Author Appleton

Writing. Fantasy. Sci-fi. Mystery

writing

Reflecting on the future you

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While cleaning and organizing a bunch of stuff recently, I glanced at a couple of manuscripts that I started writing almost ten years ago. What caught my attention was how well the prose flowed. One manuscript in particular brought me back, it is titled The Death Knight Chronicles and I wrote it as a dark follow-up to the primary The Sword of the Dragon series. After years of published writing under my belt I realized how many highs and lows my career has experienced. I’m sure every writer feels the same way.

Do you ever find yourself reflecting on your past accomplishments, much like you do on your past failings? I do. It is unavoidable when the vision for my writing future is to return to that lifestyle of frequent writing, signings, and some speaking engagements.

Sometimes it is only in looking back at our own life that we can grasp a firm hold on our future.

Stories flowing unhindered by multiplied obligations and responsibilities. Time dedicated to pursuing the passion that the soul is eager to set on fire.

But it is in looking back that suddenly my vision for the future is encouraged. Why? Because suddenly I can see an older, more matured and experienced version of that younger, passionate me. I see myself looking around at my growing family, my children pursuing their own passions. Difficult stages of life behind me, lessons learned, greater understanding achieved. It will be a beautiful thing.

And when that future me is turning pen to paper, so to speak, he will have a deeper well of inspiration from which to draw. God will have imparted experience and wisdom that before could not be communicated by written words.

Younger me had failings and successes, and the words poured freely into the stories and articles he pursued. Today’s me is struggling with different things, and growing through greater challenges, being matured as a Christian husband and father.

Nowadays I have a lot to write but not as much time to do it. Wow, future me is going to have a lot to write.

Q: Are you catching the vision for your future self?

“The Undervalued Gift of Laughter” by Paul Regnier (GUEST POST)

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Hi readers! This month Christian author Paul Regnier asked me to review Space Drifters: The Emerald Enigma, and he agreed to write this month’s article “The Undervalued Gift of Laughter.”
Mash together (in novel form) the Guardians of the Galaxy, a little Indiana Jones, and Disney’s The Black Hole and you’ll have an idea how The Emerald Enigma comes off. Paul Regnier surprised me with this book. I do not normally go for the humorous sort of space opera but he really pulled it off. I found myself laughing aloud on several occasions. The characters are predictable but not in an off-putting way because they are fully fleshed-out, having each their own unique charm. You will love his book.
–Scott Appleton

The Undervalued Gift of Laughter
by Paul Regnier

Don’t we all take ourselves too seriously sometimes? One of my goals as a writer is to bring more humor to stories.

There are certainly times to have serious and dramatic moments in writing and treat spiritual messages with the reverence due the subject matter but I think humor is sometimes neglected. Comedy is often viewed as “light” or “fluff” in stories as if it’s just some throwaway, cheap thrill like candy. I firmly disagree. I think humor can be just as impactful as serious drama.

I know that in my life, humor and laughter have been a huge help in going through tough times. In my darkest of days the value of humor cannot be overstated. Laughter is one of the natural healing tools God has blessed us with.

Proverbs 17:22 “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.”

A quick web search will reveal a myriad of health benefits associated with laughter:
-Aids the healing process
-Reduces stress
-Promotes relaxation
-Boosts the immune system
-Produces pain relieving endorphins in the body

“A clown is like an aspirin, only he works twice as fast.” –Groucho Marx

When I get together with friends, laughter is always a part of our interaction. It bonds people together. It eases tension and helps to overcome the stress and worry of life. Plus, it’s a natural way to celebrate the joy of what God has given us.

Psalm 126: 1-2 “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’”

I view humor and laughter as tremendous gifts from God. When I incorporate them into stories, my hope is that the reader will be lifted up and encouraged the same way God’s gift of humor continues to do so for me.

