Happy Halloween (And Some Other Stuff)
The thing is, Halloween proceeds National Novel Writing Month by a day. So I will be holed up in my room starting tomorrow in the little spare time I have, typing away for most of November. My NaNo profile is here: http://nanowrimo.org/participants/kumaokaasan, where you can follow my progress and check out the novel I'm working on as my project. I will do my best to be active on the site, but with some changes at my work and trying to complete NaNo, I probably won't be updating this blog much in November.
In December, I plan to have a giveaway on GoodReads of some signed copies of December, my newest novel. (hehe) More details on that to come, and I promise I'm working on July, its sequel. ... Just not in November. *sigh*
FREE SHORT STORY - Journey Through Time
Labels:
creative writing,
literary fiction,
short story
·
Journey Through Time
Karen Lofgren
One moment, you’re in ancient Egypt, standing on the banks of the Nile. You can see why this beautiful river was so long held sacred by these people. Off in the distance, the pyramids of Giza stand tall, no longer corroded by time. The dryness and the heat is almost suffocating, the only moisture coming off the river.
A little way down the shore, you see a body, a girl. Your natural human empathy kicks in and you try to go to her side, but you’re rooted to the spot. You are merely an observer to times long gone by, and cannot influence them, no matter how badly you may want to. You see a priest stumble down the caked mud of the bank to the body. A nameless girl, slain in some horrible way, is treated like a queen because the river chose to accept her in death.
Egypt declines and Rome rises, its victories over Carthage to the south heralding its triumph. In just a short while, the Roman Empire goes from city state to a mighty empire that dominates land on three continents. Roads are built. More wars are fought. New religions arise and take the place of those of old. And in many ways the world will never be the same again. Every empire that comes afterward does its best to imitate Rome.
The image fades, and you’re no longer in Rome, untouched by the ages and at the height of its glory. You see the Andes mountains reach up and scrape the very sky. You look upon Machu Pichu in all its splendor, and see the Inca farm in the terraced fields of the mountainsides. The engineering these people mastered so many centuries ago is absolutely incredible. You then watch helplessly as the Spanish come and burn this society to the ground. But they never find Machu Pichu. It will remain forever as a monument to those who built it.
Back in Europe, you bear witness to a light piercing through the Dark Ages. The Renaissance has begun. Breathtaking art, social reform, a somewhat stronger emphasis on science... You witness its birth. It reminds you that just about anything can change in an instant.
Cheers make your ears ring as the French Revolution begins. It is simultaneously terrifying and awe-inspiring. The scent of gunpowder fills your nostrils and panicked shouts permeate the air, while at the same time cries of freedom and hope for a better tomorrow ring. You see hope fade into despair as the Reign of Terror settles in, and you flinch away as the guillotine falls, severing a world in its swipe.
The modern age has crept up on you. Whispers of war blow across Europe. You see young men eagerly enlist as soldiers, only to return years later broken and suffering. You see death, shell explosions, twisted trees, land you can’t believe was once green; and less dramatic but no less painful things, like infection and disease. You see soldiers in the trenches huddled together in the long hours between active fighting, their lives becoming more and more unbearable and jaded as the years pass by.
But it is not only in the trenches of Europe where World War I occurs. Oh no, it is everywhere. From the steamy jungles of Africa where German, British, and Belgian colonies are held, to the eastern front where weary and scared Russian soldiers march, wondering what is to become of their country, to the Ottomans, struggling against Arab uprisings propped up by the British and French.
World War I is terrible, forever leaving a scar on humanity’s collective memory and a swath of destruction and death in its wake.
But in spite of the world’s efforts to prevent it, war happens again. Human nature to obey authority figures and a fear of communism doom Germany to its fate, and you watch them go from boycotting Jewish businesses to a calculated extermination that will forever be remembered as one of the darkest blights on human history.
Finally, you come to Hiroshima, moments before the bomb goes off. There is nothing for a moment, all is still, and then you see a white light that consumes and blinds you. Tears you don’t remember crying stream down your face.
You come back from World War II and see that the exhibits have ended. That was the last one for you to see. You thank the docent who escorted you through different worlds and different lives, a sweet old lady volunteering her time, and you leave the museum.
Book Review - Sleeping Late On Judgment Day
Labels:
angels,
book review,
demons,
sleeping late on judgement day,
tad williams,
urban fantasy
·
 |
| Cover art courtesy of Barnes and Noble |
Author: Tad Williams
Publisher: DAW (Penguin)
Publication Date: September 2, 2014
Version I Read: Kindle
Rating: 4.25/5
It's been a long time since I've done book reviews, so I figure I should get back into the swing of things. And what better book to do it with than the grand finale to Tad Williams' newest series about angel Bobby "Poor Sap" Dollar?
After the horrifying, gut-wrenching experience that was Happy Hour in Hell, I was eagerly awaiting this last book to see how everything was going to shake out. Unfortunately, I found myself not very satisfied with the conclusion. Oh, don't get me wrong, it's a good book. Like everything else Tad has done, it was very well-written and the prose and humor is great as always. But some plot threads seemed neglected, some others did not have ample foreshadowing, and the ending, in my personal opinion, did not wrap everything up well enough. These are all things I've never seen before in a Tad Williams novel, and I'll admit they bothered me.
