How to create original fantasy creatures

AuthorAppleton on February 16, 2015

Among the interesting questions I have received from fantasy readers is the one regarding my process for creating and naming original fantasy creatures. Here is my little how-to on the process:

Take fascinating creatures from the real world and dissect them. Ask yourself: What do I find fascinating about these creatures? What abilities do they possess that inspire my imagination? Do their scales or their colors make them memorable? What parts of their bodies are interesting or unique?

Mash together elements from the creatures you’ve considered. You might do what I did by pulling in the head of an alligator, the feet of a dragon, the tail of a dinosaur, and then make six legs instead of four. The result was my first version of a Megatrath (so far my most popular creature). I felt that the head of the alligator gave the Megatrath a vicious demeanor, the length of its body allowed it to react with the speed of a snake, and the scales on its body armed it like a dragon. This was a creature I envisioned as a powerful adversary and a valuable ally.

Name the creature’s species. In the case of the Megatrath I wanted the name to convey brute strength, patience, arid terrain, and the largeness of its body. Mega for the size and strength, and trath combined trek (like a long journey) and wrath.

This is a simple system but it has worked very well in creating my fantasy worlds. Originality is key to producing a fantasy world that readers will remember, and one answer to that need is to craft original creatures. If you like dragons, gryphons, serpents, and the phoenix, then use them as well. But put them in a world populated by creatures new and strange.

Question: Does this process give you ideas for how to create your own fantasy creatures?

Announcing “The Phantom’s Blade”

AuthorAppleton on February 2, 2015

Around ten years ago I wrote my first fantasy manuscript and titled it The Lord of Emperia and that story began to expand. I explored the origins of the various characters and developed a history for the storyworld that, simply put, became too complicated for a single volume. The Sword of the Dragon series was born. When I wrote the first novel I was forced to split it in two… Well, I’ve done it again!

In the original manuscript for The Sword of the Dragon series I did not have the character of Specter, nor did Ilfedo ever take a journey through the subterranean tunnels under the Resgerian desert. He never discovered the city of Dresdyn. But in my third novel Key of Living Fire I could not resist the many ideas for deepening the characters and relationships in the series. The result has been that the fourth novel In Search of Dragons was divided by two large story arcs that were both necessary to the series.

As I worked on writing the manuscript I came to realize that both stories deserve their own novel. So the result is that The Sword of the Dragon book four gains a new title The Phantom’s Blade and In Search of Dragons becomes book five. The up side to this outcome? There is more story for readers to enjoy and deeper character development.

Cover art for The Phantom’s Blade is under way and I am writing the final quarter of the manuscript. Looking to release this book Fall 2015.

Question: Are you looking forward to The Phantom’s Blade?

Magic in Fantasy Fiction: Powers of God and powers of the Devil

AuthorAppleton on January 26, 2015

There are many ways that various writers have dealt with the subject of magic in their stories, but most pitch a “good” wizard or witch against an “evil” wizard or witch.

What is acceptable when creating a fantasy story from a Christian worldview? We know that God condemned wizards, witches, sorcerers, mediums, and the like. Some Christians are apt to ignore or else deny that the Devil has real power in the world. He, like God, can perform signs and wonders, but just because there is power in such things does not mean that they are right.

We read of magic in fantasy stories and, interestingly, throughout Biblical history we have stories of what we can term “magic.” Moses’s shepherd staff was empowered by God. At will he or Aaron could throw it on the ground and it would transform into a snake. He stretched it over the Red Sea and the water dramatically divided, leaving a dry path for the Israelites to pass over. Angels of God were seen with flaming swords and chariots of fire and other spirit beings manifested themselves. Even after Biblical history signs and wonders of God continued. In Eusebius’s History of the Church he details a war in the heavens above Jerusalem, and other wonders.

The Devil is a chief imitator. It gives him great pleasure to copycat God’s marvels. God sometimes allows it and certainly he allows it in the devil’s followers.

Magic, if we are using it to refer to all of these things, can be good or bad. In writing fantasy we need to be intentional when dealing with magic. If we are intentional then people can analyze and determine what is proper and good, and what is demonic and wrong.

It is important to remind readers that just because something is unexplainable, miraculous, or extraordinary does not mean that it comes from God. Be sure which Master the “magic” serves.

Question: How does your worldview affect the use of magic in a story?

Backstage Pass! Creating an original Fantasy creature: the Megatrath

AuthorAppleton on January 12, 2015

The many aspects of the creative writing process includes designing creatures never seen before. I love this process! It brings the fantasy world to life and enables visual representations that make it real for the reader. One such creation was the Megatrath.

Dragons, elves, fairies are all great in fantasy fiction. Also, they are undeniably linked to classic and established fantasy. When writing your own fiction the last thing you want to do is appear to be stuck using other writers’ ideas. While I do appreciate using the classic fantasy creatures in my stories, I find greater satisfaction in designing new ones.

In my old fantasy sketchbooks I have a wealth of creature ideas. These were first conceived of during the initial creation of The Sword of the Dragon story. Looking back, I am glad I took the time to create not only written content, but sketches and maps, too.

For the Megatrath I drew inspiration from the head of an alligator, the tail of a lizard, the feet of a dragon, and then I gave it six legs. The sketch that you see in this post is artist Amber “Vantid” Hill’s representation of one of these creatures. It was not easy at first to get her to sketch what I had envisioned. The process took several hours of live video chat so that the Megatrath turned out right.

You will recognize this creature from my novels Offspring and Key of Living Fire.

Question: Have you envisioned any original creatures that you would like to see used in fantasy novels?

Should any character be both villain and hero?

