Clarifying Characters

This morning, while shuffling through files, I came across this charming yet out-of-focus test image taken at a photo-shoot earlier this summer. Here, Brianna Anderson poses as one of my protagonists, Araine of ToronSea, as she appeared in an earlier manuscript.

What made me pause and give this previously neglected image a second look?

Potential. Glimmers of promise for the Araine-images yet to follow—a mood that reflects my current writing stage. I’m in the rough draft arena again and loving it.

As Araine’s story progresses and all my ideas tumble into the computer in a semi-organized fashion, I’m still seeing many of my newer characters in this fascinating slightly out-of-focus fashion. 

What will these characters become as the plot intensifies, sharpening and clarifying their personalities?

Will my current gathering of fictional personalities, particularly the minor ones, help or hinder Araine and her friends as they embark on new adventures?

I’m eager to find out! Which means…I must clarify my new characters by writing until they come into focus, starting NOW. 

Blessings, everyone, and have a phenomenal day!

R. J.

Writing in Joy--and A Giveaway!!!

When I opened my email and found Natalie Bangheri's delightful artwork depicting Ela and Scythe from PROPHET, I was struck by the joy she'd added--Scythe's just-fed tranquility and that secretive quirk of humor in Ela's quiet little smile and bright eyes. 

Humor--to say nothing of outright joy--was the furthest emotion from my mind when I wrote the initial scenes of PROPHET. After all, my brave young heroine, Ela, had just accepted a death sentence. How could she possibly enjoy life while facing assassins, battles, tyrant kings, and hideous venomous monsters at every turn?

However, mortals in every realm intuitively stave off stress by seeking joy in some form. A hug from a cherished sibling before facing an army, spiritual encouragement from prayers, coltish devotion from an overgrown monster-horse, and even jesting with fellow prisoners when you've been unfairly sentenced and tossed behind bars. With every chapter, the more I wrote of Ela's perils and fears, the more joy surfaced in the manuscript and in my characters' thoughts and emotions. 

Mid-manuscript, I paused, stared at my computer screen, and thought, "Even Shakespeare's tragedies featured clowns. Why shouldn't I add some joy and let readers have fun along the way?" 

What do you think? Do dark scenes demand a touch of joy now and then--the merest hint of hope to encourage our heroes, heroines, and readers on their journey?

Adding to the Joy! Enter to win a copy of Prophet, or Judge, or King in paperback or MP3! Outside U.S.A., win an e-book copy!  To enter, click on the Rafflecopter form below, and follow my blog. You may also select other options for additional chances to win!

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Worst Part about Picking Titles

As an author, I was fortunate—I believe—to keep the manuscript titles I presented to Bethany House Publishers for my current Books of the Infinite series. All three titles, Prophet, Judge, and King, passed muster and have appeared on the final printed copies. Hurrah! Alas, my current work hasn't been as easy to name. In fact, it’s been tough. I’m still trying to decide if my current title-pick is right. I’m suffering from Title Trauma, and that's as chilling as my fave Exit Glacier pictured above. Why? Like most authors, I’m fretful about naming my books. Much like naming a baby, naming a manuscript is (potentially) a lifetime commitment that summarizes your labor in a few short words. And choosing the perfect title, like choosing the perfect baby name, can be stressful. Titles are the book’s intro—a hook to lure publishers toward your work and, ultimately, a tool to pique reader interest. Authors who create a short, catchy title that’s unique and appropriate to the book’s content can usually rest assured that their work will carry and keep its unique name throughout the publication process. Some titles, however, are changed during the publishing process because they’re considered unmarketable. Too long, too similar to another title, or just plain wrong, as proclaimed at BookRiot. Which leads us to an author’s worst-case title scenario, once potentially faced by F. Scott Fitzgerald. What if the publisher had accepted The Great Gatsby under its original title—Trimalchio in West Egg!? Yep. One wrong word-choice, and I could join the Awful Original Titles list. Revised from a previously post at: A Book Lover's Library

Just for FUN

Enter to win a copy of either Prophet, or Judge, or King!
This contest will end on Friday, July 26th at 12:00am, and it starts...