Spoilers, ye have been warned.
Let's start with the plot. It was fine and worked within the context of the story okay, but I've seen Tad do much better, especially in terms of foreshadowing, tying it all together at the end, and having nearly every character play some sort of important role. After two books of some incredibly great, cosmic-shaking setups (Happy Hour in particular was extremely thought-provoking and made me want to see our main characters change something about the way this world was set up), nothing much came of it and several seemingly important plot points were left unanswered. Anaita being the one who created the Third Way and her motivations behind it, while they made sense, didn't feel "big enough" after what had been set up in the two previous books. The noir/mystery feel of the story is also nice (in that the main character runs around investigating a mystery and all sorts of weird stuff happens), but I'm afraid in this book it went a little overboard to the point where the plot was a little more all over the place than it should have been.
As for the ending, I'm positive the ambiguous nature was intentional, but I sure hope he's planning another book to wrap up some of the loose ends, because otherwise I'm going to start writing some fanfiction over here. (Where did Sam go? What was Eligor's deal? What was Karael's deal? What's going on in Heaven? What about Sitri and the neo-Nazis? Who the heck is Gustibus? What about the people Bobby met in Hell?) I guess I was expecting too much, but after the first two books I was really rooting for the Third Way to be a thing that would force Heaven and Hell to sort their stuff out at the very least, but ultimately that didn't really happen either. Then again, Bobby gets Caz back even though he doesn't accomplish much of anything else, and I suppose he's happy and that's a reasonable, logical outcome to what he was facing. So in that respect the ending works just fine. But I'm afraid I wanted a little more.
The characters are great as always. Bobby's narration is both funny and heartfelt, and you really feel like you came along with him on this journey. Clarence (sorry, Harrison) and Sam are also- well-developed. (Thinking about it just now, Bobby and Sam kind of have the same dynamic the Dude and Walter from The Big Lebowski have...) The side characters also serve their purposes spectacularly, like were-pig George and crazy Foxy. Unfortunately, no one else really gets the kind of development they need. The Amazons, while I did genuinely like them, come in here in the last book and took up a lot of space that could have been used for development of the other characters or important, neglected plot threads. I know we weren't supposed to find out, but Gustibus' identity was driving me crazy. (Currently, I'm guessing he's God.) I guess Eligor didn't need a ton of further characterization because he just kind of is who he is, but it would have been nice to see a little more of him. Anaita, same thing. Caz is probably the biggest offender - while it's pretty obvious why she doesn't have much to do in the story, I still feel like she was a major character (she's Bobby's entire motivation, after all) that was criminally neglected. Her being Bobby's motivation was fine - Tad did something similar in Tailchaser's Song where it worked beautifully. In this case, however, I felt she needed a lot more "screen time."
Verdict: So while I have to say this is my least favorite Tad Williams series to date (which is basically saying it's still better than most other things I've read), it is still well worth reading.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
FREE SHORT STORY - The Coming of the Wolves
The Coming of the Wolves
Karen Lofgren
The horizon line is aglow with the end of the day. Long shadows cast themselves over the forest. Soon it will be dark.
With a shawl wrapped around my shoulders, I stumble through the trees, my breath visible in the air. It is the dead of winter, with at least four feet of snow covering the ground, impeding my progress.
Where were they?
I was home. Not in the bustle of the city, or even in my own house, a small cabin nearby. No, I only felt at home here. In the forest.
But even better, I loved hearing them.
The wolves. Gorgeous, intelligent, affectionate creatures. Humankind cannot hold a candle to them. The songs they sing to each other every night are as beautiful as their fur. A haunting melody, echoing through the trees until the very end of time.
I come to a frozen river, autumn leaves still visible under the ice. I touch the hard surface with my boot carefully, before deciding it is safe. I put my full weight on the ice, but my foot slides out from under me, and I barely catch myself. I stand to my full height again, my muscles aching. I’m not as young as I used to be.
Grace, beauty, and resourcefulness. Just like a wolf. Qualities I no longer possess.
No children have been a part of my life, and my parents are long dead and buried. There was no one who would miss me.
Wolves mate for life. Many people believe they actually fall in love.
I fell in love with a man once. I thought we were happy together, but he betrayed me, and our relationship ended. I never married.
All I wanted in life was to be a shape-changer, like so many other young women in the land, so I could take the form of a wolf and live as one until the end of my days. But I was not born a shape-changer. It took many long years for the hard truth to sink in.
I brush a hand through my gray hair. In the end, this is how I wanted it to be.
Ah, there they are.
A pack is near. With no underbrush to conceal them, I can see their dark shapes moving in circles around me. They are shy, fearful. Humans have made them that way. Proud predators, brought to their knees before us. How unfair the world is.
