Author Appleton

Writing. Fantasy. Sci-fi. Mystery

fiction

How we create Tomorrowland today

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While watching the new Disney film Tomorrowland I found myself relating to its overriding theme: Negative thinking steers our world toward a negative outcome. Positive thinking steers us toward positive results. I found myself asking, “What kind of a future world do I want to create?”

Doom and gloom. The news is full of it, and people gobble it up.

I have collected most of the old Disney family films and one I really appreciate is Pollyanna. Based off of the book, this is the tale of an orphan girl who shares her message of positivity with the negative townsfolk. In my favorite scene of the movie she reads to the pastor from the quote on a locket that her father gave to her.

“If you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will.” -Abraham Lincoln

In the movie Tomorrowland we explore the future that is created by our negative thinking. But what interested me most was considering the kind of future we can have if we approach things from a positive outlook.

If we look back through history there have been times of great darkness that only ended because a few brave souls stood against it. They chose to think positively and imagine creatively. Christian martyrs did not let intense persecution stifle their message, the message of Christ that created western society as we know it. Inventors like Tesla did not let negativity or adversity stop them in their ingenuity. The founding fathers of the United States did not let a tyrant or the cost of liberty stop them from proudly touting that message of a nation under God with liberty and justice for all.

For my part I want to return to the positive outlook. The world I see is cars flying instead of driving. Solar and wind-powered cities… More than this, let’s look beyond the technology and anticipate a society that fears and worships God. Where the young and the old care for each other. A return to the values that made this country great.

We are living in the Future our American ancestors Envisioned. Dreams become reality.

Q: What future do you envision?

Cover reveal: Daniel and the Sun Sword

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Introducing debut novels is a great pleasure when I know that the novelists share my passion for great fiction and for the Lord. Nathan Lumbatis hired me a couple years back to do an editorial review of his manuscript and he’s been working hard on it ever since! The story stood out to me for its uniqueness as it pits young protagonists against Peruvian ‘gods.’

Daniel and the Sun Sword CoverThirteen-year-old Daniel is about to be adopted. But when he learns his new family wants him as a slave, he runs away with the help of his new neighbors, the naïve and cowardly Ben, and Raylin, a mysterious girl with a shady past. He begins to second-guess his decision, however, when the cave they hide in transports them to the ruins of Machu Picchu, where they find themselves embroiled in a battle between ancient gods of Life and Death. To top things off, the God of Life draws Daniel into the fray by adopting him as his son and setting him on a quest to complete a broken, mystical sword, a task that will pit him against the god of the underworld.

Now, Daniel and his friends have just one weekend to find the shards before a hoard of supernatural enemies catch up. But that’s not all they face. A trap has been set that even Daniel wouldn’t expect, and he just took the bait. Will the power of his Heavenly Father be enough to save them?

Daniel and the Sun Sword will be published by Ellechor Media in JULY 2015.

Nathan Lumbatis

Nathan Lumbatis grew up in the woods of Alabama, where he spent his time exploring, hiking, and dreaming up stories. Now, as a child/adolescent therapist and author, he’s teaching kids and teens how to redeem their stories using Biblical principles. He counsels at Dothan Behavioral Medicine Clinic and is a member of First Presbyterian Church. He still lives in Alabama, where you will find him with his wife and three kids every chance he gets.

Be sure to check out Nathan Lumbatis on his Website!

The Ghost of A. Chantz and Clever fiction titles

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If you have read Key of Living Fire you will not be surprised that I enjoy spooky stories. One such story comes from none other than The Dick Van Dyke Show.

I love watching old television shows with my wife and kids. I’m a bit of a return-to-the-old-ways kind of guy. The Andy Griffith Show, Leave it to Beaver, I Love Lucy, and also The Dick Van Dyke Show. These shows are timeless, bringing us back to a simpler time when traditional family values were still pre-eminent in America. There is a lot to be learned on an artistic level by studying these episodes.

This week I wanted to do something different for you. I am going to recommend you watch a particular episode of Dick Van Dyke. If you don’t have the DVDs you can find it on Netflix. If you have already watched this episode please share what you thought of it

This episode was pure genius, showcasing one of the cast’s best performances. The title alone is such a clever play on words. When I am writing I often find the titles of chapters and of the book… come slow. When I see creative titles I study them in order to understand the process so that I can, hopefully, replicate that success in my own work. I want my readers to experience the same curiosity good titles have brought to me.

Dick Van Dyke: season 4 episode 2 “The Ghost of A. Chantz”

Question: What did you think of “The Ghost of A. Chantz”? (-:

A good first draft?

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I cannot tell you how many times I have heard an editor, a writer, or an agent make this absolute statement: “There is no such thing as a good first draft!” While I understand the point they are trying to make, I disagree with this all-inclusive judgment on all manuscripts we writers write.

When I wrote my first novel Swords of the Six it was far different from the final draft. I wrote the first draft, polished it, sent it to my editor, chopped it in two and rewrote large sections, etc. The process was long and arduous. By the time I was done I had no desire to touch a page of it again. Then, when I wrote my second novel I worked only a few drafts before sending it to my editor.

But when I wrote Key of Living Fire it was my first draft. Ignoring the don’t-send-your-first-draft rule-of-thumb I sent in the manuscript. The edits that came back were simple, occupying a mere couple pages.

What made the difference? I did not rush the writing of that manuscript. I let my creative flow lead me. If an element of the story did not move me emotionally I did not write it. If a plot element did not fire my imagination I paused to consider how to exchange that idea for another. Also, when it came to basic elements such as grammar I did not ignore a correction.

Hammering out the first draft quickly can sound appealing. But writers are artists, stories are the masterpieces. Think of it like a painting and get those brush strokes right the first time! In practice this is not always possible. Often your first draft will not be your last. But by aiming for quality over quantity we improve our first efforts. Do not underestimate what you can create with your first draft.

Question: What do you think of a writer’s first draft?

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

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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

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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?

Cinderella: a true heroine

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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?

The bad and good of Portraying Violence in Fiction

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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?