Now!

Ready...Set... GO!!!

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Through Others' Eyes

As a writer, I often step back mentally to study my characters and to see them afresh, particularly when I'm writing scenes that bring out different and unexpected facets of their personalities. In my humble authorly opinion, these reevaluations deepens each character and brings the whole story to life.

Readers build upon this process by bringing their own imaginations to the stories (thank you!) and their unique views of the series' characters often reveal aspects I haven't recognized. Therefore, I'm always delighted and curious when readers send their own depictions of various characters from my stories. Here are a few fun and amazing works contributed by Rebeka Borshevsky, and Aaron Thorup.

Rebeka Borshevsky: Characters from PROPHET.

From PROPHET: Ela and Kien

Aaron Thorup: Scythe guarding Tzana

Thanks, Rebeka and Aaron!
Readers, do you enjoy "picturing" favorite fictional characters?

Imagining the Books of the Infinite world (Revised from Scavenger Hunt)

When I realized I’d been dragged into writing inspirational fantasy fiction, my first, most complicated task was to imagine an entire fantasy world to frame the Books of the Infinite series. I didn't want to slow down the action with tons of detail, but I did need to create a complete and complex world for my beloved characters. Where did I begin? With a continent. After studying maps of ancient countries, including Israel, Egypt, Rome, and Greece, I sketched out my imaginary continent—shown here in parchment and ink by Katharin Fiscaletti, who created all the drawings in this post.

 With the boundaries in place, I pondered the next step. What sorts of creatures inhabited this new, imaginary world? Legendary beasts, of course. Leviathans. Lindorms. Griffins. And a few creatures unique to this new continent, such as the ferocious, carnivorous Scaln, portrayed here in all its crimson glory. *Shivers.* Let me just say that Katharin frightened me with this particular sketch!

With my landscapes and beasts all sketched, I imagined my characters. People who might have lived during my imaginary world’s Biblical era. What did they eat? What did they drink? What sort of clothes did they wear? Were there variations in language and clothes between each country? I drew upon my knowledge of ancient lands, and my personal library of history books and decided upon the “look” for my characters, as well as their manners and customs. This world, I decided must be primarily Biblical in flavor, with hints of Earth’s own ancient cultures—leading to more research for details I loved and added to my story. To clothe my characters, I sought colorful examples from our own world. Who knew that the exotic saris of modern India were inspired by garments from ancient Greece?













For interest, and because my collection of medieval research books rival any public library’s shelves, the Bethany House team and I agreed to add a bit of medieval flare, which is evident on the cover of King in Akabe’s long tunic sleeves, and his formidable two handed sword, known here on Earth as a claymore. The final result…a unique Biblical-fantasy world that Bethany House Publishers and I hope you enjoy as you read King!

KING Vocabulary List

Now that King is on its way to the printing presses--well ahead of deadline--it's time to add to the Books of the Infinite vocabulary list. Here it is, the list for King, Books of the Infinite series, volume 3!

Have fun, everyone. :)

In order of name’s appearance:

Akabe Garric \Ah-cabe Gair-rick\ Former Siphran rebel. The Infinite’s chosen king of Siphra.

Barth of Siymont \Barth See-mont\ Royal page and son of Lord Ruis of Siymont.

Ela Roeh \El-ah Roe-eh\ Prophet of the vanquished city-state of Parne.

Ruis of Siymont \Roo-es See-mont\ A lord of Siphra. Father of Barth.

Belaal \Bell-A-el\ Kingdom south of Siphra.

Tamri Het \Tam-ree Het\ Former Siphran revolutionary, and one of Ela’s chaperones.

Cyan Thaenfall \Sigh-an Thane-fall\ Siphran lord and suspected Atean. Caitria’s father.

Kien Lantec \Kee-en Lan-tek\ Military judge-advocate for the Tracelands.

Aeyrievale \air-ee-veil, or, eer-ee-veil\ Former rebel Siphran province in the Snake Mountains.

Ishvah Nesac \Ish-vaw Ness-ak\ The Infinite’s chief priest of the vanquished city-state of Parne.

