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Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Children of Hurin Ch. 5
I'll be out of town from Thurs to Sun. So I'll just post a bunch of chapters, and anyone who wishes to can just post away about Children of Hurin.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Children of Hurin, Chapter 1
Okay, folks, I've officially opened chatter on Tolkien's Children of Hurin, Chapter 1!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Changing Christian Attitudes Toward Fantasy
Hey all, short post just to let you know, I have a new Article up at Speculative Faith. If you haven't visited there, click over there. It's worth your while. At least a dozen Fantasy authors write articles for SpecFaith. There are also writer resources, interviews, reviews, and much more. My article today is:
Changing Christian Attitudes Toward Fantasy
Hope you like it, and hope it encourages you to take action.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Proposition to all concerning JRR Tolkien's new book: The Children of Hurin
As most of you know, I am a fantasy author because first, I was a fantasy reader. And JRR Tolkien's books were the books that drew me into the genre. Other than the Bible, I have never been impacted by a book more than The Lord of the Rings (The Hobbit as well). Now, these wonderful stories are my old friends, and I visit them often. So often that I am beginning to grow tufts of fuzzy hair on the tops of my feet.
Well, amazingly enough, Professor Tolkien wrote another novel that was never quite finished and certainly not published until now. It's called The Children of Hurin. Prof. Tolkien's son Christopher (now in his 70's) spent 30 years filling in the gaps of the narrative from his father's notes. Christopher Tolkien claims that the language in the books is all his father's. I sure hope so.
My copy of Children of Hurin just arrived today. And I wanted to throw out a proposition to any who visit this blog. How would you like to read Children of Hurin together? I'm thinking shared experience is always more fun than alone. As we read through the book we could discuss the story, what we like, where we think it's going, Tolkien's craft, etc.
I'd like to create a dedicated page/or post on this blog so that those of you who join me can post in and chat about Tolkien's new book.
Anyone up for it?
I'll wait a week to hear (today being 4/20), and I promise not to read until I know who's in. Well…I might actually read a little, but just a little.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
It's CSFF Blog Tour Day Two/Three: Karen Hancock's Return of The Guardian King
Read this excerpt from
Karen Hancock's
Return of the Guardian King
Karen Hancock's
Return of the Guardian King
(Click on the page for larger size)
I know, I'm a little behind the time, but I'm celebrating Day 2 and Day 3 of the CSFF Blog Tour Today! My focus for day two is the Written Craft. Karen writes beautifully. It's no wonder she's won four Christy Awards ( a fifth on the way?). Her vocabulary is not just huge, but accurate and evocative. Her sentences are fluid. Her verbs active and driving. As an author myself, I read Karen's work, and it inspires me to learn more about the craft.
Several things strike me about this all-important opening page of the novel. First, note the use of italics. This tells the reader there's something different about this text. Either it's someone's thoughts, a supernatural voice, or a memory. Or, as Karen uses it, it shows us Maddie's song.
Then, notice the phrase bell-toned voice, sunlight, open meadow, yellow butterfly, patch of rippling grass, bloom-laden stalks, etc. Gorgeous, lyrical writing to be sure, but it's also very purposeful. Karen's setting you up by building mood through word choice. I mean how serene and comfortable would this scene be? You feel like you want to leap into the book and sprawl onto your back in the tall grass. But then, WHAM!! Karen just hits you with a 2 X 4. Look at the words on the next page.
Several things strike me about this all-important opening page of the novel. First, note the use of italics. This tells the reader there's something different about this text. Either it's someone's thoughts, a supernatural voice, or a memory. Or, as Karen uses it, it shows us Maddie's song.
Then, notice the phrase bell-toned voice, sunlight, open meadow, yellow butterfly, patch of rippling grass, bloom-laden stalks, etc. Gorgeous, lyrical writing to be sure, but it's also very purposeful. Karen's setting you up by building mood through word choice. I mean how serene and comfortable would this scene be? You feel like you want to leap into the book and sprawl onto your back in the tall grass. But then, WHAM!! Karen just hits you with a 2 X 4. Look at the words on the next page.
(Click on the page for larger size)
Look at how the vocabulary changes to words that not only describe but evoke negative, uncomfortable feelings. Cold, misery, screamed, pelting, slivers, snow-caked, dangling, frozen, numb, squinted, shuddering, etc. For the writers who visit Enter the Door Within, take note of Karen's expertise. Every word counts. Eliminate vague or overused descriptors and use precise language that carves not only an image into the reader's mind, but also an emotion. You touch the emotions, the heart, the soul of your readers, and they will read you forever.
If this first segment was enough to hook you, you can buy Karen's book by clicking the link below. I've also listed the first three books in Karen's awesome series.
*All excerpts of text are from Return of the Guardian King by Karen Hancock, Bethany House Publishing, 2007, used by permission.
Look at how the vocabulary changes to words that not only describe but evoke negative, uncomfortable feelings. Cold, misery, screamed, pelting, slivers, snow-caked, dangling, frozen, numb, squinted, shuddering, etc. For the writers who visit Enter the Door Within, take note of Karen's expertise. Every word counts. Eliminate vague or overused descriptors and use precise language that carves not only an image into the reader's mind, but also an emotion. You touch the emotions, the heart, the soul of your readers, and they will read you forever.
If this first segment was enough to hook you, you can buy Karen's book by clicking the link below. I've also listed the first three books in Karen's awesome series.
*All excerpts of text are from Return of the Guardian King by Karen Hancock, Bethany House Publishing, 2007, used by permission.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Break from the Blog Tour: Not just another day...
Yesterday, April 16, 2007 was not just another day.
On the campus of Virginia Tech, an armed gunman shot and killed more than 30 people, wounding dozens more. He then killed himself. This is already being hailed as the worst killing rampage in US History. Occasions like yesterday shake people up. We begin to consider our safety…our mortality. The Beltway Sniper, 9-11, Columbine…events of such a shocking and terrible nature smack us all in the face and offer absolute proof of evil in the world.
*Two students told NBC's "Today" show they were unaware of the dorm shooting when they walked into Norris Hall for a German class where the gunman later opened fire. Derek O'Dell, his arm in a cast after being shot, described a shooter who fired away in "eerily silence" with "no specific target — just taking out anybody he could."
"He was very quiet, always by himself," neighbor Abdul Shash said.
The gunman suspected of carrying out the Virginia Tech massacre that left 33 people dead was identified Tuesday as an English major whose creative writing was so disturbing that he was referred to the school's counseling service.
News reports also said that he may have been taking medication for depression, that he was becoming increasingly violent and erratic, and that he left a note in his dorm in which he railed against "rich kids," "debauchery" and "deceitful charlatans" on campus.
The Chicago Tribune reported on its Web site that he left a note in his dorm room that included a rambling list of grievances. Citing unidentified sources, the Tribune said he had recently shown troubling signs, including setting a fire in a dorm room and stalking some women.
ABC, citing law enforcement sources, reported that the note, several pages long, explains Cho's actions and says, "You caused me to do this."
