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Star Wars Episode 8: Thoughts & Questions – Who is This Last Jedi

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Just a few days ago the Star Wars galaxy got great news as the next Star Wars movie, Episode VIII received it’s official title – The Last Jedi.  This spawned a lot of excitement among the fans but the release of the poster that featured red font also spawned a bunch of questions.  One being, who is “The Last Jedi” that the title refers to?  Who knows really what plans the next story has but I wanted to dive into a few of these topics and let you know my thoughts.

Let’s start with the end of Return of the Jedi after Vader passed his son Luke Skywalker was the last living Jedi Knight, or was he?  Just last year we saw the release of the Force Awakens – Episode VII in the series which takes place 30 years after the Return of the Jedi. This also took place after Luke Skywalker had tried to re-unite the Jedi order with a new generation of Jedi.  During the Force Awakens we learn that those young Jedi trained up by Luke were killed by Kylo Ren.  So with that said it raises massive questions about the new title for Episode VIII of The Last Jedi as Kylo Ren was a force sensitive and once fought for the side of good but was quickly taken by the Dark Side of the force.

During Episode VII we also got to meet Rey, which was a very mysterious young girl who we learn during the film was a force sensitive that saw her powers quickly develop. Her force powers came to light pretty quickly during her confrontation with Kylo Ren so it begs the question is she a Jedi? At the end of the Force Awakens, Rey finds Luke on his island hiding place of Ahch-To which brought to light that we now have a Jedi Master, and what could be the next Jedi apprentice! This was such an epic part of the film as Rey delivers the original lightsaber to Luke opening up so many questions, excitement for the next film, and wonder of whats going to happen next.

Now back to our first question of who is the Last Jedi from the new title of Episode VIII? Does this refer to Luke himself, or does the title refer to “Jedi” which can also be plural or singular.  Are we looking at Luke and Rey being the last Jedi in the universe? This title may even refer to a next generation of Jedi from which we see Rey showing force traits in the Force Awakens.  As we know the Force Awakens was a passing of the torch type film for the old generation to the new. What about Kylo Ren as we know he destroyed the generation of Jedi that Luke was training so maybe we will see a rejuvenated Luke when he learns of Rey’s force abilities? This is all speculation of course but these are the thoughts that have been running through my head since seeing the new title for Episode VIII.

I am very excited to see the new film, and I know you all are as well!  Does the Last Jedi refer to Luke from the old generation and the new film is going to be another push on passing the torch to this new generation?  In the Force Awakens the opening roll talked of the Rebel hero as “The Last Jedi” so who is this mysterious Rebel Hero, or Last Jedi?

Creating Great Fantasy

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creating-great-fantasyWhile some have looked down on fantasy fiction as derivative, poorly written or childish, the fact is that our oldest literature is fantasy fiction. From The Epic of Gilgamesh or the Odyssey, or one of my absolute favorites Beowulf! All of these stories that have survived the disappearance of ancient civilizations are stories of gods and magic and quests and monsters. It’s undeniable that fantasy is one of the most popular and favorite of many across all ages.

J.R.R. Tolkien is generally considered to be the father of modern English-language fantasy fiction for adults. There were fantasy novels written prior to Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, such as Lud In The Mist by Hope Mirrlees and The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison, but it was the commercial success of Tolkien’s work that kicked the modern genre into high gear.

Like every genre, fantasy is capable of producing fiction that is well-written and thoughtful with original characters, settings and plots. Modern classics such as the Earthsea series by Ursula K. LeGuin or Jack Vance’s Lyonesse series stand as proof that fantasy series can have wide appeal among readers of all ages and reading preferences. One of the biggest hits of today’s generation is, George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series which is wildly popular with critics, readers and viewers of the TV series adaptation, Game of Thrones.

Despite the success of G.R.R. Martin, some still argue that the last thing the fantasy genre needs is more long series of novels. However, this view does not appear to be shared by either readers or writers.

Writing A Series That Contributes Something New:  A Few To-Do & Not To-Do’s

Read A Lot of Fantasy
This advice is sort of a cliché in itself, but something that is quite necessary in my opinion. If you are thinking about writing a fantasy series, then you are probably already well-acquainted with the genre, but you may only read a certain type of novel or a handful of authors.

Becoming familiar with the genre’s clichés and pitfalls means reading a lot of fantasy novels. This includes the good, the bad and the awful, and as you are reading think about the plot and what works, or doesn’t work. Read what is popular and what is critically acclaimed as the broader the scope of your reading, the better you will know what kinds of fantasy worlds and subtopics are still to be told.