Dan Roeh \Dan Roe-eh\ Ela’s father.

Rade Lantec \Raid Lan-tek\ Kien’s father. The Tracelands preeminent statesman.

General Rol \Rawl\ The Traceland’s General of the Army.

Kalme Roeh \Call-may Roe-eh\ Ela’s mother.

Ara Lantec \Are-ah Lan-tek\ Rade Lantec’s wife. Kien’s mother.

Beka Thel \Bek-ah Thell\ Jon Thel’s wife. Kien’s sister.

Jon Thel \Jon Thell\ A Tracelands military commander. Beka’s husband.

ToronSea \Tor-on-Sea, or, Tor-on-Sea\ Southern coastal town in the Tracelands.

Riddig Tyne\Rid-ig Tine\ Akabe’s field surgeon.

Ruestock \Roo-stock\ Exiled former Siphran ambassador to the Tracelands.

Caitria Thaenfall \Kay-tree-ah Thane-fall\ Daughter of Cyan Thaenfall.

Bel-Tygeon \Bell-Ty-jee-on\ King of Belaal.

Rtial Vioc \Reh-tee-al Vee-oak\ A commander of Belaal.

Dasarai \Da-Sar-ay\ Princess of Belaal. Sovereign of Sulaanc’s Women’s Palace.

Siyrsun \Seer-sun\ Belaal’s General of the Army.

Tzana Roeh \Tsaw-nah Roe-eh\ Ela’s sister.

Books of the Infinite Cover Art Inspirations

Authors are often asked about cover designs.

Did you choose the model or landscape? 

Did you select the model's clothes? 

Did you design the background?

Did you pay for the cover? 

An author's answer often depends upon the publisher. Many publishers have a design team, and the final design--after much debate and some input from marketing--is presented to the author as a (hopefully) pleasant surprise. 

I was thrilled to sign on with Bethany House, which is noted for its beautiful cover designs, and I've been delighted with their visions for the Books of the Infinite series. For each cover, I was asked to hunt up images for the design team to use as references for their work.

While pondering visuals for King, I was suffering from my usual desperate longing for the ocean. Truly, that was my only wish: Water! Give me an ocean!
Bless the Bethany House design team, they responded in grand style and threw in a longsword as a bonus. Huzzah!!!!

Now, if only I could wade into that water for a moment and breathe some salt air.... *Sigh.*

Months earlier, as the design team debated over the look for Prophet, I was asked, "What about Ela's clothes?"

By the time we were done exchanging emails and discussing images for Ela's "other-world Biblical" attire, I felt as if I'd been on a lavish shopping spree without spending a dime, and I loved the results. See my baby? Isn't she pretty?   

The cover for Judge on the other hand, was less about Kien's attire and more about his weapons and the background. Kien's beloved sword, of course, was a must, as was his dark traveling cloak. The arm guards were a bonus, chosen by the design team--and I was instantly smitten with the look. (Yes, I still want those arm guards!)

As for the mountains in the background...well...those started in Colorado. 

I was hiking around with my husband, DearJerry, in Colorado's foothills at the base of the Rocky Mountains. While we were enjoying the scenery, this caught my attention->  

I wanted to build a log cabin and live here. With a trustworthy and plentiful water supply, of course.

Unfortunately--or fortunately--we already have a house with a mortgage, so the log cabin idea had to remain in dreamland.

However, I sent the foothills image to my editors. "Perhaps something like this would work for the Judge background."

This was their reply:

Dear Reader, I've a feeling we're not in Colorado anymore!

But that's okay. I'm willing to follow Kien into the Snake Mountains. 

Just give me an Azurnite sword. 

And those arm guards!

Happy Valentine's Day!

This year, nothing witty.

Something homemade—imperfectly pretty.

A gift from my hands, and Katharin’s Art.

We offer you…this simple heart.

Have a blessed Valentine’s day!

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop and a Giveaway!

Welcome back, everyone!
It's late January, time for the Christmas decorations to come down, and time for a new blog post!