They continue to circle, unsure what to make of me. I spread my arms, welcoming them, but none draw near. Knowing I will need to draw them in, I pull the knife from my coat pocket. It’s small, but it will get the job done.
Like a wolf that has reached the end of its life, I have ventured out into the wilderness to die, even though I have no pack mates to burden. The wolves will go for my throat first, to make sure I am dead before they begin their feast. My body will be torn apart and eaten. My intestines will decorate the ground in an exotic pattern, and only my bones will remain once my carcass has been picked clean. It will be painful, and brutal, but that is the way of nature. That is the way things should be.
The wolves will not approach me, so I will go to them.
I barely feel the pain as the knife slices open my numb skin.
The smell of the blood entices them. I fall to my stomach, my face looking to the side. Some of the more hungry ones pounce forth, and come to me. Their pack will not starve this winter. Not tonight, anyway.
I watch on, embracing my end.
The blood is beautiful against the snow.
First Two Fall Anime 2014 Impressions
Labels:
anime,
cross ange,
fall 2014 season,
gugure! kokkuri-san
·
There are two new anime airing this
season that I’ve pinned down to watch, now that Free! and Sengoku
Basara: Judge End are over, and both aired their first episodes
yesterday on Crunchyroll, so in between my power marathon of the last
season of Star Trek: Voyager, I sat down to watch them. I figured I’d
make a post about my first impressions (spoiler alert).
The first is Cross Ange. Sunrise anime
tend to be hit or miss for me, so I end up watching most of them
before making up my mind. (I’m currently watching 2013’s Valvrave
The Liberator and am not sure if I’m going to like that one
either.) I’ll admit I’m a little surprised by the intensely
negative reactions the Internet is having to the first episode, and I
say this as a woman who has had a very close friend be sexually
assaulted. The two biggest things people seem to have an issue with
are Angelise’s callous speech to the woman when her daughter is
being taken away and the “cavity search” scene in the last few
minutes of the episode. The vast majority of reviewers on ANN and
viewers on Crunchyroll took these scenes as being salacious,
misogynistic, and in incredibly bad taste (especially the supposed
fanservice of the latter). But I feel like they’re missing
something important: both of these scenes are horrifying and are
meant to make you feel uncomfortable – neither scene is
shown to be “okay” in the slightest. And believe me, I completely
understand if someone doesn’t want to watch something that makes
them feel uncomfortable – a lot of us, me usually included, feel
that way about our fiction. I also understand the viewpoint that the
rape scene is bad from a narrative standpoint because it’s
essentially rape used as a cheap plot device to gain our sympathy for
the main character. To me, it came off more as a shocking and
disturbing twist to the usual “fallen from grace” events that
befall main characters in anime, and that the horror of the scene subverted any
fanservice, but YMMV.
As to the issue people have taken with
the fact that all Norma seem to be female and have thus concluded the
show is sexist: even if it’s later shown that all Norma are indeed
female, the show is not portraying it as being an issue with being a
woman, the issue is with being a Norma – it’s not as though other
female characters are shown to be treated worse by this society
because they’re female. Basically, I didn’t see the events of
this episode so much as being about fanservice or misogyny, but more
as to it showing us how crappy this world is and how our protagonists
are hopefully going to fight to make it better in the coming
episodes.
Controversy aside, I like Ange and I
want to see where she goes from here. I don’t think she’s a
two-dimensional character – she’s clearly under a lot of pressure
to appear perfect for her perfect society, as evidenced by her dismay
that she’s unable to rescue her teammate and win the game at the
beginning of the episode, and how she reacts to the little Norma
girl. She wants to be a good leader, even if she is misguided about
it, and she’s obviously going to have to reevaluate the beliefs
she’s been raised with after what’s befallen her. Her brother is
clearly going to be the bad guy, incestuous advances towards his
younger sister aside, and there’s not much to say about him yet.
Her parents, however, seem to be decent – at best her father is
cowardly by trying to cover up his daughter’s “disability,” and
her mother obviously loved her daughter very much, to the point where
she was willing to die so Ange could escape. We’ll see what the
rest of the main cast is like in the coming episodes.
So with Cross Ange, I really do
understand where other people are coming from with this one, but I’m
interested enough to keep watching.
Gugure!
Kokkuri-san is the other series I started yesterday, and I can
already tell it’s going to be my crack for the season. I normally
shy away from things based on four panel manga because they usually
never have the consistent plot that I like in my anime, but this one
was just so amusing and charming that I found I couldn’t resist. I
love the main characters – both are hilarious and yet rather
tragic, especially Kohina, whom is claiming she’s a being with no
emotions when she is clearly trying to cover her feelings of
loneliness and sadness up. The scene where she calls the cops on
Kokkuri won me over, and I can’t wait to see what other weird
characters are going to get added to this mix that we got hints of in
this first episode.
Agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear it
in the comments, as well as any recommendations for other new series
that just started airing. Both series are streaming legally on
Crunchyroll.
Karen Talks About Imagine Someday
Now that Imagine Someday, my first
novel, has been floating around out there in cyberspace and in the
real world for a while now and I've gotten some really positive feedback about it, I feel it’s about time I talked
about it. The plot, the characters, what I was thinking when I wrote
it, where I got certain ideas.