In addition to reading contemporary writers, you should also read older fantasy. In part, this is important for understanding the history of the field, but it’s also important because it often provides insight on where clichés come from. When Tolkien penned the Lord of the Rings trilogy there was nothing cliché about elves and long quests and magic rings and using Northern European myth as the basis for a long fantasy series, but that is no longer the case.

Knowing the history of the fantasy genre and the realm you’ve decided to dive into will help you understand how to write a fantasy series. It also shows that elements of the fantasy genre that critics sometimes ridicule are not inherently bad but simply have been done 30 or 40 years ago and have been worn thin through overuse.

Forget The Big Guys

Tolkien, C.S Lewis, L. Frank Baum, and a countless number of others are the best the genre has ever known.  They have in sorts cast a very heavy shadow across the field. Too many would-be and actual novelists who hope to follow these giants and their footsteps have shoddily constructed languages and maps and worlds and created thinly veiled versions of his characters.  I myself have even been inspired by these authors, but it’s important you move away from big authors like this as to not get sucked into any overused work.  Burly dwarves and angelic elves can be interesting, but if you use stock characters such as these, try incorporating them in an innovative way in your fantasy books.

Fantasy Traditions

Some writers feel that using the traditions of a culture that is not your own is a kind of appropriation, but we could say that about any genre of book if we take an honest look at the author’s inspiration.  Drawing inspiration from the history, art, literature, and folk lore is just good practice for great idea churning! This does require a level of sensitivity and a lack of condescension, if you want to steer clear of possible backlash, but it’s quite possible to do without offending a culture or misusing these ideas.

Looking at a lot of culture and legends that have been used over the fantasy genre, you can look no further then Europe.  Some people say it’s been overused in the modern fantasy but George R.R. Martin turned this so called overused idea into a fantasy classic with his Fire and Ice series.  He chose a period of history that is largely overlooked and he approaches his novels as if they were historical fiction.  Martin brings something fresh and rejuvenated even though his inspiration seems to come from a part of the world that has been reworked to death by fantasy novelists before him.

Stop When It’s Time to Stop 

One of the biggest complaints about fantasy novels / series is they don’t end.  At times the story is lacking depth and stretches to broadly across many books.  Don’t overstay the book series welcome among the readers as they can quickly be burnt if you don’t know when to stop.  Leaving the audience gritting for more is the best way to end a book as it’s way better then complaints rolling in about you needing to throw the pen away ages ago. Keep track of when you write, how long the series are running and what kind of feedback you get and it will make things much easier on when to stop writing vs. continuing something that’s not working.

How Do I Get Readers Hooked Across Story Arcs?

If you are looking at having multiple books then planning is key!!!

I can’t stress enough on how important it is to have the overall story arc planned out and tracked.  Each book should be plotted out and each individual story arc should be tracked as well.   You simply cannot write a three, five or even eight book series that sustains the necessary narrative drive and focus to keep readers interested without some idea of where the story is going. Planning also helps you avoid introducing subplots and characters in earlier books that go nowhere.  Errors like this can be frustrating enough to make your reader put your books down halfway through the series and never return.

Your books must be self-contained to some degree as well. You must balance the progress of the overall arc along with the smaller arcs.  Readers will easily become frustrated and may lay the book down if you move away from the main arc for an extended period. This becomes a fine balance of holding the readers attention and being able to switch between multiple stories through a books overall story arc.  Different readers will naturally have some characters and story lines that interest them more than others, but you need to keep all of your story lines engaging enough to keep the reader turning pages. One way to do this is by writing emotionally-engaging characters. Another is to ensure that the main arc of the story is furthered through subplots.

Finally, one of the most important points to keep in mind is that writing a fantasy series is in many ways no different from writing a novel. You ultimately have to approach your series as though it is one very long novel.  This can be very tough and challenging because you need a fully realized world that engages characters to inhabit, a plot that is going to draw readers in, and the mix of conflict / tension that will keep the readers turning pages for more.

Fantasy remains one of the most popular series among readers of all ages.  Avoiding the pitfalls of clichés and planing a strong story arc that drives the story to completion and produces something readers will grab a hold of.  Keeping the main story arc central is key throughout the novel series but avoiding the addition of too many subplots is that fine balance between readers being hooked, and dropping the book like a hot potato.  Stay focused and have fun while you write which will help you move the story along.