This month, the amazing Robin Lee Hatcher volunteered me for a blog hop. My mission is to answer ten questions about my latest WIP (work-in-progress) which is The Next Big Thing, and then I will tag three new fantasy authors with links to their blogs!

To add to the fun, I will give three different readers their choice of one book: Prophet, Judge, or (when it's published) King. The winners will be chosen by RaffleCopter on January 30th, and announced on the 31st.

Ready? Here goes:

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing:

What is the working title of your book? 

King. This was the working title and it’s now set in stone. Or, rather, in the book’s just-released cover image. 

Where did the idea come from for the book?

King portrays difficult situations faced by several Old Testament kings and prophets. King isn’t so much a retelling of the scriptures as a variation of OT spiritual themes, and adventures.

What genre does your book fall under?

Fantasy fiction, teens and up!

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I have a terrible time trying to match actors with my characters—each one is unique. However, Ioan Gruffud, as he looked in Arthur,  might portray Akabe, the Siphran King:
And Anne Hathaway as Caitria, his vulnerable, embattled queen:

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

King Akabe of Siphra’s lifelong dream—to rebuild the Infinite’s temple in Siphra—is threatened by powerful enemies who have vowed to kill Akabe and his mysterious new queen.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

King is scheduled for publication by Bethany House on July 1, 2013. I’ve heard other authors compare publication timeframes to pregnancies, and it’s so true. But like a baby, books are worth the wait.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Usually, I can write a first draft in six months on my two days off per week, if I resist Facebook and Pinterest, and seriously focus on the task. Chocolate helps!

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Though I haven’t yet read this one, Kingdom’s Dawn, by Chuck Black, seems to reflect King’s sense of other-world adventure.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

As strange as it sounds, the entire Books of the Infinite series, including King was inspired by a dream fragment. In 2010, I woke up one morning, still seeing a brief, stark dream of a young woman in a dim chamber. She was struggling to make a life-changing choice, and there was a glowing branch in that same dream, so I knew that if I wrote the story behind the dream it must be a fantasy. It was odd. Usually my dreams are bright and colorful. However, this dark fragment became Prophet, which was published two years later.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

King’s plotline, like Prophet and Judge, is written to appeal to men and women, young and old. Parents are reading these books with their teens!


***
Now, readers, it's time for some fun!
Hope over to the following pages to visit these three fantasy authors, who will be posting their Next Big Thing answers within the next seven days:
Patrick W. Carr
Carla Laureano
and 
Pauline Creeden

And enter to win a copy of Prophet, or Judge, or (soon) King, in the Rafflecopter entry form below:

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"His Love Endures Forever"

 Holiday Blessings

My card to you, dear Reader, is a nostalgic offering from Katharin Fiscaletti, reminding us of a childhood pastime we've most likely shared. Simple folds of white paper, snipped with snub-tipped scissors to form snowflakes in honor of the coming winter.

But look again at this design. Do you see them?
Hearts. Cast over an endless universe of deep violets and blues, sprinkled with distant suns. Symbols of love, particularly framing the Messiah's star.

Why?

One reason. One thought to hold in our hearts as we look up at the stars this week.

His love endures forever.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever."

Blessings, dear everyone!

Adversity

 

Today, with help from Kien, Scythe/Pet, and Ela, (in an imagined scene from PROPHET, courtesy of awesome artist, Katharin Fiscaletti) we are contemplating adversity.

We’ve already discussed villains and antiheroes—those characters who drive the plot and add tension by keeping our heroes and readers in suspense.  But what about pure, simple adversity--the trials and travails that force us out of our comfort zones?

What is adversity’s role in our stories and our lives?

From a literary perspective, adversity provides the means to explore our protagonist’s views of life, and tests his or her reactions to life’s slingstones of misfortune.

Adversity, be it spiritual testing, physical ordeals that wear upon us over time, or personal battles with emotions, force us to become stronger, better people (or creatures, as in Pet’s case) and hopefully compel us to become fascinating characters who delight others.

What do we cherish as we journey through life? What makes us whole spiritually? What gives us strength?