Note: This discussion WILL contain spoilers. If you haven’t read Imagine Someday, I highly recommend you do so. The ebook is available in all major stores for only $2.99, and it is also available in paperback. More details about the book at Loyalty Press' website here.
Okay? Here we go.
I started writing Imagine Someday back in 2007 when I was 16/17 years old. The book has grown and changed a lot over the years (Thankfully. The first draft was pretty horrendous). I DID make a self-publishing attempt, oh, a while ago, but I chickened out and took it off sale because it still wasn’t final draft material. I had actually abandoned the project for good, writing it off as a first novel that probably shouldn’t be published, but I kept coming back to it every now and then, making small changes until one day I read the draft and one line at the end almost had me crying. I knew then that I’d done something right and Imagine Someday deserved to be published. It’s by no means perfect, no book is, but I figured it was worth a shot. So I launched my career as a full-blown author, editor, and proofreader and established Loyalty Press as a means to do so.
From the beginning, I’d established most of the characters in my head. Diego was the brooding young man who kept himself isolated because of a childhood that the reader only learns about as the book progresses. Miho was his girlfriend who’d gotten him to open up and enjoy life a little bit more. Colin was the jokester from the UK and the newcomer to the group that Diego doesn’t like right away. Rahim (he went through a couple of different names during the process before I settled on Rahim) was Diego’s loyal best friend. Jane was the badass park ranger who would show up every now and then to help out. Aglaciel was the young, immature griffin Diego had found who wanted to know more about who he was. Christian Avery was going to show up and be the villain from the beginning. Jillian wasn’t near as fleshed out in the original draft, and more backstory and purpose for her actions and beliefs was added, overall strengthening the story. Anu is Mr. Exposition and the Sacrificial Lion, and his role can more or less be summed up with those two tropes, for better or worse. Though he is kind of a vain jerk. :)
For the most part the Fantastical Creature mythos has remained the same as well, with some minor changes. Originally the creatures were going to bond with their human, but I realized that a) had been done a lot already and b) didn’t fit the Fantastical Creature characters I’d already created. There’s some remnants of that idea in the finished project, but it isn’t as at the forefront as it was originally.
Essentially most of the key players and plot elements were in place from the beginning. Little things got tweaked here and there, and the climax became a bit more exciting, with Lineh taking much more of an active role. I also chose the extinction ending (I hadn’t really any plan for the creatures’ fate when I started writing) because I didn’t think there really was any other way for the story to end convincingly. And who knows, maybe Aglaciel ISN’T the last Fantastical Creature in the world. :)
Fun Facts:
Originally there was going to be another male character, Todd, sort of set up as a rival to Diego, who would have a drake as his partner. Looking at my old notes, his mother was somehow involved with Avery too (no idea what I was thinking). This idea was eventually axed because he didn’t fit into the story.
I don’t know how many people noticed this, but the scene near the beginning when Diego is loading Anu into the horse trailer, Anu acts like he doesn’t trust Diego. I didn’t think anything of it, but my friend pointed out when she read it that the exchange was a perfect subtle piece of foreshadowing. Diego isn’t a virgin. Unicorns traditionally can only be tamed by a virgin.
My favorite character (in case you didn’t guess) is without a doubt Rahim. He was always meant to be the cornerstone of the story, even if he starts out looking like he’s going to have little impact on the plot. His ability to be the host and partner for Lineh truly shows his strength and determination.
Miho always was going to die at the end. I felt kind of bad doing it, because in a few ways it plays right into the “Women in Refrigerators” stereotype (that the woman always dies to motivate the man). That wasn’t really my intention, as I consider myself very much a feminist, but it still might come off that way for some readers nonetheless, so I apologize.
Originally Jane was going to die, but for two reasons she escaped the “meat grinder,” as my cousin likes to call it. 1) I’d already killed off a lot of other characters and 2) I really, really liked Jane. So I had her survive, becoming more of a badass in the process for coming back after all those wounds.
So now you know a little bit more about Imagine Someday. If you’ve read and enjoyed the book, consider leaving an honest review on Amazon, Goodreads, or your blog. They go a long way towards helping indie authors and publishers. Thanks a bunch you guys, and goodnight!
Note: This discussion WILL contain spoilers. If you haven’t read Imagine Someday, I highly recommend you do so. The ebook is available in all major stores for only $2.99, and it is also available in paperback. More details about the book at Loyalty Press' website here.
Okay? Here we go.
I started writing Imagine Someday back in 2007 when I was 16/17 years old. The book has grown and changed a lot over the years (Thankfully. The first draft was pretty horrendous). I DID make a self-publishing attempt, oh, a while ago, but I chickened out and took it off sale because it still wasn’t final draft material. I had actually abandoned the project for good, writing it off as a first novel that probably shouldn’t be published, but I kept coming back to it every now and then, making small changes until one day I read the draft and one line at the end almost had me crying. I knew then that I’d done something right and Imagine Someday deserved to be published. It’s by no means perfect, no book is, but I figured it was worth a shot. So I launched my career as a full-blown author, editor, and proofreader and established Loyalty Press as a means to do so.