A Fantasy Writers Process

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tumblr_static_tumblr_static_4eo5pzujbwcg8gws0gcc8oc0s_focused_v3.jpgIt’s hard to start writing a niche genre like fantasy when you’ve got the passion for it, but no idea where to start! Maybe you have an idea, but you’re afraid to take the first step because you’re afraid of failing. While the writing process is frustrating and yes, your story may not work out, but if you do your research and work hard, you will find yourself creating an unbelievable story with a world you can mold to your liking.  It’s going to take a lot of patience, will-power to push through tough areas, and learning a few tips along the way from fellow writers.

This is my “Where Do I Start List” on the most important parts of the writing process that I use all the time.  None of these steps are chiseled in stone by any means but these are all tips / tricks I’ve learned over the years….and taken the good advice of better writers who helped me along my journey.

1. Write down EVERY SINGLE IDEA you have!  When writing a novel it doesn’t matter how silly an idea may sound, you thought of it for a reason so write it down.  These ideas can always stem into another and cause creativity and imagination to be boosted.  Plus this is a great way to keep track of the “Idea Process” which is how you personally pop out ideas.

When writing ideas down it could be as simple as (random word here) or it could be a bit more complex and you take it a step further.  Try something like this below and see if it helps with creating new ideas.

  • “Maybe (insert random name here) came across a clue (insert random stuff here) and discovered a great secret.”
  • “Should (name) be a knight or a king, or just some (random person in the story?)”
  • Keep track of how you use ideas and organize them.  See my post on mind mapping a novel to get some ideas of what to use and how to use this method.

2. Look at the setting of a story first before anything.  If you are a fantasy writer like me, then I’m sure you’ve spent a good bit of time doing this already.  Remember this is your story and you can make it however you like, but it’s always a good thought to look at other writers and see what imaginative thing they’ve come up with.  Does your world rely on magic, or maybe it’s inspired by a real place and you’ve put a twist on it.  Depending on what you choose, your characters must reflect the cultures and upbringing in this world. My novel is set in a fictional world but still close to home with traces of European cultures with kings, queens, monsters, tall tales, and hero’s alike.

3. Character development is an absolute must!!!! Make sure you take your time and plot out each character…give them some love as I’ve seen to many times where a story could have been great but the characters were very underdeveloped and it ruined the story. Pay close attention to those minor characters in the book because they can become key to a great story.  Take a look at a post I did on writing minor characters.

4. Character Names have to tie into the cultures you use in the story.  Think about that for a second as this can go a lot of different ways.  Do you have a made up language like Tolkien, or maybe you’ve pulled from Greek mythology, or just classic names from different cultures.  Most of my book I’ve created comes from a European background with a lot of made up in between.

5. Make a timeline because this helps keep everything consistent throughout the story, especially if you use days/weeks/months in your story. This will also allow you to go into accurate detail about places, seasons, weather, people etc.  My book i’m currently working on, Brothers Three, ranges over the course of a 10 year period for the main story.  This story begins with the birth of three brothers who were separated at birth to disguise who they really were, but picks up when the boys are 10.  The story begins on a spring morning, so I made sure to describe the temperature and what the “Spring” season was like which also affected the terrains and landscapes of course. Always make sure to keep in mind the time of year and how long time has passed in your story so that it’s consistent. A timeline also helps with events leading up to your main story. Every major event in the story, whether it actually occurs during the present or not, should be recorded on the timeline. If something major happened to a character in the past, it should be recorded. If something major happens before a main character is born, record their birth-date on the timeline.  I don’t want to give any spoilers away for my book so I didn’t want to share my timeline but one day in future posts I hope to share that process.

6. Make an outline of your entire plot. Some people argue against this process as there are authors who just write great work as they go along, but in my opinion making an outline worked great for me.  Your timeline you created can help a great deal with creating the outline as you should be keeping track of all major plot points and how they roll across chapters, major / minor characters, minor plots, climaxes, etc.

7. Editing, Editing, Editing!  Once you’ve typed out your manuscript, edit it yourself into multiple drafts….Why? Because you don’t want to lose the thing for one, and you are going to butcher this thing when editing it.  I would take a few chapters at a time, print them out, and use a colored pen (I prefer red or blue) but any color you choose will work to cross out, change words, or fix punctuation. It definitely helped me to have a thesaurus and grammar book for quick reference as well.
These are the main points I like to use when writing and getting things ready to edit. Everyone is different and each has their own methods they will develop and enjoy to use. These are mine and I hope they might work for you on the writing journey.  Good luck to all of you with your own writing adventures!