True adversity, dear readers, compels us to choose our values. Knowing this, what will Kien decide?

Is love worth destroyer-style pain?

Unexpected Christmas Hero

The moment I saw the cover for this book, Unexpected Christmas Hero, I fell in love with its charming, wistful "greeting card" mood. But there's a real-life mystery behind this Unexpected Christmas Hero cover--offering us a chance to reunite a family for the holidays. Read on!
Unexpected Christmas Hero is an inspiring and compelling story of friendship and survival. Forced by unexpected circumstances to live on the streets and in homeless shelters, Josie Meyers and her two small children share in the lives and struggles of other homeless people. Eventually, Josie meets Rick, a homeless, disabled vet who becomes their hero and friend. While living in the shelters she continually hears the gospel, reigniting memories of the words she heard and believed as a child. Will these events lead her and her children home to the ultimate shelter?

Read "the story behind the story" and help reunite a family: http://kathimacias.com/help-reunite-a-family/

SCAVENGER HUNT STOP # 15!

R. J. Larson

Home of Biblical Fantasy author R. J. Larson's Blog.

First *R.J. steps aside* The official guidelines!

Follow the clues to win the grand prize: a Kindle Fire and 31 free books, each autographed by the authors!

WELCOME, to the Fall Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt~~we hope you're enjoying the stories as you search!

·         This hunt begins 10/25 at noon MDT

·         The fun finish falls on 10/28 at midnight MDT—plenty of time; no need to rush!

·         Enjoy 31 stops, each with a different author and fresh, new-to-you content!

·         Discover authors with new or soon-to-be-released novels

·         Collect the clues in red on each post, beginning from Stop #1 and at Stop#32, fill out the Rafflecopter form. Be ready to provide the completed clue quote, gathered from all 31 stops, within 24 hours of email notification or another winner will be randomly drawn. No need to email/submit it, unless you are notified on 10/29/12.

• Grand Prize: A new Kindle Fire, plus 31 new novels! 

UPDATE!!! The winners have been chosen!
The GRAND PRIZE winner is: Jennifer Friedley
The second and third prize $50 gift certificates went to: Laura McEwen and Gretchen Michels Garrison!!!

Congratulations, to the winners!!!

·         2^nd & 3^rd Prizes: $50 Amazon, B&N, CBD or BookDepository.com gift certificate

·         (Contest is open to international entrants. If the winner lives outside the United States, they shall win the equivalent in gift certificate funds to the prize in US dollars.)

[R. J. returns!]

Welcome, Hunters! I'm pleased to introduce our delightful guest at this stop, one of my fellow Shakespeare-fan friends, Leslie Gould!

 Leslie Gould is the Christy award-winning and bestselling author of fifteen novels. Her latest, Courting Cate, is inspired by Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” Leslie enjoys traveling, watching soccer games, and binge reading. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and four children. Visit her at
Her Website    
FaceBook! 
 and
Twitter!

Courting Cate:

In Paradise, Pennsylvania, Cate Miller is known more for her sharp tongue and fiery temper than her striking appearance. Her sweet and flirty sister, Betsy, on the other hand, seems to have attracted most of the bachelors in Lancaster County!

But the sisters' wealthy father has made one hard-and-fast rule: older Cate must marry first, before younger Betsy can even start courting. Unfortunately, untamable Cate has driven away every suitor--until Pete Treger comes to town, that is.

Prodded by the men of the area, Pete turns his attention to winning Cate's hand. But is his interest true or is there a scheme at play?

Now, dear Hunter, here is an exclusive sneak-peek at Leslie's recent journey to Lancaster county, the setting for Courting Cate, narrated by Leslie!

 

Snapshots of Lancaster County

Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” influenced the plot of Courting Cate, while the pastoral beauty of Lancaster County inspired the setting.

Courting Cate is set in the picturesque landscape around Paradise, Pennsylvania. I drew on this photo of green rolling hills and Amish barns as I described the “farmette” where Cate lives and the surrounding countryside.