Events like this point to the reality of evil in the most public of ways, but the truth is, there is far surpassing evil going on behind closed doors every single day in America and the world. Child abuse, neglect, torture, teenage prostitution, pornography, incest, racism, abortion…the list is longer than the composite memory of the Internet could ever possibly contain. Have you ever thought about the world, take its natural disasters and all, and considered how pleasant this place would be if it weren't for the threat of human evil?
The Bible confirms life when God says,
**10As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one;
11there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
12All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one."
13"Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit."
"The poison of vipers is on their lips."
14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
15"Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16ruin and misery mark their ways,
17and the way of peace they do not know."
18"There is no fear of God before their eyes."
"There is no one righteous, not even one;
11there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
12All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one."
13"Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit."
"The poison of vipers is on their lips."
14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
15"Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16ruin and misery mark their ways,
17and the way of peace they do not know."
18"There is no fear of God before their eyes."
Someone might say, Wow, that certainly does sound like the state of things. BUT…I'm not like that. I haven't done any of the horrible things listed there. But if we dig deeper and begin to analyze, we will find a web of selfish motives, self-protection, denial, and fears. In moments where we are pressed hard, we may react in a rage that surprises us. When no one is around, we may do something we know is wrong. We may rationalize away our subtle attempts to put others down to lift ourselves up in the eyes of our peers.
We are all fallen.
We are all broken.
We are all desperate.
When we have a day like yesterday, when the reality of evil cannot be avoided, people tend to turn to God…and rightly so. Church services swell. People pray. People share. But soon, people wander back into complacency. Life for many returns to the numbing routine it always has been. A day like April 16th is left behind as "just another day." And we might just be able to busy ourselves enough that we forget...
We are all fallen.
We are all broken.
We are all desperate.
I pray for all of us that we won't let that happen. Take advantage of the clarity of thought afforded to us by recent events. We are fallen, but God can pick us up. We are broken, but God can mend us. We are desperate, but God can meet our needs…especially the urgent ache of our soul for Heaven.
JESUS
We are all fallen.
We are all broken.
We are all desperate.
When we have a day like yesterday, when the reality of evil cannot be avoided, people tend to turn to God…and rightly so. Church services swell. People pray. People share. But soon, people wander back into complacency. Life for many returns to the numbing routine it always has been. A day like April 16th is left behind as "just another day." And we might just be able to busy ourselves enough that we forget...
We are all fallen.
We are all broken.
We are all desperate.
I pray for all of us that we won't let that happen. Take advantage of the clarity of thought afforded to us by recent events. We are fallen, but God can pick us up. We are broken, but God can mend us. We are desperate, but God can meet our needs…especially the urgent ache of our soul for Heaven.
JESUS
12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no
other name under heaven given to men
by which we must be saved."
The events in Blacksburg yesterday also remind us of the immediacy of life. Those kids got up for class just like everyday. They had no idea that the rest of their lives would be measured in minutes and hours…not years. I wondered how many hurried phone calls parents had with their children in the days and hours before the tragedy. I thought about my own kids, still so very young. I looked in on them sleeping just a few minutes ago. I won't take them for granted. It's a promise for today, and a prayer for every future day.
And I pray for all of you that you will not take life for granted. Love your Lord and love everyone you can.
other name under heaven given to men
by which we must be saved."
The events in Blacksburg yesterday also remind us of the immediacy of life. Those kids got up for class just like everyday. They had no idea that the rest of their lives would be measured in minutes and hours…not years. I wondered how many hurried phone calls parents had with their children in the days and hours before the tragedy. I thought about my own kids, still so very young. I looked in on them sleeping just a few minutes ago. I won't take them for granted. It's a promise for today, and a prayer for every future day.
And I pray for all of you that you will not take life for granted. Love your Lord and love everyone you can.
Yesterday, April 16, 2007 was not just another day. In fact, no day is.
*All Newstory Text in Green By ADAM GELLER, AP National Writer
**ALL Bible text from BibleGateway.com.
All Bible verses:
Sunday, April 15, 2007
It's CSFF Blog Tour Day One: Karen Hancock's Return of The Guardian King
Today is the first day of a 3 Day Blog Tour
for Karen Hancock's wonderful new fantasy tale:
Return of the Guardian King
for Karen Hancock's wonderful new fantasy tale:
Return of the Guardian King
Much more in the coming days, but for now:
If you'd like to see what Amazon has to say about The Return of the Guardian King, click HERE.
If you'd like to learn more about Karen Hancock, visit her site by clicking HERE or her blog by clicking HERE.
If you'd like to learn more about Karen Hancock, visit her site by clicking HERE or her blog by clicking HERE.
Wayne's Incomplete Review:
I begin by confessing, I haven't finished RotGK yet. I further confess that I have not read the first three books of Karen's series. SO please understand, my review is incomplete--my judgments flawed, insights lacking, and overall perspective somewhat limited.
Knowing that I have not had the pleasure of reading the first three books of the series, I expected to find myself completely confused and disinterested in the series finale. After all, I wouldn't want someone to read The Final Storm as their first Door Within Trilogy experience. But I have to tell you, I was dead wrong. So far, I love everything about RotGK. I feel like I understand it, and those things that I cannot understand have enough hints to let me draw my own conclusions, and I like that very much. Half the fun of reading is translating the implied meanings and the trail of breadcrumbs left by the author. So here are my overall comments. Beware, minor spoilers ahead.
Weaknesses:
• Very few, so far.
• The Front Cover is a turn off for me. I know that goes against popular consensus, and I am certain that, for most readers, the cover is eye catching and will draw them right in. It is without a doubt, evocative and beautiful to behold. The colors are striking and cool, and the King looks handsome and Kingly. But that's partially my problem. Abramm looks too pretty. He looks like a poor-man's Fabio photoshopped into an oil painting. Perhaps this is my Wayne Lens bringing too much to the party. After all, I grew up with my mom having 6ft bookcases stuffed with Harlequin Romances and the like. If I'm hunting for fantasy, the gushy-romance vibe makes me look elsewhere. Funny thing is, Stephen Erikson's Gardens of the Moon has a very similar look to it. If you've read the book, you know how misleading that is. Holy cow, is his stuff rough and tumble, severe even. And like Erikson's cover, Karen's cover really doesn't convey the incredible riches to be found once you get past it…not to me anyway.
• Minor issue here: Karen has a tendency to use pronouns when the antecedent is somewhat unclear. That's it. I don't have anything else to call weakness.
Strengths:
• The Language: Stephen King says he gets asked a lot of questions, but no one ever talks about his language. I can't commit that sin here. Karen's language is evocative, flowing, and rich. I get lost in her fluid sentences and structure. See Day Two Blog for more on this!
