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?

3 Reasons to Follow Our Dreams

AuthorAppleton on July 28, 2014

It seems that many of us settle for things in life. Even when we have a clear idea of what we like to do, what we love to do, and know why we want to do it.

My dream has been to get back to full-time writing. It’s a challenge because the initial income is less than ideal and the focus required means that I must be willing to sacrifice in order to make that happen. I must be willing to move to a part of the country where I can afford to comfortably support my family on a writing income and that means moving away from family and friends. Uproot in order to plant my family where we can be used by the Lord in a far more effective way.

So many things can pull us away from and even make us sacrifice our God-given dreams. Do you want to be an author? A pastor, a missionary, an artist, a musician? It is going to require sacrifice and mental drive, a drive to succeed in spite of the messages to the contrary from the voices inside ourselves.

Here are three reasons we need to follow our dreams:

  1. To remove ourselves from our comfort zones so that we can grow in deep and meaningful ways
  2. To find greater fulfillment in life by doing the thing we are passionate about
  3. And, perhaps most importantly, to better the world with the gifts that God has given us

Question: What obstacles stand in the way of you achieving your dreams?

“Arrow” Does Hollywood’s Brand of Heroes Work?

AuthorAppleton on July 21, 2014

My wife and I have enjoyed the TV show Arrow, which follows a young vigilante hero doing his best to destroy crime in his city. Of course he is rich, handsome, etc. and every other girl seems smitten by him. But though his selfless fight against crime is admirable, his character has startling moral flaws that mar his hero image. I enjoy this show but HOLLYWOOD HAS CREATED A NEW BRAND OF HEROES AND HEROINES AND WE SHOULD CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES.

Oliver Queen lived a promiscuous life prior to being marooned on “the island.” This fact is emphasized in the show and the characters laugh at it sometimes. It seems that they even disapprove of how Oliver was with his lady friends. But, truth be told, nothing in that respect has changed. Oliver sleeps with several girls in the course of the first two seasons. His lack of commitment is trumped up as a “necessary” negative in his isolated, double-life. Yet sadly we the viewers are not shown a man who can rise above temptation. He repeats his old sins but this time it seems he and those around him accept it as part of life.

The Vigilante started off with a willingness to outright execute criminals if he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were guilty. This aspect stood him aside from Gotham’s own Batman. Yet in season two the mood shifts and Oliver is unwilling to take a life… or so the script writers would have us believe. While this standard seems in some ways admirable, does anyone else find it odd that Oliver willingly takes out villains’ henchmen with his arrows but will not do the same to the kingpins?

Honorable? Maybe. His motivations are foggy at times, but Oliver does have a good heart. But wouldn’t it be awesome if we had portrayals of heroes who rise above their circumstances? Heroes who will not afford the temporary pleasure of a lady without genuine and lasting commitment. Heroes whose morals are not dictated by society but are ruled by the laws of God.

Question: What heroes and heroines do you love? Which ones do you despise or pity?

Movie Critic: A Plastic Legolas?

AuthorAppleton on July 14, 2014

Fantasy characters grow. They evolve or change in any well-conceived story world. But in Peter Jackson’s movies I felt a disconnect with Legolas’s introduction to The Hobbit movies. Did you notice the change?

In The Lord of the Rings movies we met an exciting Legolas, one unafraid to battle but also willing to revel in a jolly good time with his comrades. The rivalistic relationship of Legolas with Gimli the dwarf provided the movies with their strongest humor moments. (Remember how they kept track of their kills during battle in order to score who was the best?) And Legolas was intuitive and borderline wise as he assisted Aragorn in his quest.

Personally I feel that Peter Jackson’s last film in this series, namely The Desolation of Smaug, was superb. The characters were put forth with superb creativity and intrigue. But I make exception for the introduction of Legolas into the film.

The CGI work on his face made him stand out like a sore thumb (or an odd Elf in this case, LOL!) It reminded me of the way that CGI work brought back the young Flynn in Tron: Legacy and how they put Arnold Swartzenegger into Terminator Salvation. It was fun to see Legolas again, but his stiff doll face kept demanding my focus. Worse than that, he lacked expression. True, he’s an Elf, but the expression of his eyes empowered his character in TLOR movies and that was missing here.

Devoid of humor and lacking his roguish side, the new Legolas leaves a lot to be desired. Fortunately, it was Smaug the dragon that ruled the screen in this film.

Question: Did you like or dislike Legolas’s portrayal in Desolation of Smaug? How do you think it compared to the Legolas we knew in The Lord of the Rings movies?

Counter Culture: Material Gain Does NOT Equal Happiness

AuthorAppleton on July 7, 2014

We are constantly bombarded by the material things in our world, and those things promise us easier life and deeper satisfaction. WE ARE BEING CONDITIONED TO COVET WHAT WE DO NOT HAVE. But we must remember that material gain does not grant us happiness.

The mad rush of societies from ancient days until the present is this: we seek riches, luxuries, and pleasures. Our culture teaches that to have more is to live a fuller life. It tells us that without things we cannot be happy. Yet here is a nugget of wisdom we need to remember and encourage one another to teach:

There is not a more wicked thing than a covetous man: for such an one setteth his own soul to sale… and he that is to day a king tomorrow shall die. For when a man is dead, he shall inherit creeping things, beasts, and worms. -Ecclesiasticus 10:9

It is all well and good to enjoy the things God has given us, yet it is easy to be distracted by them and make them our priority. It is prudent for us to remember that the things of this world provide only temporary pleasure. If we put our energies instead into those around us, encouraging each other to live for the Lord, we will have eternal blessings. And imagine how trivial this life will seem after a thousand years have passed on the new Earth. The things of this world pass away, but we are eternal beings and we need to prepare ourselves for that future.

Question for you: In what ways does culture make you place greater importance on Material Gain? What habits help you put material things in their proper perspective?