From the beginning, I’d established most of the characters in my head. Diego was the brooding young man who kept himself isolated because of a childhood that the reader only learns about as the book progresses. Miho was his girlfriend who’d gotten him to open up and enjoy life a little bit more. Colin was the jokester from the UK and the newcomer to the group that Diego doesn’t like right away. Rahim (he went through a couple of different names during the process before I settled on Rahim) was Diego’s loyal best friend. Jane was the badass park ranger who would show up every now and then to help out. Aglaciel was the young, immature griffin Diego had found who wanted to know more about who he was. Christian Avery was going to show up and be the villain from the beginning. Jillian wasn’t near as fleshed out in the original draft, and more backstory and purpose for her actions and beliefs was added, overall strengthening the story. Anu is Mr. Exposition and the Sacrificial Lion, and his role can more or less be summed up with those two tropes, for better or worse. Though he is kind of a vain jerk. :)
For the most part the Fantastical Creature mythos has remained the same as well, with some minor changes. Originally the creatures were going to bond with their human, but I realized that a) had been done a lot already and b) didn’t fit the Fantastical Creature characters I’d already created. There’s some remnants of that idea in the finished project, but it isn’t as at the forefront as it was originally.
Essentially most of the key players and plot elements were in place from the beginning. Little things got tweaked here and there, and the climax became a bit more exciting, with Lineh taking much more of an active role. I also chose the extinction ending (I hadn’t really any plan for the creatures’ fate when I started writing) because I didn’t think there really was any other way for the story to end convincingly. And who knows, maybe Aglaciel ISN’T the last Fantastical Creature in the world. :)
Fun Facts:
Originally there was going to be another male character, Todd, sort of set up as a rival to Diego, who would have a drake as his partner. Looking at my old notes, his mother was somehow involved with Avery too (no idea what I was thinking). This idea was eventually axed because he didn’t fit into the story.
I don’t know how many people noticed this, but the scene near the beginning when Diego is loading Anu into the horse trailer, Anu acts like he doesn’t trust Diego. I didn’t think anything of it, but my friend pointed out when she read it that the exchange was a perfect subtle piece of foreshadowing. Diego isn’t a virgin. Unicorns traditionally can only be tamed by a virgin.
My favorite character (in case you didn’t guess) is without a doubt Rahim. He was always meant to be the cornerstone of the story, even if he starts out looking like he’s going to have little impact on the plot. His ability to be the host and partner for Lineh truly shows his strength and determination.
Miho always was going to die at the end. I felt kind of bad doing it, because in a few ways it plays right into the “Women in Refrigerators” stereotype (that the woman always dies to motivate the man). That wasn’t really my intention, as I consider myself very much a feminist, but it still might come off that way for some readers nonetheless, so I apologize.
Originally Jane was going to die, but for two reasons she escaped the “meat grinder,” as my cousin likes to call it. 1) I’d already killed off a lot of other characters and 2) I really, really liked Jane. So I had her survive, becoming more of a badass in the process for coming back after all those wounds.
So now you know a little bit more about Imagine Someday. If you’ve read and enjoyed the book, consider leaving an honest review on Amazon, Goodreads, or your blog. They go a long way towards helping indie authors and publishers. Thanks a bunch you guys, and goodnight!
The Most Overlooked Important Element of a Story - The Ending
Labels:
creative writing,
fiction,
writing advice,
writing endings
·
How many times have you thoroughly
enjoyed a story but despised its ending? Yet, many authors and
creators don’t seem to worry too much about how they are going to
end their story. This is particularly a problem with series that go
on for years. Whatever the reason, it is hard to deny there is a glut
of shows, books, and movies with unsatisfactory endings. Perhaps it’s
because of the notion that an ending will “write itself” once the
rest of the story is in place.
I would like to talk about writing
endings. I’ve been formally educated in the art of creative writing
and follow many writing advice blogs, and I’m always struck by how
infrequently writing endings is mentioned. Everyone just assumes the
right ending will come naturally, even though an ending needs to be
just as carefully thought out as every other important aspect of a
creative work. Why? Because the ending is the last thing you leave
your viewer/reader/consumer with. When done correctly, it leaves your
audience feeling satisfied with the work, perhaps even elated or
deeply touched. When done wrong, however, it can even negate the
impact of the rest of the story, leaving an audience to only remember
the sour note at the end.
Here are some things to consider when
thinking of how you’re going to end a creative work, whether you’ve
already written the rest of the story or are just beginning an
outline.
How You Want the Story to End
You’re the author, it’s your story.
How do you want the story to end? Generally speaking, there are four
kinds of endings: happy endings, bittersweet endings, downer endings,
and ambiguous endings, with lots of flavors in between.
Happy endings are pretty
self-explanatory and classic, and they seem to be sort of out of
favor at the moment for being “too unrealistic.” However, when
executed just right, a happy ending can make your audience feel
elated that the characters were able to overcome the horrific
obstacles that stood in their way.