• Hook Factor: Books IMHO must hook a reader in the first paragraph, page, and chapter. Even though this is book 4 in the series and Karen could have rested on the fact that she's already got her readers OR they wouldn't have come this far, she does not. Karen throws a wonderful GOT-YA moment on the very first page. Spoiler alert. Abramm is about to be reunited with his beloved wife. He hears her singing and playing in the distance. He can picture himself hugging his children in the warm sunlight. He's almost there, just around the bend and…WHAM, he's not there at all! He's just slipped on an icy precipice. He's in the midst of a blizzard on the side of a mountain. Wow, talk about pulling out the rug! Never a dull moment so far.
• Real Characters: Karen's characters, (esp. Abramm) are not cliche. They are as real as you or I. They have hopes, dreams, flaws, and baggage. Stranded with a ragtag bunch of villagers, Abramm tries to convince them to press on through the storm. They resist. One accuses Abramm, "'...He just wants to get t' the monastery as fast as he can so he lose the rest of us and strike out fer Trakas on his own. Ye heard him the other night--he doesn't care a pin what happens t'us.'
The accusation stung precisely because of its element of truth." Abramm is no better-than-thou. He has cracks and fissures. And the enemy will attempt to exploit them.
• Great Creatures and Monsters: For me, a fantasy isn't worth it unless there are wonderfully imaginative and scary beasties about. Balrogs, wights, shades, Razac, etc. Bring it on. Karen does. The Rhu'ema are fantastic--demonically invisible to all but Abramm, and mannnn, like a pack of Screwtapes, they mess with Abramm constantly. And my favorite is Tapheina--a werewolf vixen of sorts whose breath has a potent allure to it. Hmmm...not the stuff I usually read in Christian fiction. There are many more creatures, of course, but that's just another reason to love this book.
• Spiritual Insight: Like The Screwtape Letters, RotGK can open your eyes to spiritual truths. Seeing into the demonic world unmasks some of the things we Christians all too easily (and sometimes lustily) ignore. The "Path of Light" motif is everpresent, but skillfully handled. As Abramm notes, the path of righteousness is visible to us, if we bother to look, and…actually want to find it.
Wonderful book, Karen! May your mind be filled with endless streams of future stories for all of us to enjoy!
*All excerpts of text are from Return of the Guardian King by Karen Hancock, Bethany House Publishing, 2007, used by permission.
I begin by confessing, I haven't finished RotGK yet. I further confess that I have not read the first three books of Karen's series. SO please understand, my review is incomplete--my judgments flawed, insights lacking, and overall perspective somewhat limited.
Knowing that I have not had the pleasure of reading the first three books of the series, I expected to find myself completely confused and disinterested in the series finale. After all, I wouldn't want someone to read The Final Storm as their first Door Within Trilogy experience. But I have to tell you, I was dead wrong. So far, I love everything about RotGK. I feel like I understand it, and those things that I cannot understand have enough hints to let me draw my own conclusions, and I like that very much. Half the fun of reading is translating the implied meanings and the trail of breadcrumbs left by the author. So here are my overall comments. Beware, minor spoilers ahead.
Weaknesses:
• Very few, so far.
• The Front Cover is a turn off for me. I know that goes against popular consensus, and I am certain that, for most readers, the cover is eye catching and will draw them right in. It is without a doubt, evocative and beautiful to behold. The colors are striking and cool, and the King looks handsome and Kingly. But that's partially my problem. Abramm looks too pretty. He looks like a poor-man's Fabio photoshopped into an oil painting. Perhaps this is my Wayne Lens bringing too much to the party. After all, I grew up with my mom having 6ft bookcases stuffed with Harlequin Romances and the like. If I'm hunting for fantasy, the gushy-romance vibe makes me look elsewhere. Funny thing is, Stephen Erikson's Gardens of the Moon has a very similar look to it. If you've read the book, you know how misleading that is. Holy cow, is his stuff rough and tumble, severe even. And like Erikson's cover, Karen's cover really doesn't convey the incredible riches to be found once you get past it…not to me anyway.
• Minor issue here: Karen has a tendency to use pronouns when the antecedent is somewhat unclear. That's it. I don't have anything else to call weakness.
Strengths:
• The Language: Stephen King says he gets asked a lot of questions, but no one ever talks about his language. I can't commit that sin here. Karen's language is evocative, flowing, and rich. I get lost in her fluid sentences and structure. See Day Two Blog for more on this!
• Hook Factor: Books IMHO must hook a reader in the first paragraph, page, and chapter. Even though this is book 4 in the series and Karen could have rested on the fact that she's already got her readers OR they wouldn't have come this far, she does not. Karen throws a wonderful GOT-YA moment on the very first page. Spoiler alert. Abramm is about to be reunited with his beloved wife. He hears her singing and playing in the distance. He can picture himself hugging his children in the warm sunlight. He's almost there, just around the bend and…WHAM, he's not there at all! He's just slipped on an icy precipice. He's in the midst of a blizzard on the side of a mountain. Wow, talk about pulling out the rug! Never a dull moment so far.
• Real Characters: Karen's characters, (esp. Abramm) are not cliche. They are as real as you or I. They have hopes, dreams, flaws, and baggage. Stranded with a ragtag bunch of villagers, Abramm tries to convince them to press on through the storm. They resist. One accuses Abramm, "'...He just wants to get t' the monastery as fast as he can so he lose the rest of us and strike out fer Trakas on his own. Ye heard him the other night--he doesn't care a pin what happens t'us.'
The accusation stung precisely because of its element of truth." Abramm is no better-than-thou. He has cracks and fissures. And the enemy will attempt to exploit them.
• Great Creatures and Monsters: For me, a fantasy isn't worth it unless there are wonderfully imaginative and scary beasties about. Balrogs, wights, shades, Razac, etc. Bring it on. Karen does. The Rhu'ema are fantastic--demonically invisible to all but Abramm, and mannnn, like a pack of Screwtapes, they mess with Abramm constantly. And my favorite is Tapheina--a werewolf vixen of sorts whose breath has a potent allure to it. Hmmm...not the stuff I usually read in Christian fiction. There are many more creatures, of course, but that's just another reason to love this book.
• Spiritual Insight: Like The Screwtape Letters, RotGK can open your eyes to spiritual truths. Seeing into the demonic world unmasks some of the things we Christians all too easily (and sometimes lustily) ignore. The "Path of Light" motif is everpresent, but skillfully handled. As Abramm notes, the path of righteousness is visible to us, if we bother to look, and…actually want to find it.
Wonderful book, Karen! May your mind be filled with endless streams of future stories for all of us to enjoy!
*All excerpts of text are from Return of the Guardian King by Karen Hancock, Bethany House Publishing, 2007, used by permission.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Coupla Quick Things...