You can find Paul Regnier on facebook

Find The Emerald Enigma on Amazon

Nothing like a stormy sea in fiction

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Nothing is so chilling to the mind as being marooned at sea, or shipwrecked, or worse yet to be drowned in the depths of the sea. The sea has always fascinated me and in my writing I have sometimes alluded to this fascination… and this fear. There are many mysteries still to be solved in its depths, and fascinating histories and myths to which we can set our minds. Whether reading about it or writing about it, the sea offers a humbling reminder of how powerless we truly are in the face of God’s creation.

In my second novel I found opportunity to write a short, albeit fun glimpse of the mysteries of the sea. In Offspring Ilfedo is dragged into the Sea of Serpents, battling the creatures for which the sea is named. But beneath the surface lies a strange sort of city, filled with sentient creatures. They are only seen briefly before Ilfedo is returned to the surface to finish his battle with the serpents, yet it was a nod in my writing to my passion for stories of the sea.

When I was a boy I loved reading about pirates and privateers. I remember one particular true story (and I wish I could remember from which book). This American was engaged to this beautiful young woman and had a close friendship with her Puritan-type father, who was a respected merchantman. This American was in the fledgling U.S. Navy at the time and he had been tasked with hunting a notorious pirate. During his hunt he happened upon his soon-to-be father-in-law and boarded the merchant ship for a pleasant conversation and dinner. Suddenly everything transformed into chaos around him. Barrels that appeared to be filled with legally-traded goods were discovered hide stores of weapons and pirate loot. The merchant’s crew attacked the navy crew and the merchant himself attempted to kill his would-be son-in-law. That American returned home having slain his beloved’s father and–as the story goes–he never revealed the truth of it to either his wife or his mother-in-law. So far as she was concerned her father died tragically at sea at the hands of the dread pirate. If she had only known that her saintly father had been living a dark double-life.

That story and so many others stuck with me.

The creatures of the sea can be terrifying and the lore of large octopus, giant squid, and sharks gives this deep dread of the ocean depths. The loss of such ships as the Titanic and the subsequent discoveries and explorations of it and so many ships that are vastly older make the sea seem to be a time-capsule. Things that are lost there may remain lost for centuries and upon rediscovery their contents can be profoundly fascinating.

If there is any creature on this planet that is as old as the planet, it would have to be contained in the sea. For the land and the mountains were flooded so that for a time the entire world was covered in water until the waters “subsided” that Noah could repopulate the earth. What a thought!

There are depths of the sea that have not yet been explored. It is in constant change, the life beneath it growing even as the ships it wrecks are overgrown with coral. I have an old book simply titled Buried Treasure that documents with text and photos the sea escapades of a treasure hunter. It is fascinating. One account was of a sunken portion of a medieval town. It was reported by the people living along that coast that the bell from the old church could still be heard to toll. Of course everyone else thought they were just making the story up, cast in superstition. The treasure hunter made a dive into the old town and found that entire buildings were still standing, in particular the old church. What everyone had thought to be a myth ended up as being proven right, for it turned out that when the ocean current changed the old bell would bong once again.

Another book I read related the facts and the fiction of old stories of giant sea serpents. There were sightings of those creatures and even one that was caught… and that was the inspiration behind the sea serpents in my fantasy novels.

In exploring the facts of the sea, one is able to expand upon the myths of the sea. In understanding what it is one fears about the sea, one is able to write more honestly about the power of the sea. In understanding how small we are in comparison to nature, one is humbled into acknowledging the power of the Creator. We are the created ones and when we acknowledge that insignificance our writing creativity is empowered.

Q: What aspect of nature both compels your imagination and terrifies you?

How to use music while writing

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Music. Like a literary masterpiece it has the ability to depress your spirits or make them soar. It can deepen sorrow, strengthen resolve, bolster you through tough times, and make sweet moments more memorable. When writing I have found it can be a great ally.

My father loves classic rock and roll, also country music. But he’s not a fan of the ‘pop’ country artists. Something I’ve always appreciated is good story in music lyrics and I think that appreciation comes from being his son.

On the other side of influence is my mother. She loves classical music. From an early age I loved Mozart, Vivaldi, and especially Tchaikovsky and Strauss. How I love the 1812 Overture!

When writing I choose music without lyrics because my mind is distracted by the spoken word when it is creating with the written word. For some writers this may not be true, but for me it certainly is.