Blogging Is A Journey

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blog-typeBlogging is a great outlet for writers who want to grow and connect with an audience or just to have an outlet for something you enjoy…”Writing”!  This provides us a way to go in depth over a social media post, aka micro-blogging outlet like Twitter.  I’ve enjoyed blogging for years and it’s given me a place to hangout with others in my little corner of cyber-space.  If you’ve spent anytime at all blogging or writing, you know it can be tough and at times bring some stress with it.

Over the years I’ve learned by being burnt by fire and gleaming knowledge from others who were better writers than I was.  So here is my list of some tips I use that I hope will help you in your blogging journey.

 
1. You never know when a good blogging idea is going to pop up, so put those blog ideas down on paper, or keep a digital list of sorts.  I personally go old school and use a notebook for my blogging ideas along with sticky notes as I use different colors for different topics.  It may sound like madness but it works for me and helps keep me organized for my writing schedules.

2. If you have time and can do it, schedule posts throughout the week.  With my schedule a week or two out is all I can do but most of the time it’s 4-5 days out.  Keep a backlog of posts if you are trying to hit a specific count of posts per week or month that you can quickly choose from as well.

3. Find you some blogging friends that will allow you to do guest blogging, and or co-blogging as that’s a great way to market your content and grow each others sites.

4. Browse through images you want to use for your blog posts and keep a stock in a folder for future posts.  This will help with the last minute search for an image, though lately I’ve been making my own depending on the topic.  See what works best for you and your schedule.

5. Make yourself a list of items to check before you hit that publish button.

6. Break up your posts into multiple parts if they are running long. This will help keep the readers attention and also coming back for those additional parts.

7. Use those comment sections as it can be a gold mine.  Watch for questions and good topics for conversations and even potential notes for future posts.

8. Life happens and if you are like me well then blogging is a hobby, so don’t stress if you don’t make those post counts you wanted.  Best thing to shoot for is consistency but when you can’t don’t sweat it.  I try to post twice a week but that doesn’t always happen.

9. Don’t fret about reusing previous posts or topics either.  You don’t want to repost the same exact post you’ve already used, but when you are in a crunch rework an old one and use that thing.

10. Give yourself some grace. This is a journey full of learning and it’s going to be filled with mistakes, and curve balls so when you find that crazy typo or sentence that doesn’t make sense, don’t worry.  Learn from those mistakes and make this blogging journey fun and something you want to become better at.

These are my bread and butter items I use whether I’m writing a small blog post, or working on my novel series.  I would love to hear from you all on any thoughts or comments you have.  Would you all add anything to this list?

The Wolf Among Us Episode 3 – A Crooked Mile Review

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2499489-wolf+among+us+-+wolf+among+us+-+2014-04-04+12-40-21+(p)63.jpgA Crooked Mile slaps us right in the middle of some pretty amazing and memorable moments to date in this game.  Around every corner Telltale succeeds at introducing new characters in almost every scene which keeps the interest up, and brings some more light and story to characters we’ve only just seen a small glimpse of over the past two episodes. This episode drops some tough choices on you and some crazy consequences to boot, so overall this episode really gives you the feeling of being these characters and owning the story itself!

My biggest beef with episode two was the lack of story / plot progression you had as it just didn’t move forward enough, but A Crooked Mile is just the opposite as this 90 minute episode makes every second count.  This episode also introduces a new character which was a lot of fun, a witch of Fabletown who lives by the old world standards that really brought a sense of magic to the story which tingles the intrigue of where the story is going.

thewolfamongusepisode3acrookedmile_review_1.jpgWithout going into many spoilers here, this episode brings us one of the biggest scenes to date.  Watching Bigby finally bare his superpowers against an army of angry dwarfs is just a taste it seems of what you get to look forward to in future episodes.  This incredible moment in the game lasted about as long as a blink of an eye, so the wait for episode 4 is going to be a nail biter for sure.

One major plot line of the story that is really starting to take shape and become the star of the show is Bigby’s sadness and frustration.  With that being said, time really seems to be limited in A Crooked Mile, and always moving forward, so you can’t see everything or meet everyone.  One thing that really made Bigby’s emotions standout is due to a big change from episode 1 and 2 as you had very limited time to react to conversations which isn’t the case in this episode.  Oddly I like the fact they gave us more time in the conversations and story this time cause there are some brutal decisions to be made throughout.

Wolf-Among-Us-Episode-3-04As great as this episode was to play through I had a little beef in a couple of the scenes as they decided to cut before I had a chance to fully explore the surroundings.  Both of these scenes were packed full of things to explore and items to discover, so one moment I’m happily exploring, the next I was sliding right over into the start of the next scene which was disappointing.