Don’t be fooled by the beauty of the laundry on the line. It took a lot of hard work to get it there. I’d much rather write about the work of an Amish woman than actually do it. Cate, in my story, avoids doing laundry at all costs, leaving it to her sister, Betsy.

I love this photograph for a couple of reasons. First, someone who lives in an Amish home is selling a motorbike. Is he (I’m assuming it’s a young man) finished with his Rumschpringe (running around time)? Or upgrading to a bigger bike? Cate, in my story, is a bit prickly (okay, a lot prickly), but she’s not wild. The whole Rumschpringe never appealed to her, and she joined the church while still in her teens. Still, she has some growing up to do.

My husband, daughter, and I just happened to drive by this church wagon while tooling around Lancaster County. “Stop!” I shouted. (My poor hubby.) I have lots of church wagons in my stories, but this is the only one I’ve seen in real life. A wagon like this one would be filled with tables, benches, and other items and transported to the family hosting church services that Sunday in their home.

Cate is a bit of a speed demon when it comes to driving her buggy. In a pivotal scene in the story she and Pete, the man she loves to hate, go for a drive and race over a covered bridge. Even though covered bridges have a romantic quality, this particular scene doesn’t. The romance comes later.

Speaking of romance, this image inspired me to incorporate a sunset into Courting Cate as the backdrop for these lines:

And where two raging fires meet together,

They do consume the thing that feeds their fury.

“The Taming of the Shrew,” II.1.125-126, William Shakespeare

R. J. here: Leslie, thank you!  I'm a fantasy/history/Biblical "swords and cloaks" author and reader, but Courting Cate is now on my reading list~~I cannot resist Shakespeare, and Cate's feisty, "I dare you" image on the cover!

Hunters, if you are equally tempted by Courting Cate, here are a few handy "Buy Now" links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD! Or purchase a copy at your favorite bookstore! 

THE SCAVENGER HUNT BASICS: 

Before you go, write down this STOP #15 clue: And

WAIT! Speaking of and: Enter to win a signed copy of PROPHET, plus the audio cd of Volume #1 in the acclaimed Books of the Infinite series! *Easy*
Just click on the Rafflecopter form below to "like"
R. J. Larson's Facebook page! 

<a Rafflecopter giveaway>

Now, blessings and onward to stop #16, Leslie Gould's own site!

While I'm pondering my next blog post, Dear Reader, it occurred to me that I haven't fulfilled a pledge to post a vocab list for my series. As promised, here it is...the Character List for JUDGE. Enjoy!

In order of name’s appearance:

Kien Lantec \Kee-en Lan-tek\ Military judge-advocate for the Tracelands.

ToronSea \Tor-on-Sea, or, Tor-on-Sea\ Southern coastal town in the Tracelands.

Ela Roeh \El-ah Roe-eh\ Prophet of Parne.

Ara Lantec \Are-ah Lan-tek\ Rade Lantec’s wife. Kien’s mother.

Scythe \ Sīth\Long 'I'\ A destroyer. Kien and Ela’s monster-warhorse.

General Rol \Rawl\ The Traceland’s General of the Army.

Tamri Het \Tam-ree Het\ Citizen of Munra, Siphra.

Tzana Roeh \Tsaw-nah Roe-eh\ Ela’s sister.

Beka Thel \Bek-ah Thell\ Jon Thel’s wife. Kien’s sister.

Belaal \Bell-A-el\ Kingdom south of Siphra.

Agocii \Ah-goss-ee\ Mountain tribes bordering Belaal.

Eosyths \E-o-siths\ Mountain tribes south of Parne.

Jon Thel \Jon Thell\ A Tracelands military commander. Beka’s husband.

Rade Lantec \Raid Lan-tek\ Kien’s father. The Tracelands preeminent statesman.

Ruestock \Roo-stock\ Exiled former Siphran ambassador to the Tracelands.

Tsir Aun \Sir Awn\ Istgard’s prime minister. Tek Lara’s husband.

Tek Lara \Tek Lar-ah\ A cousin to the deceased king of Istgard.

Bel-Tygeon \Bell-Ty-jee-on\ King of Belaal.