#1. The Fantasy 4 Fiction Tour is gathering steam. God has literally opened the floodgates and is blessing us silly: Publishers Weekly and Christian Retailing Magazine have already agreed to cover the tour. Radio stations in several cities will be involved. Barnes and Noble stores are completely welcoming us for events in every city. And Real Armor of God, a Christian Swordsmith, Armorer Extraordinaire will be donating swords and other medieval props for each of the authors to use. Check out the Real Armor site--some cooooool stuff. And finally, The Fantasy 4 Fiction Tour now has a dedicated website with all official press releases, Author Q&As, and more. Check it out if you have the chance:
#2 I have a new article up on SpecFaith website. This is something I'd love some feedback on because it's a controversy that I want to understand better. The article is about Christians reading or writing fantasy that have magic in them. Click here to read the article:
#2 I have a new article up on SpecFaith website. This is something I'd love some feedback on because it's a controversy that I want to understand better. The article is about Christians reading or writing fantasy that have magic in them. Click here to read the article:
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Sunday, April 08, 2007
God told me a story today...
I'm not normally one to speak in over-spiritual lingo. Nor have I ever heard God speak to me in an audible voice. But through the circumstances of last night and this morning, God related to me a story that could not have been any more powerful even if the Lord called me on the phone and spoke it to me. More later. I have to get ready for church. ;-)
Okay, back from church and from fun at my wife's parents--Easter egg hunts etc. ;-)
Warning: large dose of selfdisclosure to follow.
Saturday night (Easter Eve, so to speak) at about 9pm, things went south around Bat Manor. My wife and I argued (far too long) and we left each other feeling numb and spiteful. She needed to study and I needed to fill plastic eggs--lots of them, like 200 of them. In the end, my wife didn't study at all. And I was up til close to 2am filling plastic eggs.
Easter morning: everyone and I do mean everyone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. My oldest daughter (11) began complaining that she doesn't get to watch PG 13 movies and proceeded to make a list of the ones she has seen--as evidence that she should see more. Youngest son teased oldest son about a VeggieTales Gameboy game I'd gotten him. I dreaded the old, "that's too little for me. I'm too grown up for that." stuff. Sure enough, little brother starts to tease. I rained down fire and several kilos of brimstone upon younger son. Then, youngest daughter wouldn't eat her waffle--claimed stomach hurt. Being the wonderful and sympathetic father that I am, I ORDERED her to eat under penalty of flaming death. She then proceeded to shriek in tears, eventually ending up hurling in the bathroom. Great job, Dad. She's just 5.
Then, the backtalk marathon began. Ay carumba! Every little thing was an argument. Tempers flared. The Spirit of the Lord was quenched…or so I thought.
Something happened then. I sat down with youngest son and began to read Bark of the Bog Owl (one of younger son's Easter surprises) with him. Great story, btw. So my son just snuggles up to me, and as I read, I can feel the tension melting away. And I happen to look up, and there's older son, playing the new VeggieGameBoyGame with a level of focus seldom seen in this 9 year old. He loves the game. LOVES IT. I continue reading, and youngest daughter (whom I scorched earlier) came up with one of her Easter surprises: The Parable of the Easter Lily book. "Do you want me to read?" I ask. {vigorous nods} "But right now, I'm reading with Bryce," I say.
Suddenly, Bryce says, "Dad you can read to Rachel now. We can read after." Unconditional love? What is this? At this point, I'm so proud of Bryce I'm about to pop. So I read the Easter Lily, which if you haven't read it, is a beautiful story about a child who is given a lily bulb, thinks little of it, tosses it out, only to see it bloom incredibly. It's such a great picture of us rejecting Jesus and then being forgiven. Just as we complete reading the story, oldest daughter comes down carrying a sheet of paper. My thought is, "Don't you dare start in on the PG-13 movie list debate!" But I stow that thought, and oldest daughter says, "I wrote a song about Jesus, would you like to hear?" Dumbfounded, I nod. She sings the most beautiful melodic praise ode, tuneful, sweet, full of love…
About half way through her song, I realize Jesus just told me a story--a parable, just like the lily story. In the first half of the tale, He showed me what we are without Him: Sinful, selfish, prideful, arrogant, deceived, confused, and helpless. Then, He showed me what we can be, but only by His grace. The whole "it is by faith and that not of yourself" is so, SO true. I don't know why I sat down to read with Bryce. Or why Rachel wanted anything to do with me. Or why Tommy liked the game he'd been teased about. Or why Kayla wrote and sang a song about Jesus. I only know that He is Risen…and because he conquered sin and death, he can take the most wretched, distant, self-serving louts from among us and make something beautiful.
Okay, back from church and from fun at my wife's parents--Easter egg hunts etc. ;-)
Warning: large dose of selfdisclosure to follow.
Saturday night (Easter Eve, so to speak) at about 9pm, things went south around Bat Manor. My wife and I argued (far too long) and we left each other feeling numb and spiteful. She needed to study and I needed to fill plastic eggs--lots of them, like 200 of them. In the end, my wife didn't study at all. And I was up til close to 2am filling plastic eggs.
Easter morning: everyone and I do mean everyone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. My oldest daughter (11) began complaining that she doesn't get to watch PG 13 movies and proceeded to make a list of the ones she has seen--as evidence that she should see more. Youngest son teased oldest son about a VeggieTales Gameboy game I'd gotten him. I dreaded the old, "that's too little for me. I'm too grown up for that." stuff. Sure enough, little brother starts to tease. I rained down fire and several kilos of brimstone upon younger son. Then, youngest daughter wouldn't eat her waffle--claimed stomach hurt. Being the wonderful and sympathetic father that I am, I ORDERED her to eat under penalty of flaming death. She then proceeded to shriek in tears, eventually ending up hurling in the bathroom. Great job, Dad. She's just 5.
Then, the backtalk marathon began. Ay carumba! Every little thing was an argument. Tempers flared. The Spirit of the Lord was quenched…or so I thought.
Something happened then. I sat down with youngest son and began to read Bark of the Bog Owl (one of younger son's Easter surprises) with him. Great story, btw. So my son just snuggles up to me, and as I read, I can feel the tension melting away. And I happen to look up, and there's older son, playing the new VeggieGameBoyGame with a level of focus seldom seen in this 9 year old. He loves the game. LOVES IT. I continue reading, and youngest daughter (whom I scorched earlier) came up with one of her Easter surprises: The Parable of the Easter Lily book. "Do you want me to read?" I ask. {vigorous nods} "But right now, I'm reading with Bryce," I say.
Suddenly, Bryce says, "Dad you can read to Rachel now. We can read after." Unconditional love? What is this? At this point, I'm so proud of Bryce I'm about to pop. So I read the Easter Lily, which if you haven't read it, is a beautiful story about a child who is given a lily bulb, thinks little of it, tosses it out, only to see it bloom incredibly. It's such a great picture of us rejecting Jesus and then being forgiven. Just as we complete reading the story, oldest daughter comes down carrying a sheet of paper. My thought is, "Don't you dare start in on the PG-13 movie list debate!" But I stow that thought, and oldest daughter says, "I wrote a song about Jesus, would you like to hear?" Dumbfounded, I nod. She sings the most beautiful melodic praise ode, tuneful, sweet, full of love…
About half way through her song, I realize Jesus just told me a story--a parable, just like the lily story. In the first half of the tale, He showed me what we are without Him: Sinful, selfish, prideful, arrogant, deceived, confused, and helpless. Then, He showed me what we can be, but only by His grace. The whole "it is by faith and that not of yourself" is so, SO true. I don't know why I sat down to read with Bryce. Or why Rachel wanted anything to do with me. Or why Tommy liked the game he'd been teased about. Or why Kayla wrote and sang a song about Jesus. I only know that He is Risen…and because he conquered sin and death, he can take the most wretched, distant, self-serving louts from among us and make something beautiful.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Have a Peaceful and Reflective Ressurrection Sunday.
