Finishing The Phantom’s Blade (in the midst of my busy life)

AuthorAppleton on May 11, 2015

For the past two years my readers have been asking, “When is the next book in The Sword of the Dragon series coming out?” This fourth installment is titled The Phantom’s Blade.

This writing project has been my most difficult yet. Why? Because I am juggling family, a full-time day job, and writing projects. This hasn’t been easy but at last I have found a “schedule” that is allowing me to get The Phantom’s Blade completed.

I work during the day, return home, and my kids are going to bed about 8 o’clock. Most nights I don’t get home until after 8 if not 9. I tried getting onto a morning schedule but so far without success. The challenge of that is that the kids can often get up in the middle of the night, so my level of energy and motivation in the morning varies greatly.

Up until I was seventeen I spent most nights stargazing with my telescopes (I’ve always loved astronomy). Often I stayed up until 3 or even 4 in the morning. The night hours have, ever since, remained my most productive time.

The Phantom’s Blade is passed 77,000-words now. I have been writing it late at night. Coffee has been the ticket to getting me passed midnight at which time my brain usually gets a second creative wind. The story has turned out really well. Many characters that readers of Swords of the Six, Offspring, and Key of Living Fire will recognize return for further development. I anticipate this book finishing at 90,000-words…

Expect The Phantom’s Blade to be available in paperback this Fall 2015.

How my dad inspired my fascination with trees in fantasy

AuthorAppleton on May 4, 2015

My dad is a talented artist. I remember when I was a kid (we were homeschooled) my mother did not have the artistic leaning, so my dad told us he was going to draw an apple. When he said “draw” he meant create a piece of art. The apple seemed to “grow” off the paper.

My dad did another thing I found fascinating. He showed me how to draw trees. The way he drew them he would “grow” the tree, starting with the trunk, designing branches that shot off of it. Maybe I just don’t remember but it seems to me he never added the leaves unless it was a panoramic sketch.

For an unknown reason trees have always fascinated me. Perhaps it is their strength and their fortitude in a storm . . .. A better explanation might be that my dad brought them to life for me in a magical way.

I am not a great artist. My sketches are simple. Maps I can do but other things take me hours to accomplish. Yet, I do know how to write.

Through fantasy stories I bring trees to life in much the way my dad did on paper. In Key of Living Fire I had the opportunity to introduce a living tree. Ancient and deep in shadow, this is a carnivorous tree, full of evil intent. It works with its benefactor, this crazy woods guide.

If trees were alive? Is it a question? Not to me. My dad brought them to life on paper, and now I bring them to life in my novels. This is just one more reason to love what I do.

Question: What things do you like to see ‘brought to life’ in Fantasy?

A New Era of Classic Science-Fiction Films

AuthorAppleton on April 27, 2015

From asking around I gather that many people have not yet watched Christopher Nolan’s addition to the science-fiction genre. In spite of its seamless special effects, powerful acting, and engaging characters, Interstellar reminded me of 2001: A Space Odyssey in more ways than one.

Interstellar takes its time with the plot. It does not drag but it is certainly slow enough to turn off those who are hoping for another action adventure. This is not to say that it doesn’t have its share of action, yet the action forms the backdrop. This movie focuses on the characters and the meshing of the present and the future of humanity.

2001: A Space Odyssey, if you have not watched it, is one of the original sci-fi classics. Great acting and ground-breaking special effects. But as far as a piece of entertainment goes, this was a dreadfully slow story. It made the long scenes in the original Star Trek movie seem fast-paced by comparison. The best portion of the plot takes place when a robot decides to murder the ship’s crew. The strangest part is when the main character enters some otherworldly state and ages even to his death… then to be seen orbiting Earth, in space, in a bubble, returned to his infant form!

In my personal opinion contemporary science fiction films have in large part lost their unique “art” of demonstrating the patient and studious nature of scientific exploration. Too often the action rules out. One scene jumps into the next, leading to one big explosion or something similar. I appreciated that Interstellar did not fall into this trap. It catered to the sci-fi enthusiasts with great visuals, brain-twisting theoretical science, and left enough mystery to feed speculation.

