
spins and plunges into the top right pocket. I've scattered the rest
of the <span style="color: #ff3333;">balls</span>.” </b>
</div>
<br />
I feel like this is a bit self-explanatory.<br />
<br />
True, there are not many ways to describe someone making a first
break in a game of pool, but the overuse of the word 'ball' and the
most basic use of all other words in the description makes the entire
thing feel flat and...well...<i>awkward.</i><br />
<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<i>I line up the cue ball and, with a swift, clean stroke, break the
triangle. The balls scattered across the table, one of the striped
balls spinning to plunge into the top right pocket.<br />
</i></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
Again, still not good, but at least it makes sense of what it
happening. By reworking the description so that there is one less use
of the word 'ball', it immediately becomes cleaner and has more
clarity than before.</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><b>3)
Overall strange word choice</b></u></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
“<b>His voice is warm and husky like dark melted chocolate fudge
caramel...or something.”</b></div>
<br />
I...I don't even know how this can be fixed. For one, removing the
dark melted chocolate fudge caramel. And the something.<br />
<br />
This is just a weird choice of words. What is a 'dark melted
chocolate fudge caramel'?<br />
<br />
This isn't just strange word choice, actually. This is downright
<i>bizarre</i>.<br />
<br />
What can we take from this passage?<br />
<br />
Choose a word. Choose a description. Read it aloud to yourself. Does
it sound ridiculous? Like dark melted chocolate fudge caramel? Change
it.<br />
<br />
This could be made into an interesting – or, at least, passable –
description.<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<i>His voice is warm and husky, rich as dark chocolate.</i></div>
<br />
Or<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<i>His voice is warm and husky.</i></div>
<br />
Or<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<i>His voice is warm and husky, seductive as dark chocolate.</i></div>
<br />
Note: Fudge and caramel are <em>simple</em> desserts. Not particularly
seductive. As far as seductive foods, it's better off to use terms
that are overly decadent. <i>Dark Chocolate, </i>as far as foods go,
is at least somehow related to seduction.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
All in all, though, down to basics, what is it that makes the first
descriptions <i>good</i>, and the latter descriptions <i>bad?<br />
</i><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
Well, here's the whole thing in a nut shell.<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
A good description uses word choice that suits the mood and style of
the book. It doesn't break character voice. It uses sensible
comparisons, even if those comparisons are used for comedic effect.</div>
<br />
How do you learn to do this?<br />
<br />
Study your favourite authors. Look at the word choices they use. Ask
yourself: why does this work? How does it work? Describe things that
you see. Use extremely colourful descriptions, and then tone them
back to the most basic words. Break the descriptions, then fix them
into something good.<br />
<br />
Practice. Practice, study, more practice. That's how you learn how to
write, and that's how you learn to write descriptions. Break words
apart, and stitch them back together with coffee, tea, sweat, and
tears.Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446374145292871743.post-36352964950455204112017-09-13T13:27:00.002-07:002017-09-13T13:27:36.901-07:00Writing Cultures #1: Location, Location, Location!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41UzFMdCMgdA915hyphenhyphenLHmDL-ZJwxfWGiILdJLB_S5uS8xFx53WWRJNO5ZJ8d_Yyol918n01zvsVZsiM8hpANPK5Vhkgv-mL5rMNlq2DXayN01-bLXdL3nwdqAtw9IKOLm35y7tmQTbDNAx/s1600/Angkor+Wallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41UzFMdCMgdA915hyphenhyphenLHmDL-ZJwxfWGiILdJLB_S5uS8xFx53WWRJNO5ZJ8d_Yyol918n01zvsVZsiM8hpANPK5Vhkgv-mL5rMNlq2DXayN01-bLXdL3nwdqAtw9IKOLm35y7tmQTbDNAx/s320/Angkor+Wallpaper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
So, you want to write a Fantasy or Science Fiction book. You want to do something new, something exciting, something that sets your worldbuilding apart from everyone else's.<br />
<br />
You need a unique culture for your unique world!<br />
<br />
But, how to write it? If you haven't been able to <em>experience</em> a culture different from your own, how do you know what to do to make a culture that isn't like every other fantasy culture, feels realistic, and feels unique?<br />
<br />
This is a problem I ran into when trying to add a unique culture to my fantasy series. I looked for advice, but nothing seemed to help. I could <em>see</em> the unique cultures in other series, and I understood how they worked and, to some degree, even how the author made their choices in creating the culture. However, when it came to writing my <em>own</em> culture...I was stuck. I had no idea where to start.<br />
<br />