Akabe Garric \Ah-cabe Gair-rick\ Former Siphran rebel. The Infinite’s chosen king of Siphra.

Adar-iyr \Ad-are-eer\ Island kingdom off the coast of Siphra.

Sius Chacen \See-es Chase-en\ Eldest son of Parne’s deposed chief priest, Zade Chacen.

Zade Chacen \Zaid Chase-en\ Parne’s deposed chief priest.

Dan Roeh \Dan Roe-eh\ Ela’s father.

Kalme Roeh \Call-may Roe-eh\ Ela’s mother.

Ninus \Nine-es\ King of the island-city, Adar-iyr.

Za’af Chacen \Zay-aff Chase-en\ Second son of Parne’s deposed chief priest Zade Chacen.

Ishvah Nesac \Ish-vaw Ness-ak\ The Infinite’s chosen chief priest of Parne.

Siyrsun \Seer-sun\ Belaal’s General of the Army.

Now.... Don your cloaks, say a prayer, and follow Kien....

 

Batman. Dirty Harry. Scarlett O’Hara. Hamlet. Gollum. Bad Master. Sydney Carton.

 Often described as a literary or cultural trope, the antihero is probably older than Odysseus. Older, even, than most classically accepted hero-types.

Today, in order to illustrate a few points, I’ve joined forces with YA wonder-artist, fifteen-year-old Kristina Fiscaletti, (of the amazing Fiscaletti clan) who has graciously shared her own sketches of the tragic antihero, Bad Master. *Bows to Kristina.*

Dark, brooding, or simply willing to defy cultural norms to achieve a goal, a true antihero reflects humanity’s bleaker, almost repulsive traits. Yet we love our not-quite-heroes and heroines.

Why?

Simple. Antiheroes are closer to true human nature than classic heroes. Antiheroes embody our secret weaknesses and often act out our defiant hidden impulses, which are usually—with good reason—frowned upon by civilized societies. Most antiheroes don’t accept oppression meekly. (But neither do strong classic heroes!) And a true antihero often reveals noble characteristics, usually with a courage most of us mere mortals only wish we possessed.

Often, antiheroes are called upon to save heroes—to brave harm or death for the sake of good. Remember the alcoholic Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities? As he is facing death for the sake of his beloved and her hero-husband, he concludes, "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known!" *R. J. searches for tissue. Blows nose.*

By contrast, Antiheroes are often resentful if they’re rescued, particularly if the rescuer is—through some cruel twist of the author’s scheming imagination—an erstwhile foe, or *worse* the hero! (For pity’s sake, doesn’t the hero draw enough accolades?)

Most important to the author, however, is that an antihero’s tempestuous nature presents opportunities for redemption, usually at a pivotal moment in the plot, or even at the story’s epic climax. Better yet, the antihero might be allowed to remain an unresolved mystery to readers.

 

See those tears? Are they real? Dare we allow ourselves to hope for our beloved antihero’s redemption?

Stay tuned, Dear Reader!

Stay tuned....

It's true. I've posted nothing new since March.
"Why not?" you ask.
Becaauuuuse I've been sick since May, which is about the time guilt would have driven me to post new content. (Yes, I'm partial to my lifelong guilt-complex. Deserved or not, guilt is a great self-motivator.)

Now, before you start tapping your foot or offering the name of a wise and trusted mental health counselor, I DO have a bit of news!

PROPHET will be free on all e-readers (Nook, Kindle, Sony, all those lovely e-formats!) on August 14th, 2012. Yes, dear everyone, for 24-hours--one full day--Bethany House Publishers is allowing me to whoop it up and tell all my friends that they can read Ela's story for FREEEEEE!!!!!

WOOO-HOOO!!!!!
*Cough-cough-cough.*
Okay, that was enough excitement for one day. And, yes, I'm still sick. My traditional bout of springtime allergies has chosen to stay with me through the summer and blossom into sinusitis, asthma, and bronchitis.

I had no idea I was such wonderful company. *Sniffs.*

But fear not! I AM following doctors' orders and recovery is in sight.