AuthorAppleton on December 22, 2014

Interesting things are happening in speculative fiction. New ideas are coming out and they must be analyzed to determine the validity of their argument. Today’s question: Can a fictional character be both hero and villain?

In the past I have not taken this concept seriously, but a couple of recent examples in film have made me consider this again and consider how to use this in my writing. The best example I have seen of this is in Disney’s Maleficent. Other stories have tried but most fail.

(Warning: the following material will give plot spoilers from the movie.) In Maleficent we find a startling re-imagining of Sleeping Beauty. Maleficent is not a witch. She is a fairy. A human-size fairy but a fairy nonetheless. She is pure in her heart and that purity is taken advantage of by a greedy lad who steals first her heart and later her wings. What follows is Maleficent’s transformation into a vindictive creature who places the infamous curse on Aurora. Yet Maleficent is fated it seems to watch Aurora grow up, and she, like the lonesome creature she is, ends up fully vesting herself in Aurora’s future. The ultimate and fantastic conclusion to this is that the villain seeks to undo her own curse, even throwing her life on the line to selflessly protect an innocent life.

I have seen a similar concept attempted before when Marvel showed the progression of Magneto from lone wolf to repentant ally. But Magneto’s story did not leave me fully convinced that he was ever truly a hero. Left to his own devices again (and without an enemy common to him and Professor Xavier) Magneto, I have no doubt, would fall into other dark paths.

Can a character be both hero and villain? I think so. Under the right circumstances.

If we look historically we can find some interesting examples of this. An obvious example is Saul who was blinded on the road to Damascus and thereafter was called Paul. He went from persecutor of the church of Christ to one of its most prominent leaders. A leader of the faithful and a godly man. But that sort of shift, the change from villain to hero, is made in the change of a heart. Radical conversion is one example of this, and another avenue for this shift is if the individual in question is like Maleficent. She began as a child, then her heart hardened, but another child softened it.

Question: When do you think it is ok for a villain to become the hero in fiction?

Angels: You Cannot Trust All of Them

AuthorAppleton on December 15, 2014

Angels have gained a level of reverence in western society. A reverence that remains even when many people do not reverence God, and this reverence for angels extends into Fantasy fiction. Yet the truth is, when it comes to angels, you can NOT trust all of them.

Worldview is pivotal in fiction. Let’s first acknowledge that a majority of the world’s population agrees that angels do exist. The three major faiths worldwide are Christianity, Muslim, and Judaism. All three concur on the existence of angels and their involvement in the affairs of mankind. And they agree that these angels are ministering spirits who act as agents for the All Mighty. But have we forgotten that a third of the angels fell with Satan?

There are strong implications from this that should impact the way writers approach fantasy and are including angels. The word of an angel should not be taken as the word of God himself if it contradicts God. Also, the Devil is the great Deceiver and his Fallen are as full of guile as he. An interesting Biblical reference for considering this is 2 Corinthians 11:14

In my novel Key of Living Fire I used my worldview to shape the story of a deceiving angel. Disguised as an angel of light this being deceived the heroine, leading her nearly to her death. When dealing with angels I want to show the reader that not all that appears good really is good. Instead we must use discernment to find the truth.

Question: How do you view angels? How do you see them used in fiction?

Santa Claus: his proper place in Christmas?

AuthorAppleton on December 1, 2014

“Ho! Ho! Ho!” Yep, that is the sound of old, jolly Saint Nick. Only presently he is commonly known as Santa Claus. He is a giver of bounteous gifts and delicacies. He lives in a castle, according to some tales. But is this his proper place in Christmas?

I found this painting titled “The Spirit of Christmas” and, honestly, I love it. The artist is Greg Olsen and he really captured the spirit of how Santa figures in Christmas for me. Here is the link to his full painting: The Spirit of Christmas.

Christmas is a beautiful time of recognizing the history behind the Christ child and of all those who followed later. The most famous being Saint Nicholas. The giving of gifts that reminds us of God’s gift to the world. The showing of compassion that follows the example of Christ. The beauty of the Christmas decorations and lights, reminding us that God created beauty and wants us to enjoy it.

The proper place of Santa Clause is at the feet of the Christ child. The myths that surround him need to be tailored to honor the true spirit of Christmas and to honor the Christian tradition for which Saint Nicholas stood. Santa Clause is a fantasy story, wonderfully imagined, but today he is commercialized with his values lost in the mountain of toys. Looking to the mood of Olsen’s painting should remind us of Santa’s true place in Christmas.

Question: What place does Santa Clause hold in your Christmas traditions?

Subscribers: My early Christmas gift to you!

AuthorAppleton on November 24, 2014

Nothing keeps you connected to the content on my site like subscribing to my Email list… And this week I released a new product, an Ebook on writing, as a Thank You to all my subscribers. But that is only one reason you should be on this list.

Here are 3 benefits to subscribing to my email list.

  1. Weekly blog posts straight to your inbox, focusing on Family-Friendly Fiction
  2. The Writer’s Scrapbook: 10 Tips to Fantasy Storytelling eBook for Free! This little book is packed with writing advice that I’ve gleaned over the years. This is not your typical book on writing. I take it from the perspective of a Christian author trying to create meaningful content.
  3. Exclusive content offers and updates related to writing and my novels.

The Writer’s Scrapbook. I am so excited to put this Ebook in your hands. Many, many people have asked me for writing advice and have questioned how I can write fantasy as a Christian author. Packed into this short book is potent advice I have formulated to encourage you to understand the writing process and even how worldview impacts the stories I create.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner! I have some cool posts planned and a couple of fun announcements coming soon.