Bittersweet endings are somewhere in
between happy and downer, and are possibly the most popular type of
ending. Worried about your ending being too happy or depressing? I
recommend some sort of Pyrrhic victory ending or a middle of the road
one, where characters only get some of what they want.
Downer endings are also pretty
self-explanatory. You must be careful with these, however, as they
can alienate and depress your audience if not done well. Even downer
endings must be satisfying to be appreciated.
Ambiguous endings can be a lot of fun,
but should probably be used sparingly. Audiences are used to closure,
and having no closure can irritate them. On the other hand, some of
the best endings in fiction are ambiguous, and sometimes you may not
want to provide a concrete answer.
How Your Audience Expects the Story
to End
This one might be the least important
because your fans (if you’re lucky enough to have some) aren’t
writing the story, you are. But it is certainly something to
consider. If you don’t know your audience, I highly suggest you
figure it out quickly, or else marketing the work, either to a
publisher or on your own, is going to be very difficult.
A good author can write a balanced
ending that will remain true to their vision while still satisfying
readers. And in some genres, certain types of endings are more or
less expected, and your audience will be disappointed if you don’t
deliver. People don’t read romance novels to see every single
character to die a tragic death at the end. Children’s literature
and YA don’t tend to have downer endings, either. If you’re
trying to be groundbreaking in your genre, fantastic, but make sure
you know what you’re doing. Otherwise it’s going to be a mess.
What Kind of Ending the Narrative is
Leading Up To
This is probably the most important
consideration you need to make when planning and writing an ending.
You’ve written your entire story, now what kind of ending makes the
most sense based on what you’ve already put on the page? If you’ve
already planned out your ending in advance, make triple sure it still
works well with the completed story. Narratives and characters change
throughout the creative process and pre-planned endings that aren’t
adapted rarely work.
I personally love stories where an
author can write an ending that ties everything together. Seemingly
unimportant events, conversations, or characters become critically
important (these all need to be adequately foreshadowed, however).
Character development, prior events, and logic all have a very
important role to play when you think out an ending to your story.
Try and think of all the ways the scenario you’ve created could
play out, and pick the best one.
What Kind of Ending Your Characters
Want/Deserve
You may want one ending, your audience
may be expecting another. But your characters have a say in this as
well. Most authors claim their characters come alive for them and
I’ve found that to be very true.
It’s obviously important not to put
too much stock in what your characters want or deserve. Sometimes the
character you love as if he or she were your own child has gotta go
or the impact of the story is weakened. On the other hand, it can be
downright unsatisfying for your audience if your characters don’t
“earn” the ending they deserve. This can work the other way too,
as I’ve seen works where a character doesn’t do anything to earn
the ending they get and thus the ending comes off as a giant deus
ex machina. So be careful.
So I’ve Thought About All These
Things, Now What?
Now you decide on an ending for your
story. I believe it’s very important to think about every possible
way your story could end so you can choose the one that works the
best. Even if you’ve had an ending planned from the beginning, or
you think there’s only one perfect ending, I still encourage you to
think of other alternatives to make absolutely sure it’s the best
one.
I know you’ve heard it everywhere,
but practice really does make perfect. Read/watch/play a lot and see
what kinds of endings work well in the types of fiction you’re
creating. Or if you want to go bold, do something completely
unexpected. Just remember what I said about audience expectations
above. It’s a risk that could pay off, or severely hurt you.
Remember, whether your ending is happy,
bittersweet, a downer, or entirely ambiguous, it must fit with the
rest of the story. That’s the most ironclad rule of all.
On Neelix
I'll be the first to admit Neelix is rather annoying in the first three seasons or so. But he does get better over the course of the series, and as early as season 1 ("Jetrel") we were starting to see who Neelix really was. In "Jetrel," Neelix is confronted by the scientist who created the weapon of mass destruction that destroyed his home and killed his family. It's essentially the same kind of episode as Deep Space Nine's "Duet," which deals with Holocaust parallels while "Jetrel" is an allegory about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We learn that Neelix was a deserter from his army during the war and thus survived because he had been away from his home at the time of the explosion. And he has never gotten over this. Every single thing we see Neelix do or say is a direct result of the horrors he's been through and seen, and he covers that up with a smile and a need to make others' lives better. You could argue this doesn't make him any less annoying, and, well, that's a matter of opinion. But I don't think anyone can say he's a bad character because this is such an important trait of his character that is done so well. The way Neelix acts in spite of what he's feeling is something people actually do. I think anyone who has had depression would agree with me, and this makes Neelix for an excellent character to study for any writer.
"Mortal Coil" may be offensive to some, but it certainly is another example of the depth of Neelix's character. In this episode, Neelix dies for several hours before being revived, and to his immense disappointment he does not experience the Talaxian afterlife. We see and can feel how torn up he is by this revelation - that the idea that he will see his loved ones again is part of the reason he's been able to keep going for so long. While the episode may end with a depressing message, it also teaches Neelix something important - that he needs to stop longing for the people he lost and focus on the new ones in his life that are right in front of him.