Recently I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Cambodia for two weeks. Two weeks isn't a particularly long time, but through those two weeks I learned what truly makes a culture, even though I only managed to scratch the surface of Cambodia. I learned more in those two weeks than I had in what felt like endless research into how to write cultures.<br />
<br />
So, I wanted to share what I learned so help answer some of the questions that I had problems finding clarification and answers on. <br />
<br />
There's a lot to go through, so it will be broken up into segments. I hope that it helps answer some questions.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Cultural Tip #1: Setting (Location, location, location...)<br />
<br />
Well, the first thing in making a culture is making a setting for the culture. This is the building block of the culture. How the people dress, their diet, their religion, their customs, their economy, EVERYTHING is based in the setting and environment in which the culture is based.<br />
<br />
Yup, writing a culture starts with worldbuilding.<br />
<br />
Where does this take place? North? South? Is there a magic system? What kind of magic system is it? Worldbuilding is the absolute basis of writing a culture. Build the world, and it will even start to answer questions in accordance with the culture within it.<br />
<br />
How might this work? Well, let's make a culture.<br />
<br />
Let's say the setting of this story is in a fantasy world, where the climate is always cold. Odds are, if the planet it is based on is similar to earth, this country will be near one of the planet's poles. In this case, the country will probably change drastically from summer to winter, with summer having few hours of night and winter having few hours of sun.<br />
<br />
Sound a bit too much like Alaska or Antarctica? Let's switch it up a bit.<br />
<br />
In this world, perhaps there is a magic system that is based around generating heat. People use the magic to start fires quickly in spite of damp, allows to them to stay warm during travel, cook, etc; Maybe this magic system can be used by animals, or can be found in certain minerals, like a heat-generating stone.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, there is a whole new dimension added to the setting and to the people who live in it.<br />
<br />
In spite of the cold, people can travel for long periods of time on foot because they are less effected by the cold. They can travel lighter because they have to wear less layers and carry less bedding or camp supplies. People who use the magic well would be highly regarded members of society, as they are able to provide heat, the most important resource in a cold climate.<br />
<br />
Let's expand this further. What kind of clothing would these people wear?<br />
<br />
Well, when in time does it take place? Let's keep it easy and put it into a medieval-style time period. In a place that cold, we can assume that they wear many layers and furs (unless they have this heat-generating magic). There, now we have a base for the appearance of these people.<br />
<br />
What kind of religion would they have? If their societal system is based around heat in a cold climate, their deity might be related to the sun (as a beneficial god) or the snow (a cruel god).<br />
<br />
How about government? If it's a monarchy, do the monarchs have some kind of skill with magic, or do they need to have advisors that can work with heat? Is it a council? An elected seat? Government is one of the few things that isn't particularly determined by climate, so just about anything can be chosen in such a case.<br />
<br />
Economy is also quite effected by location. What a culture imports and exports dictates their diet, their materials, their views on profit and trade. In a place based in an arctic climate, they cannot grow certain fruits or vegetables, or maybe certain meats would be considered extremely rare.<br />
<br />
Location effects <em>everything</em>. Even in a book set in the traditional European-style world, the location within that world, the time period, the trade, <em>everything</em> is still effected by the location of the story.<br />
<br />
An excellent example of how this is used in popular fantasy right now is Brandon Sanderson's shared universe, the Cosmere.<br />
<br />
In a recently released anthology, <em>Arcanum Unbounded,</em> he goes so far as to show the planetary locations of each world, how they are affected by gravity and their shared mythos, outlines their culture, and shows how their magic system effects both the world and the culture. If you haven't read any of his Cosmere series (Which is pretty much all of his adult fantasy work, such as <em>Mistborn,</em> <em>The Stormlight Archive,</em> <em>Warbreaker</em>, <em>Elantris</em>, etc;) check them out. They are excellent examples of how worldbuilding effects culture.<br />
<br />
So, how can this be practically applied?<br />
<br />
Well, start with the world, and build it outward. Look to real-world environments, and how the culture grew out of it. Research the real world, not to make a carbon copy, but to learn what patterns come from different environments.<br />
<br />
And that's step one to building your amazing fantasy culture.<br />
<br />
Have fun!Nicole Guayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05374388806395373631noreply@blogger.com0