Authors: The Image Then and Now

AuthorAppleton on August 25, 2014

Books used to be detailed works of art, hand-crafted and extremely hard to come by . . .. And the authors back then were few and far between. Today books are mass-produced, and their design is frequently held back by budgetary considerations . . .. And authors are everywhere! But have we lost something of the writing art along the way?

My wife and I love watching old black and white movies. Truly the writing and the acting in many of those films is rarely matched in the contemporary film industry.

The other day we found a new “gem” of a film titled My Dear Secretary. The plot follows a woman who wants to be a writer as she becomes secretary to a renowned author. However this comedy quickly reveals that the author has lost his edge and has sunk himself into the life of the party and gambling debt. In the story everyone around the author puts up with his eccentricities as they wait for him to come up with the next great novel. In the story he never does produce another great literary work, but that seems beside the point.

Today authors are commonly expected, at minimum, to produce a new book every year. They are not given all the time they need to hide away and develop the next great book, it satisfies society that they do their best in the time allotted to them. But what if authors were to start acting more like the artists they used to be viewed as? What if they were allowed to explore the full range of their creativity without the pressure of mass-production? Would this lead to far better books that would stand out from the vast selection of mediocre works that are being published by the thousands every year?

We need to pull back from the mad rush of our swamped literary market and instead encourage the creation of original novels that are truly exceptional.

Question: Which books do you think would have benefited if the author had taken his time to complete it?

New book announcement!

AuthorAppleton on August 18, 2014

Nope, it’s not a new fantasy novel (although I am working hard to finish one of those, too). Originally I was not going to publish this but only get copies for my own kids. I’ve been working on this story for my kids for two years. But my wife has convinced me that I should share it with you all, so here it is.

This is my first attempt at writing and illustrating a children’s book.

This simple story shows how a small act of kindness can bring contentment and happiness. The little table is bought from a used furniture shop, but on the drive home he falls off the car and lands in the dump. His owner discovers him and brings him home to fix him up and place him in front of a window.

sample illustration

If you have little ones in your life who might enjoy this story, you can purchase off Amazon or direct from me. Please send me an email with your request.

The Power of a Tragic Ending

AuthorAppleton on August 11, 2014

A tragic story will often pull us in like no other story can. Strangely, tragedy in fiction leaves a far more powerful impression than a happy or thrilling moment. Whether a book or  a movie, we gravitate toward these stories because they remind us of how precious the moments in our lives are.

Such a story is well illustrated in one of my favorite books and also in one of my favorite films.

The book is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. Arguably this is one of the best pieces of Young Adult writing that has been published. The writing is amazing, and the story is incredible. The tragedy is two-fold: 1) in the sacrifices of Harry’s friends, sometimes their lives, and 2) in Snape’s revelation. Villain is revealed to be hero, and the main character is forever changed as a result.

The movie is Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. The story follows a slight re-imagining of the Batman character known in the original animated series. He is heroic and steadfast, never seeming to waver in the purity of his heart. During the course of the film, Bruce Wayne’s passionate love for Andrea Beaumont is revealed when she returns unexpectedly to Gotham. The movie shifts seamlessly between the present troubles and Batman’s flashbacks. The script for this is amazing. It grabs from the get go and there is no happy ending to the tale. And yet, it has become a cult classic, and I understand why.

This has made me sit back and re-evaluate the contemporary stories playing out on screen and in books. Most stories, especially the superhero type, have happy endings and there are few permanent losses that the heroes and heroines must endure. Are many storytellers forgetting the power of a sad ending? Let’s tip our hats to the stories of yesteryears, and the tragedies that hooked us and stayed in our memories.

What books and movies have had this effect on you?

What should excite you about Enclave Publishing

AuthorAppleton on August 4, 2014

As Christian readers of fantasy and science fiction we were taken by shock when Marcher Lord Press owner Jeff Gerke sold to Steve Laube. Personally, I was one of the many skeptics… When it was announced the company would change its name I thought “This straw may break the dragon’s back.” I was wrong.

Steve Laube has vowed to eliminate content that does not meet Enclave’s Christian market audiences. While this means it may lose some of the gritty flavor we came to appreciate in Marcher Lord Press, in the end I believe we will see more focus on classy storytelling especially high fantasy and original science fiction. The focus in narrowed, the writing standard is high, and the number of titles released each year is very few. Due to the excitement around Enclave Publishing’s readership this will lead to many submissions for Enclave editors to choose from, which means (I presume) we will only get the best.

Of the first titles announced, Orphan’s Song really catches my eye. I will be purchasing a copy for my personal library as I did read some of Miss Adams’ writing a few years ago and she is quite the gifted writer.

It looks like Enclave Publishing is going to be strong moving forward and I am excited to watch for new titles from them. We need more selections out there and too many small Christian publishers are producing second-rate covers and generic stories. These covers look awesome!

Question: What books are you looking forward to this year? Are you excited about Enclave Publishing?