And focus on them he does. "Once Upon A Time," while mostly forgotten by the fans, is one of those episodes that I would argue is criminally underrated. For those of you who don't know, in "Once Upon A Time," Neelix's goddaughter, Naomi Wildman, is in his care while her mother is on an away mission. Things go wrong and it quickly becomes clear the away team may not make it back alive. Neelix is then faced with a dilemma: to tell Naomi or hide the truth from her. Without much thought he immediately chooses the latter option. This isn't because he rationally thinks she can't handle it. It's because he wants to shield her because he was never shielded from such pain during his youth. It's his own feelings he's thinking about throughout the course of the episode - not her's. And he does realize this by the episode's conclusion.
In summary, Neelix is actually a very deep character with relatable traits and flaws, and I wish more people acknowledged this.
December - The Souls of the Stars Book 1
Labels:
alien invasions,
aliens,
occupations,
science fiction,
space opera,
war
·
December
Karen Lofgren
Series: The Souls of the Stars Saga (Book 1 of 2)
Release Date: August 9, 2014
Genre: Science Fiction [Space Opera]
Over a hundred years in the future, Earth has fallen under the invasion of a hostile alien race—the Drevi. Half the population has been captured as specimens, while the rest are fighting for their lives in a resistance movement that has achieved more defeats than victories.
Ted Anderson, a 42-year-old information specialist from the American States, thought nothing could save him from his new life. In spite of being an aide to a leading Drevi scientist who treats him well, he is reminded every day what he truly is. A specimen. An Inferior with no future.
Then two strange new aliens arrive as representatives of their government, wanting to free humanity from the invading force. And all of Ted’s dreams come true. He’s on a starship, shooting through space at speeds he never before imagined. And most of all, he is free again.
Now Ted is drawn into a dangerous conflict to save all he knows and loves. But the fate of more than just humanity might rest on his shoulders.
In this stunning new science fiction epic, author Karen Lofgren weaves a tale of the human condition, and how even in the darkest of times, it can shine through into the future.
Cover image courtesy of NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI AURA)-ESA Hubble Collaboration. This publication is in no way endorsed by NASA.
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Ebook:
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Hobo Zombie and Other Stories
Labels:
fantasy,
science fiction,
short stories,
short story collection,
urban fantasy,
zombies
·
Hobo Zombie and Other Stories
Karen Lofgren
Release Date: September 16, 2013
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Science Fiction
A zombie becomes a hobo because of exile and a desire for freedom. An ancient dragon ventures down from his sacred mountain into modern North Korea. A teenage girl finds a mermaid washed up on a beach. A young woman witnesses aliens crash land in a corn field. Hobo Zombie and Other Stories features nine short stories by Karen Lofgren, author of Imagine Someday. Nine stories that are beautifully fantastical yet strangely real.
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Imagine Someday
Labels:
contemporary fantasy,
fantasy,
griffins,
mythical creatures,
new adult,
novel,
unicorns,
urban fantasy,
wyverns
·
Imagine Someday
Karen Lofgren
Release Date: June 5, 2013
Genre: Urban Fantasy, New Adult
A dark, New Adult urban fantasy novel.
Diego Avery’s life has never been an easy one. His father was executed for murder when he was a teenager. He’s hosting the spoiled son of a rich British businessman. He lives alone with his childhood best friend. And he’s been hiding a griffin named Aglaciel in the forest on his property for the last five months.
However, Aglaciel soon grows tired of waiting. He is young and wants to know more about his kind, but unfortunately remembers nothing of his life before meeting Diego. And Diego’s questions about Aglaciel’s origins have gone unanswered, making radical change to their situation all but impossible.
Some questions are resolved but even more are posed when Diego’s girlfriend discovers an injured unicorn in a public park. Someone, or something, is hunting the last Fantastical Creatures to extinction. Before he knows it, Diego becomes embroiled in the plight of the Fantastical Creatures and their fight to survive.
Together with his friends, Diego embarks on a journey to find the answers to his questions. But will he like the answers he receives, and can there be a happily ever after?
In this tale of struggle and hope, debut author Karen Lofgren encourages us all to imagine a better someday, and then fight to make it happen.
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Creating and Building Good Characters
A good character is a well-rounded
character. It doesn’t matter if the character is good, bad, or
morally ambiguous. It doesn’t matter if the character is male,
female, or somewhere in between. What matters is that they are a
well-rounded, well-drawn character that feels organic to your
audience.
Elements of Good
Characters:
- A well-defined personality.
- They want something.
- They have relationships with other characters.
- They have flaws.
- They change and develop over the course of the story.
This article is not just for fiction
writers. My advice applies to any art that requires
character-building, from video games to role playing.
Creating a Character
Things to keep in mind when creating a
character:
- What will this character’s role in the narrative be?
- What does the character look like?
- What does the character want?
- What are some base personality traits of this character?
- What are this character’s strengths and weaknesses?