Somehow or other, Easter just sneaked up on me this year. Normally, I spend some time thinking about the Lord's sacrifice, the hard road to the cross, the mocking, the empty tomb. Maybe you're there too. You just got too busy, and then, here it is, the anniversary of our Savior's rising from the dead. Here's poem I wrote a few years back. It's a sestina, so you'll notice the repetition of 7 words throughout. I hope the poem draws you into His presence and reminds you of events long ago…
Silver and Red
Jerusalem’s dusty streets watch money changing hands
among the robed merchants, traders who parley silver
for gain. In the sepulchral halls where lush tapestries kiss
the cold stone behind the throne of the chief priests in their red
robes, it is no different. A solitary creature, bent with burden, has come across
their hallowed threshold to hammer
out a deal. Whispering oaths and an offer, his heart hammers
with fear, indecision. All the while he holds out his sweating hands
to the holy men. Phylacteries weigh lightly on each priestly brow and ghastly smiles cross
their lips for a triumphant moment as they smugly deliver thirty silver
pieces for a life. Reclining later with his rabbi at a table of bread pale and wine red,
he feels on his thigh the electric chill of the new coins, like a harlot’s kiss
teasing. Fleeting like a tryst, the wealth leaves him empty--the betraying kiss
delivered later that night costs his life--and more. A hammer
strikes a bell with forlorn finality as the soldiers with their drawn swords and red
torches surround the gentle man, roughly bind his hands
like a common thief. Marching down the mountain with moonlight silver
upon breastplate and helm, they drag their outlaw across
the streets where he mended lame legs and gave sight to many, though cross
and bitter men chose to stay blind. Made to kiss
the ground before the lofty seat and silver
signet ring of the Roman Governor, he rises to one knee, is hammered
with questions. No guilt found but pressed by mobs, the leader washes his hands
of blame only to gouge the name Pilate red
on the stark scrolls of history. The frenzied crowd, seething red
faces, demand a murderer set free while the innocent one goes to the splintered cross.
Centurions mock the condemned man, placing a reed scepter in his hands,
a scarlet robe on his now flayed back, and, upon the head once kissed
by Mary, a crown of biting thorns. Jeering words hammer
him worse than blows: Save yourself! Prophesy, who struck you? The same silver
centurions force him prone on a wooden beam. The captain removes one silver
nail from a leather pouch. Anticipating the explosion of red,
the captain turns his head just slightly, brings the hammer
down three times. Jerusalem’s skyline, stained as his cross
is raised, darkens but the stifling heat remains. Not even a kiss
from a gentle breeze to relieve his agony as life drains from his feet, his hands.
Memory of that brutal hammer haunted Judas and crosses
time. Will we covet silver above red
or kiss, pierced for us all, His sweet scarred hands?
Silver and Red
Jerusalem’s dusty streets watch money changing hands
among the robed merchants, traders who parley silver
for gain. In the sepulchral halls where lush tapestries kiss
the cold stone behind the throne of the chief priests in their red
robes, it is no different. A solitary creature, bent with burden, has come across
their hallowed threshold to hammer
out a deal. Whispering oaths and an offer, his heart hammers
with fear, indecision. All the while he holds out his sweating hands
to the holy men. Phylacteries weigh lightly on each priestly brow and ghastly smiles cross
their lips for a triumphant moment as they smugly deliver thirty silver
pieces for a life. Reclining later with his rabbi at a table of bread pale and wine red,
he feels on his thigh the electric chill of the new coins, like a harlot’s kiss
teasing. Fleeting like a tryst, the wealth leaves him empty--the betraying kiss
delivered later that night costs his life--and more. A hammer
strikes a bell with forlorn finality as the soldiers with their drawn swords and red
torches surround the gentle man, roughly bind his hands
like a common thief. Marching down the mountain with moonlight silver
upon breastplate and helm, they drag their outlaw across
the streets where he mended lame legs and gave sight to many, though cross
and bitter men chose to stay blind. Made to kiss
the ground before the lofty seat and silver
signet ring of the Roman Governor, he rises to one knee, is hammered
with questions. No guilt found but pressed by mobs, the leader washes his hands
of blame only to gouge the name Pilate red
on the stark scrolls of history. The frenzied crowd, seething red
faces, demand a murderer set free while the innocent one goes to the splintered cross.
Centurions mock the condemned man, placing a reed scepter in his hands,
a scarlet robe on his now flayed back, and, upon the head once kissed
by Mary, a crown of biting thorns. Jeering words hammer
him worse than blows: Save yourself! Prophesy, who struck you? The same silver
centurions force him prone on a wooden beam. The captain removes one silver
nail from a leather pouch. Anticipating the explosion of red,
the captain turns his head just slightly, brings the hammer
down three times. Jerusalem’s skyline, stained as his cross
is raised, darkens but the stifling heat remains. Not even a kiss
from a gentle breeze to relieve his agony as life drains from his feet, his hands.
Memory of that brutal hammer haunted Judas and crosses
time. Will we covet silver above red
or kiss, pierced for us all, His sweet scarred hands?
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Suspense Technique #7: The Best for Last
You ever hear an author or a teacher respond to the question: How do I come up with an idea for a story? So often, the answer--even from well-known authors and experienced teachers--is "Write what you know." Now that's all good, in theory, because it reduces the amount of research needed to pull off the story. If you play competitive beach volleyball, write about that. If you run a home business, write about that. Great. This suggestion may work well if you're writing nonfiction, but what about for fiction? Uh…well, not so much. Think about it. Most of what we know--the routines of life--are not the makings for a bestseller.
If you happen to work for a top secret branch of the government, sure, go for it. But most of us don't have that kind of background. Not to worry. Read on.
The final suspense technique in my arsenal I call "The What If Twist." No, it's not a dance that I perform around the computer before I write. Nor is it a specific bodily contortion that, once activated, allows more power to flow to the creative centers of my brain. It is actually a technique that I borrowed from Stephen King. Now, don't misunderstand me. I don't shoot pool with Steve on Wednesday nights. Never met him actually. But I've read lots of his work, and read still more of his writing instruction. If Stephen King has something to say about writing, it might not be a bad thing to listen.
King explained that he always gets asked where he comes up with his off the wall, macabre story ideas. He went on to explain about "What if." What if works like this: Take any normal everyday activity: Taking out the trash, washing the dishes, raking leaves, bedtime stories with the kids, etc. As I said above, these activities would rarely produce a bestseller. But apply the magic two words: What if? And something cool will happen. Just begin the normal, routine activity with "What if" and then come up with the wackiest, weirdest twist you can think of. Be a mad scientist and experiment. Write everything down--even if it sounds unbearably stupid.