This episode pushes the boundaries of brutal encounters and wacky decisions that really push the story forward and brought almost all the characters to the playing board.  This is one of Telltales best episodes to date on any of the games they’ve written, so I can’t wait to see where they take Bigby in the next episode!

Destiny Lore – Fundament: A World Changed

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FundamentLong long ago, a rocky planet inhabited by the proto-Hive collided into a gas giant named Fundament and shattered.  All of the rocky planet shards that were left scattered across the Fundament ocean, within one of of it’s many layers, and became “continents” in which the proto-Hive took refuge and lived out their existence.  This vast world was filled with five hundred and eleven other intelligent species who also inhabited Fundament’s sea through seemingly similar circumstances.  Surrounding Fundament and within it’s great orbit were fifty-two moons inhabited by a race called the Ammonites.  The Ammonites were bony, six-armed cephalopods who evolved on an icy moon of Fundament. At some point, the Traveler arrived at the planet and became a patron of this race, who helped them build an advanced space travelling civilization with paracausal technology that spanned all of Fundament’s fifty-two moons.  Deep beneath the Fundament ocean dwelled a massive creature called the Leviathan, a great disciple of the Traveler, and one who plays a larger part in this races existence, as it’s a gatekeeper for the darkness being imprisoned in the depths of Fundament.

Life was quick and harsh for the proto-Hive. Their natural lifespan rarely exceeded ten Fundament-years, though proto-Hive who ate “mother jelly” became able to spawn and live longer.  Fundaments environment was harsh and relentless, as the ocean was toxic, the storms constantly raged through the skies, the rain was poisonous and corrosive, and living clouds called Stormjoys would prey upon the populations causing mass conflict amongst the proto-Hive.

The+Alien+Base-Sung+Choi_1920This world was filled with torment and a great fear of a catastrophic event called the “Syzygy” an artificially induced alignment of Fundament’s moons that would create a devastating global tidal wave, the “God-Wave” as the Ammonites called it. One kingdom of the Fundament Ocean was the Osmium Court, ruled by the Osmium King. When the King went mad out of fear of the “Syzygy”, Taox, the teacher of the King’s three daughters, invited the rival Helium Drinkers of the Helium Court to invade and install her on the Osmium Throne. The Helium Drinkers did so, but failed to kill the King’s three daughters: Aurash, Sathona, and Xi Ro. The sisters escaped on a ship, swearing an oath to avenge their father by overthrowing the Helium Drinkers and bringing revenge to their family by hunting down Taox.

Through plotting and planning their revenge the sisters eventually salvaged and reactivated “the needle”, a high-tech ship which had been neglected over the years, but was designed to explore Fundament’s darkest depths. Deep below the sea, the sisters encountered the great Leviathan, who warned them away, and tried to convince them of the darkness the planet had imprisoned, but they continued on and encountered the Worms and made a pact with them to gain immortality and power, taking on the Worms’ parasitic larvae and spreading them among the other proto-Hive; thus the first true Hive were created, and so the sisters were transformed into their new creations as Xi Ro became Xivu Arath, Sathona became Savathun, and Aurash became Auryx.

tumblr_ny4d5t9Q7u1u7keg4o1_1280In just a few short years after the sisters transformed they took the Hive and conquered a large portion of Fundament’s surface population, reclaiming the Osmium Court and harrying Taox off-world. After building their first starships, the Hive followed Taox and encountered the Ammonite civilization that lived among the moons, as well as the Traveler. The Ammonites were far more advanced than anything on Fundament’s surface and were initially able to drive back the Hive’s attacks, especially as Auryx held the Hive back in the hope of achieving a peaceful resolution to the conflict.  Savathun denounced her brothers weakness and killed her brother for his futile efforts of peace.  The great Worms hidden in Fundaments depths then vested Auryx and his sisters with the power to defy death so long as they continued their conquest and fed their worms. Auryx returned to life and together he and his sisters defeated the Ammonites, killed the Leviathan, and forced the Traveler to flee.

The three leaders of the Hive transformed Fundament’s fifty-two moons into great colonies for the Hive and set out to conquer the universe in the name of the Darkness and find Taox, who still eluded them. Fundament’s fate afterwards is unknown, though the Syzygy had already taken place before the Hive had begun to war against the Ammonites. It’s likely the “God-Wave” wiped out the remaining of Fundaments surface population. However, the ultimate cause of the Syzygy is unclear. The Worms claimed that the alignment of the moons was caused by the Traveler to prevent the surface civilizations from contacting them, while the Leviathan claimed that the Worms were behind the event in its final plea to the Hive.