- Who/what does this person care about, if anyone/anything at all?
- What is the gender/race/religion/species of this character and how might that affect his or her life experiences and world outlook?
- How will this character’s experiences in the story change him/her, or will he/she change at all?
Ideas For Inspiration
Not sure where to get “inspired”
for a certain character? Here are some common methods for gaining
ideas:
- People you know. Authors will say this a lot and it’s true. You undoubtedly have noticed aspects of people you spend a lot of time around. Take bits and pieces of them, from their interests to their weird habits, and incorporate them into your new character to give him or her more depth.
- People you don’t know. People you don’t know are just as much a source of inspiration as your close friends and family. Watch people in a public place and see how they interact with one another, or take inspiration from the weird store owner down the street.
- Your life experiences. Never underestimate the power of including snippets of your life experiences in your writing. Most people do this subconsciously without realizing it. Perhaps your character and you have nothing in common except for the fact that you both like coin collecting or that you both have a daughter. It helps give your character depth and it’s something you’re personally familiar with.
- People you’re interested in. For example, even if you’re not a Native American, you can be interested in Native American cultures or issues. Do a bit of research. Interview people. But remember that people are people, like you, no matter their gender, religion, or ethnic origins, and you need to write them as such.
- Fictional characters. You’ve got to be a little careful with this one because you can’t just copy someone else’s character. On the other hand, well-drawn fictional people are people too, and there’s nothing wrong with being inspired by traits of your fictional heroes.
Building Characters Within the Story
When you’ve started writing the
story, here are some ideas for how to continue building a character
as you write:
- Determine how, or if, the character reaches his or her goal. Perhaps they don’t get what they were searching for but gain something much more valuable instead.
- Have them change over the course of the story based on events that happen. Note this does not necessarily mean they become a better person. It’s just as possible to have a character who becomes worse as the story goes on. They might not even change at all, and that might be the point. So do what works for the character and for the story.
- Know what the character’s afraid of. You don’t need to necessarily come out and say this in the narrative, but it can certainly be helpful in determining a character’s actions.
- Give the character interests, and not just one or two. This is a problem I’ve seen a lot recently. People have interests outside of the big things in their lives.
- Have the character tell an anecdote or two from his or her past. Don’t overuse this one, but I’ve found having a character say or think of things that have happened to them helps flesh them out. Our minds wander and think of the strangest things, even at random times.
- Develop the character’s relationship with other characters. By this I don’t necessarily mean romantic relationships. If your main character has a best friend or someone they’ve just met, they’re going to interact with that other person. Put these two characters in the same room and have them have a conversation. See what happens.
- Have the character’s flaw(s) REALLY screw something up. A flaw isn’t a flaw unless it causes problems for the character and/or the people around him/her.
Other Tips
- Don’t be afraid to experiment! The old adage “write what you know” is actually pretty bad advice when taken too literally. Unless you really just want to write one type of character, you’re going to need to expand your horizons. And the only way to do that is to try new things.
- Just start writing the story and see where the character goes. This may not work for some writers but for others this is the best way for them to write. You can always go back and edit later to fix continuity issues.
- Don’t be afraid to cut characters. If a character isn’t working in your story, they might need to go. Perhaps you can find room for them in a future work. Inversely, don’t be afraid to add a character if you need to. Just be careful that he or she fits into the story.
- Write a character sheet. Again, this isn’t something all authors do, but it certainly works for some. A character sheet can help you keep track of your character as you write the story by giving them basic information, personality traits, and goals. It can also help you visualize different characters relationships with each other.
- Be careful with dialects and accents. Having a character speak with a strong accent can be effective, but make sure it doesn’t detract from the writing.
- Don’t get too caught up on flaws/a tragic backstory. A person is more than their problems.
- Get feedback. This is true about any creative expression, but if a character isn’t working or you’re not sure what to do with them, bounce ideas off someone else. This doesn’t have to be a writer, and in fact, shouldn’t always be. A casual reader’s outsider point of view can be invaluable.
- Details, Details, Details! It’s not the grand, sweeping character arcs that set your story and characters apart from the rest. It’s the details of their lives and their behavior. If you’re worried your character isn’t “original” enough, add details about them to make it so!
Introduction
I've migrated around the Internet a little when it comes to my blog for a variety of reasons, but hopefully this one is here to stay.
I began working on Imagine Someday, my first novel, in 2007 or so, and it was finally published on June 5, 2013. It was soon followed by December, my second novel and the first book in The Souls of the Stars Saga, in August 2014. I have a BA in creative writing and history from Knox College and I also work as a freelance writer. While I mostly write science fiction and fantasy, I've also branched out into most other genres, including historical fiction and literary fiction. I write short stories, too, and my first collection, Hobo Zombie and Other Stories, was published in September 2013.
But the main purpose of this blog is to talk about my life experiences and my writing, as well as sharing my expertise and tips with others. I'll also talk about the media I enjoy and why I enjoy it.
I own a small press called Loyalty Press. The official website of Loyalty Press is here: http://loyaltypress.weebly.com/
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