Example: Take the routine chore of raking the leaves
Apply What if: What if while raking the leaves...
Twist it: What if while you were raking the leaves…you uncover a trapdoor that hadn't been there the day before?
What if while you were raking the leaves…you discover a map?
What if while you were raking the leaves…a tiny dragon escapes from a hole in the ground you just uncovered?
What if while you were raking the leaves…you find a skeletal arm?
What if while you were taking out the trash…a dark figure ran into your house?
What if while you were washing the dishes…a tentacle reached out of the drain and grabbed your arm?
What if while you were sharpening your sword…it began to sing?
Get the idea? This what if twist draws the reader into the story in much the same way that an accident scene on a highway draws you to look even though you don't really want to see. Readers will flip through the pages like crazy, hoping to find out, just what's going on.
If you happen to work for a top secret branch of the government, sure, go for it. But most of us don't have that kind of background. Not to worry. Read on.
The final suspense technique in my arsenal I call "The What If Twist." No, it's not a dance that I perform around the computer before I write. Nor is it a specific bodily contortion that, once activated, allows more power to flow to the creative centers of my brain. It is actually a technique that I borrowed from Stephen King. Now, don't misunderstand me. I don't shoot pool with Steve on Wednesday nights. Never met him actually. But I've read lots of his work, and read still more of his writing instruction. If Stephen King has something to say about writing, it might not be a bad thing to listen.
Suspense Technique #7:
The What If Twist
The What If Twist
King explained that he always gets asked where he comes up with his off the wall, macabre story ideas. He went on to explain about "What if." What if works like this: Take any normal everyday activity: Taking out the trash, washing the dishes, raking leaves, bedtime stories with the kids, etc. As I said above, these activities would rarely produce a bestseller. But apply the magic two words: What if? And something cool will happen. Just begin the normal, routine activity with "What if" and then come up with the wackiest, weirdest twist you can think of. Be a mad scientist and experiment. Write everything down--even if it sounds unbearably stupid.Example: Take the routine chore of raking the leaves
Apply What if: What if while raking the leaves...
Twist it: What if while you were raking the leaves…you uncover a trapdoor that hadn't been there the day before?
What if while you were raking the leaves…you discover a map?
What if while you were raking the leaves…a tiny dragon escapes from a hole in the ground you just uncovered?
What if while you were raking the leaves…you find a skeletal arm?
What if while you were taking out the trash…a dark figure ran into your house?
What if while you were washing the dishes…a tentacle reached out of the drain and grabbed your arm?
What if while you were sharpening your sword…it began to sing?
Get the idea? This what if twist draws the reader into the story in much the same way that an accident scene on a highway draws you to look even though you don't really want to see. Readers will flip through the pages like crazy, hoping to find out, just what's going on.
Now, it's your turn. Write an opening line, paragraph or two that
will really hook us using The What If Twist and Post it here.
Once I have twenty or thirty of them, I'll have my veteran Quality Fiction Team {IE: my lovely wife and me} select a winner who will receive a signed copy of Isle of Swords OR
The Door Within Paperback with "Lost Chapters!"
Only two entries per person, so get crafting and submit them when they are ready!
will really hook us using The What If Twist and Post it here.
Once I have twenty or thirty of them, I'll have my veteran Quality Fiction Team {IE: my lovely wife and me} select a winner who will receive a signed copy of Isle of Swords OR
The Door Within Paperback with "Lost Chapters!"
Only two entries per person, so get crafting and submit them when they are ready!
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Finally, The News I've Been Promising!!
I know you all think I'm a sadist about SUSPENSE because I've been hinting at some really big news on the horizon. Well, I've been waiting for the official Press Release to go out (publishers are kind of touchy about protocol), but now that the releases have been, er…released, I am BUZZED, PSYCHED, JAZZED, and otherwise generally enthusiastic to announce:
The 1st Fantasy 4
Book Tour
Book Tour
CLICK on the picture to see a LARGER image.
Friday, March 30, 2007
You NEED to go see this!
Hey all! I just checked out my author friend Christopher Hopper's new book trailer. It's for his 2nd book in the White Lion Chronicles: The Lion Vrie. All I can say is:
WAY, WAY, WAY, WAY COOL!!!
Christopher went all out. He got together a film crew, equipped with lots of sharp and pointy metal objects. He even got a helicopter to do aerial shots! If you get a chance, click on over to Christopher's Blogsite and check out the video trailer for The Lion Vrie!
Oh, and stay tuned, I have incredible news to share soon!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Reviews: The Good, The Bad, and...
The Ugly.
Time for a rant.
I have to admit, I'm a little overwhelmed by the number of positive reviews of The Door Within Trilogy books. 99% of the review have been great.
There have been a couple that hurt a bit. I've had 2-3 from Christian reviewers who, incredulously, claimed that the books were "too preachy" or that the message of Christ comes through too clearly. Uhm...okay. I can sort of understand. Christian writers don't want to beat secular readers over the head with the Bible. But to this date, out of hundreds and hundreds of reviews and personal comments, I've only had one nonChristian ever say, they felt the book was preachin' Jesus too hard. Odd, don't you think that Christians would be the ones to complain the most about Jesus' message being too clear. Hmmm...
And then there was one FLAME review that just blasted The Door Within up one side and down the other. This review gave like 3 pages worth of absolute scalding (and mostly unfounded) criticisms--using language that I suspect got the review purged from Amazon. Either that or God stepped in.
And hey, look, I realize my first book isn't perfect. Neither is my 4th book. None of them ever will be. I will write them the best I can, and my editors will help. But I'll never be Hemmingway or Tolkien. I'll just be Wayne and grateful to be able to tell my stories.
But the other day, I found a review on a prominent fantasy site that just blew my mind. It was, to my mind, the most ill-conceived and careless notion I've ever seen printed in a review of a YA book.
Here are some snippets of the comment that irked me:
"Emphasis on their physical traits, “her skin was ghostly white”, “’You! Dark Skin!’ he ridiculed”, “And through the gaping hole, like a sea of black and red, poured the armies of Paragory” unfortunately brought to mind unsettling comparisons to another self-declared supreme ruler."
Self-declared supreme ruler??? I immediately posted a reply to make sure I was reading it correctly, and this is the reviewer's clarification:
"Actually, I had some trouble articulating my feelings here and deliberately left my comment a bit ambiguous. In fact, I was hesitant to bring it up in the review because I wasn't sure that I was interpreting things the way you intended. However, it bothered me enough to finally include some comment on it.
I found the references to skin and eye color throughout the book to be uncomfortable reminders of Hitler's racial superiority/cleansing theories. I hope I'm way off base here, but, nonetheless, those are the feelings it invoked in me."
