3 Interesting Ways for a Villain to Die!

AuthorAppleton on November 10, 2014

In most contemporary fantasy fiction there is a primary villain, and by some means the hero must kill that villain. The beauty of fiction, however, is the ability to take inspiration from historical events to produce an unexpected plot. Like when I was writing my first novel Swords of the Six… I wanted something different for the villain’s end.

Here are three ways for a villain to die!

  1. Killed by the hero
  2. Betrayal
  3. Suicide

A great example of the first option would be Narnia where Aslan slays the White Witch. The second option was very effectively portrayed in one of my favorite novels Star Wars: The Last Command when Grand Admiral Thrawn is killed by his trusted Nogri bodyguard. And as for suicide I found it to be a powerful way to show how remorseful Kesla was for his sins in Swords of the Six. I derived the idea for Kesla’s end from how King Saul of Israel fell on his own sword when he knew that the Philistines had overcome him.

Question: What are some of your favorite examples of how villains died in fiction?

Why I want to put Wholesome back in Fantasy Stories

AuthorAppleton on October 20, 2014

When I was growing up I devoured tales of true heroism that demonstrated the growth of western society from Judeo-Christian values. King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, Pilgrim’s Progress, even mysteries like The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. What has happened since then?

On my book touring travels I cannot tell you how often school teachers and parents were looking for wholesome fiction for their kids. Twilight was the big craze when I was on the road and some people were horrified by some of the content included in those books because they targeted Young Adult readers. I will not speak to Twilight in this post, but I do believe that authors have a responsibility to society to produce fun, wholesome fiction.

“You are what you eat,” is such a common saying. But it’s also accurate to say that “You are what you read.” If our youth are filling their minds with stories of gratuitous violence, casual sex, promiscuity, and vulgarity… what sorts of individuals would you expect them to become?

Books used to be filled with stories of chivalry, self-sacrifice, and self-discipline. Even through fiction young people can learn to be better people with stronger morals. And, very importantly, they can learn how to follow what is right instead of following the crowd. Tales of old were filled with stories of heroes and heroines who stepped back when confronted with temptation and evil. Those heroes and heroines said, “No,” and the readers said, “Wow! I vow to be like that so that I can live in good conscience with my fellow man.”

Thankfully there is a surge of this kind of fiction that is now coming. It will start with the Young Adult category and, I hope, grow into the Middle Grade and Adult fiction.

Question: What fiction books have encouraged you and made you a better person?

Changing the story formula with Godzilla

AuthorAppleton on October 13, 2014

Godzilla stories had an interesting angle: nature was too big for humanity to ever conquer. I remember when I was a kid riding my bicycle five miles to my grandparents’ house. My grandmother would usually offer hot chocolate and/or instant mac and cheese. My grandfather would offer snacks (often cookies) and a movie. He introduced me to the original Godzilla movies and I was hooked!

Godzilla (2014)

Mild spoilers if you didn’t see the movie: Recently I had the opportunity to watch the latest incarnation of Godzilla. It was a well-conceived story, where, just like in the old classics, nature is beyond humanity’s control. The monsters that awakened to ravage the Earth swiftly moved from Japan to Hawaii, then on to the US pacific coast. Military might and technological ingenuity proved as ineffective as flies in the monsters’ path. Godzilla figured as the balancing power, an entity whose sole purpose seemed to be destroying the indestructible.

I think there is something modern storytellers can learn from this. We have developed formulas. Big problem equals bigger or more clever response from mankind to solve it. But why not show more scenarios where world-changing events are insurmountable. The monster will ravage and cannot be stopped. The villain is so far technologically superior that no one can overthrow them. In exploring these possibilities the stories must necessarily put forth solutions other than mankind. Solutions of the supernatural.

Question: What do you think of stories that need that other-than-human solution? Have you enjoyed incarnations of Godzilla?

Backstage Pass! In Search of Dragons: coming Fall 2015

AuthorAppleton on October 6, 2014

Yep, here is another cover reveal! This time for the cover of In Search of Dragons, the fourth installment in The Sword of the Dragon series.

After the events in Key of Living Fire, Ilfedo is prepared to lead an expedition back into the heart of the Resgerian desert. He must hold to his promise to return for the people of the underground city of Dresdyn, and to lead his people on a pilgrimage out of the Hemmed Land to find their new home. But his ambitions in that regard put him at odds once again with the mayor of Gwensin City, Vortain. Tensions mount as Vortain gathers the opposition, and Ilfedo must struggle with his own uncertainty to follow the prophecy long ago given to him.

Question: Which characters are you most looking forward to seeing again in In Search of Dragons?

Now Available! “Neverqueen” Revamped!

AuthorAppleton on September 29, 2014

Revamping the Neverqueen book turned out even better than I had hoped. The presentation of the spine text combined with the new cover art make it feel larger.

I hope all you fantasy readers are as excited about this as I am! This book is one of my best pieces to date. The story turned out just the way I envisioned it. A little mystery, a little edge-of-your-seat danger, some new creatures… but in the familiar setting of the Eiderveis River, as first introduced in Swords of the Six.

Question: Do you know someone who would like this book? (-:

Dragons as Heroes in fantasy?

AuthorAppleton on September 22, 2014

Dragons are predominantly the villains in fantasy fiction. But this does not have to be the case, especially if we write from a Christian worldview!

Abino, a dragon prophet from The Sword of the Dragon series

It is interesting to take this subject from the angle of seeing it from my worldview. As a Christian author I have often encountered readers whose faces get all twisted up when I tell them that some of the dragons in my stories are heroes. “How can dragons be the good guys?” I’ve been asked. Interestingly, if you write fantasy from a Christian worldview you have a most compelling reason to create heroic dragons. In the Bible the Devil was depicted as “that old serpent” and “the dragon” because it made an effective allegory to his character. But most readers forget that Jesus was called the “lion of Judah” and Satan is referred to as the lion who “roars about seeking whom he may devour.”

So is it the species that makes a creature figure a villain in Christian-based fantasy? No, the contrary is true. For the good and the evil are considered that way based on their choices. If they are intelligent in these fictional worlds, just like people are, then whether they are good or evil is based on who they serve. Worldview is a fascinating way to explore why fantasy worlds are developed in different ways. The Christian worldview as a basis for fantasy fiction can create some of the greatest storytelling.

Question: How do you see the author’s worldview impacting the fantasy and science fiction stories you have read?

Backstage Pass! New cover revealed for “Neverqueen”

AuthorAppleton on September 15, 2014

After the negative feedback I received on the original cover for Neverqueen, it was time to start from scratch. Give Neverqueen a look as classy and other-worldly as the covers for The Sword of the Dragon series. Ready for the full reveal?

Thanks to all of you who voted on the 99Designs poll to help me choose the final design. Your feedback was critical in helping me make the final decision. The next step is to get this version into print. For the time-being the other edition will be set as out-of-print until the new files can be uploaded to the distribution channels. In the meantime, I am planning the artwork for Neverqueen 2. It is my hope that this sequel will be ready for release in time for Christmas.

Question: Which of my upcoming releases are you most excited about? The Sword of the Dragon-book 4-In Search of Dragons, or Neverqueen 2: The Suffering Chalice?

 

 

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?