Interstellar represents a small set of films that I will add to my classic science fiction films, which have to be innovative and thought-provoking. Prior to this film the only movie I could place in this group was The Europa Report, a lesser-known albeit worthy addition that follows the first expedition to Jupiter’s moon through only the eyes of the ship’s cameras.

I love space opera sci-fi, like Star Wars and the recent Ender’s Game. But throw something at me that makes me think and blends in some fun theoretical science… that is the heart of the cake. After the frosting I still want to dig into a good cake and find that its layers are just as pleasantly surprising.

Question: What do you think of theoretical science as the basis for compelling sci-fi films?

Writing is (an author’s meditation)

AuthorAppleton on April 20, 2015

Writing is an expression of greatest concern, a reaching for the deepest meaning, a searching of our souls. Writing is.

Writing is

The expression of our passions, dreams, hopes.
The realization of loss and the longing to return the past.
An examination of our hearts and souls.
A way to connect with our Creator.

Is anything such a pure expression?
In writing we say what we fear to say,
Live the life we fear to live,
Reach out to those we long to love.

Is anything as deep a conviction?
Through writing we speak what our mouths cannot,
Walk where we cannot go,
Reach a world we never meet.

Is anything such a full passion?
By writing we connect with strangers,
We lay bare our souls to scrutiny,
We love without reservation.

Writing is a full expression
Of the life we want to live,
The people we want to meet,
The legacy we wish to leave.

This, writing is.

Question: What is writing for you?

Please take my first-ever Reader Survey!

AuthorAppleton on April 13, 2015

One of my chief concerns as a writer is to make sure I do not become disconnected with you, the readers of my blog, my articles, and my books.

To help me better understand how I can improve this site I’d like to invite you to take my first ever Reader Survey.

I am very excited about this because it will give me the opportunity to focus my efforts on the material that best meets your needs. I want to produce the best articles, the most relevant posts, and the most memorable books . . .. In other words I want my content to be valuable and useful to you.

Please take a moment to fill out the survey. It would be immensely helpful to me. Thanks!

Create your own user feedback survey

Cinderella: a true heroine

AuthorAppleton on April 6, 2015

My wife made the suggestion that she take our 3-year-old daughter to see Disney’s remake of Cinderella. Inevitably it ended up being a family trip. The local theatre in town has a Tuesday all-day special price that we’ve taken advantage of before. Coming into this film having already loved Maleficent, I was curious if Disney could succeed in turning another classic cartoon into a worthy live-action film.

Cinderella’s character is honorable in this story and, I think, extremely likeable as well. The supporting cast of actors and actresses filled their roles almost seamlessly. The one exception, I felt, was the fairy godmother. Same actress as the Queen of Hearts in Disney’s live-action Alice in Wonderland. Her personality was so strong that it jerked me out of the fairytale, albeit for only a few moments. Even then I can barely complain as she did play her part well.

So, did Disney succeed in reviving the old classic? I think they did. The overarching theme of love and forgiveness at all costs is a noble part of this story.

Disney seemed to steer away from incorporating non-traditional-family-values into the film. The only point I found a bit “preachy” was how Cinderella convinced the hunter to let the stag get away. All of the big film studios seem bent on convincing us that the life of man is of equal value to that of the beasts and creatures of this world. It is not.

God made the beasts for man, and sacrificed beasts for man. Yes, we need to value the lives of the creatures in this world. Life is a precious gift that is too often taken lightly. Perhaps this is Cinderella’s intent. Perhaps merely a reminder that we are so absorbed in ourselves that we devalue the creation around us.

Cinderella takes us to the heart of God’s love (though God is not mentioned in this story) by offering us a noble heroine who rises above the scum around her to be a truly good person. I think the greatest message behind this movie is that a great hero or heroine rises above their circumstances to do the right thing… no matter what the cost. We need more fiction exemplifying these values.