Which means I'll be pestering you more often!
Now, however, I must return to proof-reading the final galley of JUDGE, which is due to hit stores on November 1, 2012.

Cough or no cough, energy or no energy, the work continues!!!

Blessings, dear everyone.
And if you have any sore throat remedies, I'll be taking notes.
Right now, I'm certain that hot chocolate with whipped cream does work as a soothing remedy. :)

Cheers!

R. J.’s turn.

What? How could Kacy blog about villains—my villains included—without mentioning, “That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain”???  Hamlet Act 1, scene 5, 105-109

All right. Fine. Because Kacy has dealt with the villains in the previous post—which is contrary to her retiring nature, but appreciated due to my lack of time in October and since then—I will consider heroes. All heroes, excluding antiheroes, who deserve their own blog, and hero sandwiches. (Though sandwiches are always welcomed during writing deadlines!)

What are we looking for when we study our heroes? Courage, of course. And, if they’re not necessarily handsome, they must at least be charming. Or possess some beguiling aspect that entices us as readers/movie-goers/hero-followers-in-general, to become fans of this hero.

Honor. Resourcefulness. Humor. Strength. A willingness to defend others who are vulnerable. The desire to defend certain ideals. A sacrifice of self. A champion!

Heroes, whether male or female, model characteristics that the rest of us ought to imitate or admire. Furthermore, every hero must reveal a few weaknesses, evoking our empathy, love, compassion and devotion! Our heroes make us long to follow them.

After spending almost two years with one of my current fiction heroes, I’ve concluded that Kien Lantec’s greatest mortal weakness—apart from his overwhelming love for Ela—is his tendency to rush to judgment. Not always, but just enough to land Kien in a sea of trouble.

Fortunately, Kien manages to greet trouble with humor and resilience. And an epic Azurnite sword.

Now that I've inflicted my idea of a hero on you, tell me...what qualities do you expect in your heroes?    

The most compelling villains are...what?

I'm asking myself that question today as R.J. prepares to send Ela out to meet her next foe--a god-king who isn't all that he should be. Or is he? Perhaps. As I'm mentally walking around this villain and contemplating his mortal flaws, I realize that the proper villain can make a novel. Lift it from mundane to extraordinary. Caricature-villains, on the other hand, drag down a plot--often disastrously. Not good.

So, what am I looking for? Complexity. Touches of mortal weakness, even tenderness, that reveal my villain's soul. (Yes, despite our tendency to remove all human characteristics from the most evil beings and separate them from us, villains do have souls.)

Often, when I'm creating villains, I remember a chief baddie from my Children's Picture Bible. I'll never forget turning the pages and finding--gasp!--this startled man being threatened by huge serpents. Eew! My kid-self wanted those snakes out of the picture. NOW.

Until I read the story of Moses and the Pharaoh. Yeah. Let the snakes eat the rotten Pharaoh!

Later, when I realized Pharaoh lost what he perhaps treasured most, his son and heir, I wondered if the experience changed his hard heart and truly humbled his lamentably proud soul. Was there hope of redemption for this death-wish-arrogant king?

Will there be hope of redemption for R.J.'s overbearing god-king?

Don't ask me. I'm just the bystander.

Anyway, isn't it my job to keep you guessing?

Mindsharing. It's not for the faint-hearted! 

Allowing R. J. Larson to share my thought-space is proving to be a test of courage. Swords, daggers, and the formidable, world-shaking Infinite are crowding out my Kacyish fondness for the color pink and cute shoes. Worse, ambushes of Scalns and other fantasy beasts are cropping up with alarming regularity as the Books of the Infinite series progresses.

Scalns. Seriously? Where did scalns come from? R. J. LOVES the beasts. Kacy wants to send them back to wherever they came from and seal the door forever! *Glares at R. J.*

You’d think we were raised with a pack of rowdy hunters who discussed wild animals and epic weapons throughout our childhood.

Oh. Wait. We were. And here’s a scaln to prove it—drawn by artist-extraordinaire, Katharin Fiscaletti.

Is there any hope that Kacy might tame R. J.'s thought processes? Hm.
To be continued....