I have since posted a point by point discrediting of this suggestion and asked that all of this reviewer's offending comments be removed from the site. Who knows what will come of my request. I don't really think the reviewer has it "in" for me, but the comment--even if heartfelt--had no place in a review of a YA title. It was unintentional slander, but slander nonetheless. Imagine a parent thinking of getting The Door Within for his kid, sees this review and those comments and doesn't know any better...
I won't say I've seen it all. I'm sure there's worse to come.
Time for a rant.
I have to admit, I'm a little overwhelmed by the number of positive reviews of The Door Within Trilogy books. 99% of the review have been great.
There have been a couple that hurt a bit. I've had 2-3 from Christian reviewers who, incredulously, claimed that the books were "too preachy" or that the message of Christ comes through too clearly. Uhm...okay. I can sort of understand. Christian writers don't want to beat secular readers over the head with the Bible. But to this date, out of hundreds and hundreds of reviews and personal comments, I've only had one nonChristian ever say, they felt the book was preachin' Jesus too hard. Odd, don't you think that Christians would be the ones to complain the most about Jesus' message being too clear. Hmmm...
And then there was one FLAME review that just blasted The Door Within up one side and down the other. This review gave like 3 pages worth of absolute scalding (and mostly unfounded) criticisms--using language that I suspect got the review purged from Amazon. Either that or God stepped in.
And hey, look, I realize my first book isn't perfect. Neither is my 4th book. None of them ever will be. I will write them the best I can, and my editors will help. But I'll never be Hemmingway or Tolkien. I'll just be Wayne and grateful to be able to tell my stories.
But the other day, I found a review on a prominent fantasy site that just blew my mind. It was, to my mind, the most ill-conceived and careless notion I've ever seen printed in a review of a YA book.
Here are some snippets of the comment that irked me:
"Emphasis on their physical traits, “her skin was ghostly white”, “’You! Dark Skin!’ he ridiculed”, “And through the gaping hole, like a sea of black and red, poured the armies of Paragory” unfortunately brought to mind unsettling comparisons to another self-declared supreme ruler."
Self-declared supreme ruler??? I immediately posted a reply to make sure I was reading it correctly, and this is the reviewer's clarification:
"Actually, I had some trouble articulating my feelings here and deliberately left my comment a bit ambiguous. In fact, I was hesitant to bring it up in the review because I wasn't sure that I was interpreting things the way you intended. However, it bothered me enough to finally include some comment on it.
I found the references to skin and eye color throughout the book to be uncomfortable reminders of Hitler's racial superiority/cleansing theories. I hope I'm way off base here, but, nonetheless, those are the feelings it invoked in me."
I have since posted a point by point discrediting of this suggestion and asked that all of this reviewer's offending comments be removed from the site. Who knows what will come of my request. I don't really think the reviewer has it "in" for me, but the comment--even if heartfelt--had no place in a review of a YA title. It was unintentional slander, but slander nonetheless. Imagine a parent thinking of getting The Door Within for his kid, sees this review and those comments and doesn't know any better...
I won't say I've seen it all. I'm sure there's worse to come.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Are We in the Golden Age of Fantasy?
Are you stoked about all the great fantasy now available to read? Are you deliriously happy that we live in the time that Peter Jackson produced unbelievably super cool movies of The Lord of the Rings?
If so, check out my article by clicking on:
If so, check out my article by clicking on:
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Suspense Technique #6: Snoopy May Be On To Something!
So far, our efforts to conjure up suspense have leaned mainly on things happening: characters in danger, something unknown or unexpected occurring, depriving our protagonist of his/her goal, etc. But suspense can be built in your descriptive elements as well. While Snoopy rarely got past his famous opening lines, I think even he understood that developing mood and atmosphere creates suspense.
Suspense Technique #6:
Your goal is to describe things with a certain reader-response-emotion in mind. Foreboding, fear, anxiety, disquiet, anticipation, etc.--all ideally will keep your readers flipping the pages. This is why movies have soundtracks, right? Would Jaws have had you on the edge of your seat without "Duhhh, nuuuh, duh-nuh, duh-nuh?" And John Carpenter just about scared me out of my skin with his spine-tingling piano-key chiller in the movie Halloween.
But writers don't have the luxury of a soundtrack to put along with their words. Words are all you've got. Fortunately, words are more than enough to send the imagination spinning. An aside: this ability to use words to bring about an emotional response was one of the things that drew me to writing in the first place. I remember as a teenager reading Stephen King's Christine up in my bedroom and being scared to death. Now, Christine is about a deadly, demonic car…A CAR!! And there I was on the bed in my 2nd floor room--afraid of a car! What was Christine supposed to do…drive up the stairs and knock on my bedroom door?
Still, Mr. King created such a freaky atmosphere that I kept reading late into the night, and…I kept buying his books. To make a reader feel a certain emotion takes talent and skill--but more than anything it takes a willingness to experiment with language. Begin with the emotional atmosphere you are trying to develop. If it's fear, you could throw some dark, shadowy places into the scene. Maybe the hoot of an owl, the scrape of a blade on stone. Make it cold. Invoke as many of the senses as you can. If the mood is discomfort, make it hot, humid, and sticky. Let there be little gnats or mosquitoes buzzing around the protagonist's head.
Another mood-building trick is to make the most of end words (words that end lines, paragraphs, and pages. Here's why. The reader's eye lingers on the word at the end word of a line or paragraph for a few seconds while it does a return sweep (like an old typewriter drops down to the beginning of the new line). The reader's eyes linger even longer on the last word of a page because it takes the reader a moment or two to physically turn the page. The end word floats there in the reader's subconscious…where it paints a lovely mood!
Here's an example of Mood and Atmosphere from my next book, Isle of Swords:
Clouds gathered over Dominica, casting a pall on the stained glass window of the church in Misson. Brother Jerome, one of the monks who helped Father Espinosa care for Misson’s faithful, wiped the sweat from his brow and continued sweeping the stone walk that divided the graveyard behind the church. Father Espinosa, of course, had gone to help fight the fires that sprang up all around what remained of St. Pierre’s mill. And that left Brother Jerome alone in the graveyard. Not that he was afraid to be there alone. After all, Jerome was in the prime of manhood, strong and confident. And it was, in spite of the new cloud cover . . . daytime.
Brother Jerome stopped sweeping a moment and adjusted the collar of his brown robe. The stone walk before him stretched over a hill and followed the graveyard down into a semi-wooded hollow. Brother Jerome swallowed. Wisps of smoke had drifted down into the low-lying areas and now curled slowly around the skeletal trees, the ever-staring statues, and the looming monuments. “Ah! Ridiculous pagan superstition!” he scoffed aloud, finding the sound of his own voice a little bit comforting. “It is nothing. Smoke from a dozen little fires being put out.”