We may never know the truth about what causes the Syzygy, or who causes the Syzygy, but one thing is clear, the Hive are still out there and we will see more of them very soon.

Until the next episode Guardians

The Wolf Among Us – Episode 2 Smoke and Mirrors Review

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ss_dedc5e68e74788af4d714392a231d090d2511af9.1920x1080.jpgThe second episode of Telltale’s The Wolf Among Us, titled Smoke and Mirrors, takes us to a whole new level of awesome! This masterpiece of a world that Telltale created is still bouncing with vibrant neon colors, but all the characters this go round are coming in shades of grey!

This episode dives much deeper into the character of Bigby, and no matter whether you play as the nice guy, or as a monster you get to see a personal side to who Bigby really is. You really get to see a lot of the dark, fantastical world of Fables which you find yourself really questioning some of the decisions you have to make, right or wrong.  The writers of this episode did an amazing job of keeping the suspense up, but thrilling you with moments of ease and lush adventure.

Starting this episode you will pick up right where you left off with the shocking events at the end of Faith.  A lot of the drama and suspense in this episode revolves around how Bigby and the other Fables deal with the fallout, and thankfully, a lot of that is fully up to you and the decisions you make. The voice acting in this episode and overall game is top notch and probably some of the best Telltale has put out, which is saying a lot with the games they’ve done.

1392053246Want some villians?  Well, this episode has got plenty of them as they set the foundation for some really nasty ones who you will quickly love and hate all at the same time. SPOILER ALERT – One of the nasties in this game is named Georgie, a strip club owner and pimp with an absolute numbness to human dignity and need.  No matter how you handle Bigby’s interaction with him, through understandable violence or forced restraint, the scene plays out great both ways. A few of the major decisions from Episode 1 also have some nice moments of payoff in Smoke and Mirrors. Particularly how you handled Belle lying to Beast and who you chose to chase out of the bar result in very different scenes that shape both the story and Bigby as a character.

As great as this episode is/was with all the character developments, the one downfall is the overall story didn’t move a long quite as I hoped.  This episode leaves a lot of loose ends still unanswered from episode 1 which I was hoping to tie up, but instead they add more to the mix and leave you with even more questions.  There aren’t any big action sequences that would meet the expectation that episode 1 left after encountering the Woodsman which was a bit disappointing.

wa5Overall The Wolf Among us series continues to bring moments of joy while playing, but at the same time tears away at the multitude of emotions while dealing with people. Sadness is something you see quite often in Bigby’s life as he is alone in this journey, or so he feels. You quickly learn that he has more allies then he realizes after meeting some of the other characters in this game. Telltale makes it more than worthwhile to go back and replay the episode as a complete maniac or a restrained reasonable person.  This is really something I never wanted to do with any of the other adventure games Telltale has made, so good job for sucking me in even further Telltale.

Smoke and Mirrors is a fantastic second step in this already great story. You are going to get 90 whole minutes of memorable characters, scenes and some of the best but agonizing decision moments Telltale has ever made you think about before.  Even with the slight disappointment with the overall story not progressing like I hoped it would….I’m completely sold on this story and can’t wait to finish the rest of the game.

Writing Fantasy – Do’s & Dont’s

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writing-a-bookFantasy is a fun genre of fiction that uses magic or other supernatural elements as a main plot element, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic and magical creatures are common. Fantasy is generally set apart and crosses paths with science fiction and horror as they all three have sub-genres in the fiction world.

Fantasy is one of those genre’s made up of many creative things and frequently includes elements from the Middle Ages.  Most fantasy is adventure based, with a conflict between good and evil which is usually the common theme of plot.  When you here fantasy you probably think of things like wizards, elves, magic, etc…Fantasy is often based on myths, legends, and folklore, that could stem across multiple cultures.

If you’ve thrown around the idea of writing fantasy then here are a few things to do.  

  • Read a lot of fiction in the fantasy, science fiction, and horror genre’s. Soak up as much as you can about the way the books flow, plot layouts, structure, etc.
  • Do the real world research on any folklore, culture, and traditions those era’s had you want to pull into the book.
  • Ask questions, find writing mentors, learn new ways to bring an idea to the page.
  • If you are setting your story in medieval times or using elements from those times, research medieval life in the real world.
  • Plan your fantasy worlds before you start, figure out all the details you want the readers to know about.  This will help you during the writing process as it will become more natural and eliminate any doubt you might have on the topics.
  • Set limits for your world and hero / heroine of the world, as this creates obstacles within the story for readers to be evolved with and helps get to know the world.
  • Bring your fantasy to life with lots of detail.  Give the readers a chance to meet everyone in the book, and make them feel at home like they are actually in the world you are describing.