Some movie soundtracks make excellent inspiration. My movie soundtrack selections range among Rudy, Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Lord of the Rings, The Time Machine, Pirates of the Carribean, and Gladiator.

The key is for the tracks to blend almost seamlessly together. That way it can encourage a certain writing mood for long enough that I can write out a longer scene or even a total chapter.

In the last couple of years I’ve found some modern, digital compositions that work as well. The group Two Steps From Hell has some excellent epic music.

The best way to zone out from the world around me and fall fully into my imagined one is to sit down with my headphones on, computer keyboard positioned before me, my digital manuscript open on the screen, and listen to music with my eyes closed. Sometimes it can take a half hour before inspiration strikes, but when it does I feel like smiling (and often do). Music can so deeply relax my body and yet it keeps my mind sharp.

This year because I’ve not found time to sit and do this my writing has fallen behind. But this is one of the best ways to start a great piece of story. Emotions engaged. Soul inspired.

Q: Do you use music to inspire your writing?

Ups and downs of the book publishing world

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The first introduction I had to the world of Christian book publishing was at the Glorietta Christian Writers Conference in New Mexico. I was an eager unpublished writer with only a small following on my blog. I’d written some short stories and a few of them had been published in online magazines. The largest payment I’d received on my fiction writing was  (around) seven dollars. At that writers’ conference, I now know, I was about to step aboard the publishing roller coaster that alternates between building dreams and crushing them beneath its wheels.

Nothing will hold you through the publishing journey if you don’t have a love for writing in your soul. That must be engrained in your heart. We will fight to preserve something we love… But many people have a mere curiosity, a need for social esteem. They think “How cool would it be if I published a book?” Little do we realize a love of writing has to be in our blood because the emotional rollercoaster is going to shove our writing in the mud, and put our social life on hold.

Fortunately for me I didn’t enter the world of publishing with expectations of making a lot of money or achieving national fame. Reading and writing open the world to me and those around me. I love to write. Therefore I would write if only a few people cared to read my material. Why? Because it is worth the creative struggle to bring the world literature. By God’s blessing my books have now sold over 20,000-copies and I’ve been encouraged by each email and message I’ve received from new readers and avid fans.

The roller coaster has never stopped.

Back in 2007 I was sending new endorsements and swapping edits with the then-editor at AMG Publishers. For about two years it went back and forth, with hope of contract then the light at the end of the tunnel would dim again as someone on the publishing committee dismissed it. Eventually it was rejected.

All during the negotiation process I read and researched extensively on publishing and business. It led to my founding Flaming Pen Pres to release my first novel Swords of the Six.

To make this long story short, I went from self-published, to a contract with AMG for my first three novels, and published my last two novels under Flaming Pen Press.

In my experience working with the traditional publisher, while a thrill all its own, has been detrimental to my writing career. Do not misunderstand me, there are huge benefits also. But when I had my first novel under my own direction I knew I could keep it in circulation, keep it in front of readers, and build on its success.

Traditional publishing gave my work exposure to new markets. But looking back I realize that signing that first contract took my book out of circulation just when it was hitting a great level of success. I was forced to publish a collection of short fiction in order to appease readers who were begging for my second novel, which they couldn’t have until after the first was re-published by the publishing house.

Another challenge came when some buyers did not approve the cover art for my second novel. The publisher opted to get a different cover art and it didn’t fit the vision I had for the book originally. Again publication had to be delayed.

Sticking with growing my own publishing company would have all-but eliminated that roller coaster ride. Controlling your own business means growing it at a steady rate acceptable to you, controlling the quality and nature of your products.

Case in point are my novels Neverqueen and The Phantom’s Blade which I put under my own Flaming Pen Press. These titles look and feel how I want them to, read the way I want them to, and sales are steady and slowly growing.

With traditionally published titles marketing for them flows and then dies. Publishers move on and sometimes close down.