Question: What was your impression of Cinderella?

Trip report and Next steps for our family!

AuthorAppleton on March 30, 2015

As many of you are already aware this month I and my family took a short vacation to North Carolina and South Carolina. It was a great trip… As we often do, my wife and I packed it with activity.

We drove down to North Carolina and this time the drive took several hours longer than it used to because now we have three little ones riding in the back. Our youngest, Judah, was none too happy stuck in his car seat for long stretches. But overall the kids still had a good time, too. My wife had gift wrapped little items they could open at intervals along the way, which was another example of her foresight. She is blessed with a knack for keeping them entertained.

I did the driving, keeping my focus on the road and the possible problems driving our ’98 Ford Windstar can present. The brakes need work.

While going to the Great Homeschool Convention in Greenville SC was a big part of our trip (and we had wonderful visits with friends along the way) our primary focus was in making a final selection on which part of the Carolinas we want to resettle to. It is fully our intention to move out of Connecticut by November of this year and buy (for the first time in our married life) our own house. We are very excited about this! It will be hard moving away from family but we know that is where God wants us and we are looking forward to all the connections we will make with people in our new location.

Growth requires an openness to change.

Three areas were of great interest to us: Charlotte NC, Greenville SC, and Raleigh NC. We have eliminated Charlotte NC. At first we were settled on Raleigh NC… but God hasn’t given us that feel that we should discount Greenville SC. We like that area, too, and cost of living is even lower than NC. Definitely some more thinking to do before the final choice.

One aspect of getting our own house that is particularly exciting for me is that I will, for the first time ever, have a room dedicated to my writing, office, and library. A creative space to continue writing books and laying the foundation for the many others to come. Space is a real challenge for me at this time. Right now my office is my bed and often a corner of the living room couch.

My booth at the Great Homeschool Convention in Greenville SC.

My booth at the Great Homeschool Convention in Greenville SC.

We made a few new friends on our trip, which is always one of my favorite aspects of traveling, and I reconnected with an old friend I had not seen in years.

The booth I rented at the conference was a success. I sold in excess of 140 books and connected with many future readers.

Question: What changes have you made to facilitate growth in your life?

 

The bad and good of Portraying Violence in Fiction

AuthorAppleton on March 23, 2015

When writing my fantasy novels it is frequent to encounter (you guessed it) violence. Targeting my books to the middle grade and young adult readers this is of great concern to me. I don’t want to wash over the violence but I don’t want to glorify it in the eyes of the reader either.

Consider that violence is sometimes necessary to convey the cost of wrongs done. I think of how the Bible narrative is full of violence. Violence wrought by the good, the evil, and by God himself. Blood spilled, sacrifices of life and limb made. But this violence is not glorified, instead its purpose is shown. Whether the will of God to wipe a degenerate nation from the face of the earth, or allowing the Babylonians to conquer and enslave the Jews.

Too often contemporary fiction glorifies the violence by turning it into entertainment. Entertainment, whether in the form of a book or a movie, can and should display violence as a means to an end. A lesson must always be understood, subtly taught, so that the reader comprehends the relational and eternal consequences of such actions. Unless this is done the reader, and especially young minds, can follow the violence itself as an entertainment and subconsciously accept it as an end of its own.

In properly thought out books the reader will learn to respect certain actions and despise others. They should be able to picture themselves as the knight riding into battle and ramming his lance into the heart of a wicked tyrant. But on the same note they should also picture themselves looking with pity upon that tyrant’s corpse and wishing that another resolution might have been possible. We don’t need to glorify violence, but we don’t need to despise it either. It is admirable to slay the invader, save the fair maiden, and pray to God for mercy on those who have fallen.

It is admirable to wield the sword in battle… yet the greatest admiration should be given to the knight who knows when to show mercy to his enemy. The knight whose heart dreads violence and yet will not shy from vanquishing his foes when need be.

Question: How do you view violence in fiction?