He continued sweeping, whistling a favorite hymn, as he worked his way over the hill and down into the hollow. It seemed to grow quieter as he descended. The gloom deepened as well as he worked his way down the stone walk that wound under the canopies of trees and ended near the shadow of the higher hills. Brother Jerome looked back up the hill to the church, which suddenly seemed a hundred miles away. Feeling as if someone were watching him, he spun around. But the only thing there was a stone angel. She guarded a grave site with outstretched wings. Her large blank eyes made Jerome shiver. Calm yourself! You’ve been down here a thousand times, he told himself.
Then, he heard a short scraping sound—like stone grating against stone. Brother Jerome wheeled around holding up his broom like a weapon. He looked at a large stone sarcophagus just ten feet away. The name engraved there identified the deceased as Jourdan Sebastian Prewitt. Born 1659. Died 1712. Dead only a few years, thought Jerome. The inscription along the side of the stone coffin was in Latin. Thanks to the expert teaching of Father Espinosa, Jerome could read Latin very well. Just this once, he wished he hadn’t been such a good student. The inscription read: Venio cum gladio de mortuis.
I come with sword from death. Jerome started to shake. He heard the scraping sound again. This time longer. And he noticed the slab lid of the sarcophagus had shifted. Then, he heard an otherworldly voice, spoken from far away and yet, still near.
“ . . . waited long enough,” said the voice, heavily accented in French. Jourdan Sebastian Prewitt, thought Brother Jerome. That is a Frenchman’s name!
The stone lid began to move. He could now see a dark gap where the slab had moved away. Tendrils of dust drifted out and curled like fingers around the sarcophagus. “Time to escape this foul tomb,” said the voice. “Time to rise . . .”
Suspense Technique #6:
Mood and Atmosphere
Your goal is to describe things with a certain reader-response-emotion in mind. Foreboding, fear, anxiety, disquiet, anticipation, etc.--all ideally will keep your readers flipping the pages. This is why movies have soundtracks, right? Would Jaws have had you on the edge of your seat without "Duhhh, nuuuh, duh-nuh, duh-nuh?" And John Carpenter just about scared me out of my skin with his spine-tingling piano-key chiller in the movie Halloween.
But writers don't have the luxury of a soundtrack to put along with their words. Words are all you've got. Fortunately, words are more than enough to send the imagination spinning. An aside: this ability to use words to bring about an emotional response was one of the things that drew me to writing in the first place. I remember as a teenager reading Stephen King's Christine up in my bedroom and being scared to death. Now, Christine is about a deadly, demonic car…A CAR!! And there I was on the bed in my 2nd floor room--afraid of a car! What was Christine supposed to do…drive up the stairs and knock on my bedroom door?
Still, Mr. King created such a freaky atmosphere that I kept reading late into the night, and…I kept buying his books. To make a reader feel a certain emotion takes talent and skill--but more than anything it takes a willingness to experiment with language. Begin with the emotional atmosphere you are trying to develop. If it's fear, you could throw some dark, shadowy places into the scene. Maybe the hoot of an owl, the scrape of a blade on stone. Make it cold. Invoke as many of the senses as you can. If the mood is discomfort, make it hot, humid, and sticky. Let there be little gnats or mosquitoes buzzing around the protagonist's head.
Another mood-building trick is to make the most of end words (words that end lines, paragraphs, and pages. Here's why. The reader's eye lingers on the word at the end word of a line or paragraph for a few seconds while it does a return sweep (like an old typewriter drops down to the beginning of the new line). The reader's eyes linger even longer on the last word of a page because it takes the reader a moment or two to physically turn the page. The end word floats there in the reader's subconscious…where it paints a lovely mood!
Here's an example of Mood and Atmosphere from my next book, Isle of Swords:
Clouds gathered over Dominica, casting a pall on the stained glass window of the church in Misson. Brother Jerome, one of the monks who helped Father Espinosa care for Misson’s faithful, wiped the sweat from his brow and continued sweeping the stone walk that divided the graveyard behind the church. Father Espinosa, of course, had gone to help fight the fires that sprang up all around what remained of St. Pierre’s mill. And that left Brother Jerome alone in the graveyard. Not that he was afraid to be there alone. After all, Jerome was in the prime of manhood, strong and confident. And it was, in spite of the new cloud cover . . . daytime.
Brother Jerome stopped sweeping a moment and adjusted the collar of his brown robe. The stone walk before him stretched over a hill and followed the graveyard down into a semi-wooded hollow. Brother Jerome swallowed. Wisps of smoke had drifted down into the low-lying areas and now curled slowly around the skeletal trees, the ever-staring statues, and the looming monuments. “Ah! Ridiculous pagan superstition!” he scoffed aloud, finding the sound of his own voice a little bit comforting. “It is nothing. Smoke from a dozen little fires being put out.”
He continued sweeping, whistling a favorite hymn, as he worked his way over the hill and down into the hollow. It seemed to grow quieter as he descended. The gloom deepened as well as he worked his way down the stone walk that wound under the canopies of trees and ended near the shadow of the higher hills. Brother Jerome looked back up the hill to the church, which suddenly seemed a hundred miles away. Feeling as if someone were watching him, he spun around. But the only thing there was a stone angel. She guarded a grave site with outstretched wings. Her large blank eyes made Jerome shiver. Calm yourself! You’ve been down here a thousand times, he told himself.
Then, he heard a short scraping sound—like stone grating against stone. Brother Jerome wheeled around holding up his broom like a weapon. He looked at a large stone sarcophagus just ten feet away. The name engraved there identified the deceased as Jourdan Sebastian Prewitt. Born 1659. Died 1712. Dead only a few years, thought Jerome. The inscription along the side of the stone coffin was in Latin. Thanks to the expert teaching of Father Espinosa, Jerome could read Latin very well. Just this once, he wished he hadn’t been such a good student. The inscription read: Venio cum gladio de mortuis.
I come with sword from death. Jerome started to shake. He heard the scraping sound again. This time longer. And he noticed the slab lid of the sarcophagus had shifted. Then, he heard an otherworldly voice, spoken from far away and yet, still near.
“ . . . waited long enough,” said the voice, heavily accented in French. Jourdan Sebastian Prewitt, thought Brother Jerome. That is a Frenchman’s name!
The stone lid began to move. He could now see a dark gap where the slab had moved away. Tendrils of dust drifted out and curled like fingers around the sarcophagus. “Time to escape this foul tomb,” said the voice. “Time to rise . . .”
Now, it's your turn. Write an opening line, paragraph or two that
will really hook us using Mood and Atmosphere Post it here.
Once I have twenty or thirty of them, I'll have my veteran Quality Fiction Team {ie: my lovely wife and me} select a winner who will receive a signed copy of Isle of Swords OR
The Door Within Paperback with "Lost Chapters!"
Only two entries per person, so get crafting and submit them when they are ready!
will really hook us using Mood and Atmosphere Post it here.
Once I have twenty or thirty of them, I'll have my veteran Quality Fiction Team {ie: my lovely wife and me} select a winner who will receive a signed copy of Isle of Swords OR
The Door Within Paperback with "Lost Chapters!"
Only two entries per person, so get crafting and submit them when they are ready!
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