Here are a few things not to do when writing fantasy. 

  • Don’t disclose everything you know about the fantasy world you’ve made.  The planning you do up front is for you to make sure the story is told correctly, but that doesn’t mean that every detail you write needs to make it to the book.  All the prep you do up front will give the readers something real to look forward to and enjoy. Give the readers some play room with things that you know about the world but they don’t yet.  Let them come up with there own ideas and conclusions about a specific personality of a person, or maybe a place in the book.
  • Don’t break the rules of the world that you have planned.  This in a way will give the readers a false sense of reading and make them feel cheated like what your telling isn’t worth the time for them to read it anymore.
  • Don’t copy people, places, things from other fantasy authors.  Use your imagination to create this magical universe you want the readers to be a part of.
  • Don’t lose track of the story and where you are at with it. Map the book out, the ideas, and all the fun details you get throughout the days while prepping to write.  It’s fun to create worlds with magical tales to tell but don’t get so caught up with the tiny details that you forget to create the main plot of the story.
  • Don’t forget to save MULTIPLE copies of this story and the details, along with any planning materials you have along the way.  You don’t want to lose that work and not have a backup to revert to.

The Battle of the Gladden Fields

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AnduinThe One Ring Lost

The Disaster of the Gladden Fields was a battle at the beginning of the Third Age, in which Isildur and a group of acompanying Dunedain were attached by a large group of Orcs as they were marching home after defeating Sauron. The king and his three eldest sons Elendur, Aratan, and Ciryon were all slain and the Ring of Power was lost in the River Anduin. Only three men survived this battle, Ohtar being one of them, an esquire of the kings which was able to save the shards of Narsil.

With the death of Isildur, it impacted both Gondor and Arnor as it left both kingdoms seperated and isolated.  Arnor wouldn’t be able to completely recover from this loss of it’s nobles and knights until the kingship of Aragorn in the Fourth Age. Most importantly, Isildur’s death prevented him from passing on the One Ring to the Keepers of the Three, which he had passed on to his brother Elendur to be his chief reason for visiting Elrond in Rivendell.

After the War of the Alliance, Isildur remained in Gondor for one year, taking back lost lands.  He sent a large part of Arnor’s armies back to Eriador through the Fords of Isen to Fornost.  After getting the affairs of the southern realm in order, he handed the South Kingdom over to Meneldil and marched to Rivendell. He chose to leave his wife and son at Rivendell, but also came for counsel from lord Elrond.

ae12The Battle Ground

The Dunedain traveled northwards from Lorien, marching along a path that led to Greenwood the Great where Thranduil ruled. They had to change routes due to the flooding of the Anduin, which led Isildur to take the road on the eastern banks of the river. Isildur’s party was flanked as the enemy used the steep cliffs overlooking the river.

The Dunedain sang cheerful songs but as the evening drew close they began to hear the orcs in the nearby forest. The first onslaught struck quickly so Isildur called for his esquire Ohtar to take the shards of Narsil back to Rivendell for safe keeping.  The second attack from the orcs brought down the Numenorians great defenses, and Elendur convinced Isildur to flee and cross the Anduin if he could and find safety back at Rivendell.

Isildur cloaked himself with the ring, and made a run for the valley parting ways with his armies and tried to cross the river. Unfortunately the rivers waters were flowing to hard and Isildur being exhausted got tangled in the reeds and in doing so the ring slipped from his finger. Nearby Orc’s caught sight of Isildur in the waters and out of fear quickly shot him and fled.

eiszmann42Wake of Destruction 

Only Ohtar, Elendur, Estelmo, and a handful of men survived the battle. Isildur’s body was never recovered, and was presumed captured and mutilated by Sauron’s forces  The orc army that ambushed the Dunedain were scattered among the lands by a relief force but they were to late.  Estelmo after being recovered spoke of how Isildur and Elendur related to each other about the One Ring. Isildur remarked: “I cannot use it. I dread the pain of touching it. And I have not yet found the strength to bend it to my will. It needs one greater than I know myself to be. My pride has fallen. It should go to the Keepers of the Three.”

Probably the biggest fall of the Gladden Fields was the union of Arnor and Gondor were broken by blood, and Isildur never managed to give the ring of power to the three.  Elrond, Galadriel, and Celeborn if given the chance probably would have destroyed the ring of power long before Sauron would have gathered his spirit and refortified Mordor.  But we all know how this story ends as Sauron does finally fall to the hands of many brave souls, and one very important little hobbit named Frodo.

Mind Mapping a Novel

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Writers-Block

Are you struggling to start your book?  I struggled with this idea for a long time before I dove into the deep end of the writing pool, and then when I dove in it was a bit overwhelming and at times felt I was drowning.

Many people don’t write books because they simply don’t know how to start.  They possess an idea for a book, but they don’t know what to do with it. They can’t imagine how they get from initial idea to finished manuscript which isn’t a small feat at all so don’t think I’m playing this down.

It wasn’t until I began using the “Brain Dump” method to get my ideas that were just floating around that space in my head, to the paper so I could have a visual.  Some call this mind mapping, but for me this is just an old fashioned Brain Dump.  Whatever you like to call it doesn’t really matter, just the methodology and way it’s used. Brain dumping will take you from a few grand book ideas, to a detailed book outline you can work from to make a manuscript.  This ultimately becomes the go to place for when you need a guide to take you from start to finish of this novel you’ve dived into.

It’s funny how our brains work as we have an analytical and creative side, so mapping those ideas out for a book when thinking about that can be tough.  Basically mind mapping allows you to bring the two sides of your brain together in one location so that all the thoughts and information are easily visual and accessible. Once you’ve learned how to wrangle those thoughts it’s time to take a look at the actual brain dump.  This is the point where the thought has to become a reality.  So….how do you make the brain dump happen?

Well multiple ways, but my favorites are using a large white board to map out my ideas and plot pieces of story together.  My journal is always a go to, though lately it’s littered with sticky notes from ideas I need to go back and form into the story section I need it in.  Another favorite is the sticky note and poster board which is always fun for me as you get to move the sticky notes around and write on the poster board as well.  Maybe this is a super writing nerd kinda thing, but this is very relaxing and enjoyable for me and that’s why i’m writing this post.  I’m hoping this sparks some ideas for you as well and lights a fire so you can get to moving on that great book idea you have.

Think of the brain like this and hopefully it will help you picture what needs to happen.

Brain Dump Process

  • Creative Right Brain is where the ideas flow from and all the magic happens.  The fun stuff clicks on this side of the brain.
  • Analytical Left Brain is where the organization of all that creative material you just dumped to the paper happens.  This is where the structure of the book comes from and where your – table of contents, and outline of the book will look like.

If you’ve lined everything out and keep a good record of the book and use this process then you can produce some very detailed information and great chapter outlines for your book.

Now let’s look back at the Sticky Notes and how they will help you map this book out. This is the easiest way to make a mind map of your book.

My Favorite Brain Dump Process:

  • Grab yourself a large poster board or poster boards, or even a large white board will work. Get yourself a big stack of sticky notes….multi colored is what I like to use as I color coordinate topics to specific colors.
  • Take a single sticky note in the middle of the poster board and write your topic on it, or a book title, just depending on what you are working on.
  • Write all the related topics you can think of on sticky notes and place them anywhere on the poster board.  Sounds like chaos I know, but don’t worry about where you place them , or  about organizing them, unless you are absolutely sure the topics relate to one another.
  • Fill the board with as many topics as you can possibly think of as this is the “Brain Dump” phase and when you think you’re done, look again as you will more than likely come up with more topics after taking a break, or a step back.
  • At this point I like to take a picture of the board for reference purposes in case I have to take a break or get pulled away for something.  They are called sticky notes, not permanently held in spot notes.
  • Ok now comes the organization of the topics.  The analytical side of the brain is ready to be worked right? Look for related topics. Pick up the notes and move them around. Take a close look at what you have grouped together as they just might become the chapters of your book. More than likely, this will be the groups with the most information lumped together.  Just remember this is your book and your board so move things around how you feel fits best, and don’t be afraid to break apart groups into multiple chapters if one is too large. Just make sure you use a different colored sticky note to mark that chapter and don’t forget to name the chapter.
  • Use each of the sticky notes you have grouped together under a chapter as a sub-topic that you want to write about in that chapter.  This is where the fun begins as writing guides and book maps are a must at this point.  Sub-plots of a story can make things confusing if you don’t.

 

Ok now get ready to write as it’s going to take a lot to get that story from your head to paper so what are you waiting for?  Sit down, start slow, think it out and enjoy the process of making that next best book anyone has ever read!