Moving forward I am looking to build Flaming Pen Press again and eventually publish other people’s books. Years ago I attempted to do so with Kestrel’s Midnight Song but I failed in a couple areas when making that business decision. The author worked hard, the book won an award, but having set up the book printing a more costly way we took a financial hit on returns.

What is awesome about that is that I own the company. We can learn from mistakes and evolve the business so that it makes financial and artistic sense. Books should be non-returnable so that retailers can’t carelessly order more than they need and ship back damaged product at the publisher’s expense.

A slow and steady growth in book writing, publishing, and marketing empowers the writer to establish trends, rather than following them. It’s one way of avoiding the industry’s roller coaster effect. It is not for everyone because not all writers want to learn the management of their own publishing company. But my compass points more certainly in that direction these last couple years.

Q: What hurdles have you faced in your writing?

Are sidekick characters necessary?

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Merry and Pippin fumbling across Middle Earth. Donkey jabbering his way out of trouble with Shrek. Sidekicks abound in fiction. With their success has come an unwritten expectation that great fantasy (and fiction in general) requires sidekicks. Modern culture prizes comedians above serious thinkers, adding to the problem.

While we can relate to the reasons a sidekick can sometimes empower a story, there are also drawbacks we must recognize. Sidekicks provide an easy release of tension in emotionally uncomfortable or charged situations. Their primary function is (often) to provide comic relief in situations that the protagonists are sweating over.

What is the drawback to this? We need to be fully absorbed in the story’s moments, especially with their most uncomfortable moments of tension. We need to sweat with the protagonist, not have some other character insert a distracting jab that attempts to lighten the mood. Surely there is a time and place for that, but often the humor is better left out.

Story is a powerful conductor of thoughts, ideas that motivate, and convictions that make the reader want to change or improve themselves. Humor distracts, makes light of, and de-emphasizes truths that build good character. I have spoken before about not modeling ourselves after the villain… but it is also imperative that we not look to comedians and sidekicks as our role models. Humor is a gift to be used sparingly. Deep thought and consideration of how humble and small we are beneath God should be our focus. Meditation and reflection are more beneficial to our souls than the funniest jokes.

Sidekick characters have trouble taking things seriously. They see humor in every moment. They get so caught up in jesting that they are either slow to mature or miss the opportunity to mature altogether. There is great wisdom in keeping silence. There is vast spiritual reward in learning to think, live, and act in sobriety.  “Be sober, be vigilant, for your adversary the Devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” (quote from 1 Peter 5:8 The Bible).

It is easier to be foolish than it is to be sober. It is easy to jest especially when it has become the cultural norm. When I look back at some of the great fiction I loved I realize they did not use sidekick characters. Pilgrim’s Progress, Robinson Crusoe, etc.

I do believe sidekick characters serve necessary purposes in some stories, but I do think they are overused. The focus of story most often should be a sober consideration so that we can benefit from the tale we read. The trick when writing in sidekick characters is to not think of them as sidekicks. Let the story guide the character’s evolution so that you (the writer) begin to know their personality. As your understanding of the character deepens you may find opportunity to throw in a little humor, but the beauty of humor is in its spontaneity. Therefore let the sidekick characters be spontaneous and do not drown their story segments in predictable foolishness.

Humor is a gift from God, if used wisely. But used frequently it creates endless foolishness and leads to spiritual decay.

Q: How do you view sidekicks in fiction?

 

Frustration of time-constraints on writing

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For many of us the greatest hindrance to getting writing done is the constraints on our time. And on a deeper level we are hindered by the frustration that those constraints cause to our creative process. If the frustration is removed our brains act creatively to produce better writing. Looking back over the past seven years I recognize how this affected the writing process.

The first novel I wrote was while living with my parents. It was just after high school and my mind was free of most of the responsibility I carry today. I had a full-time job, dated infrequently, and later started seeing my future wife and got engaged. During that time I wrote for hours on end, late into the night, in the early morning hours.

Creativity ran on a full tank unhindered (mostly) by the burdens of responsibility.

By comparison, today I provide for my wife and four kids. Having young children takes a lot of creative energy and while I don’t resent that in the least (in fact I love it) I also recognize that I am in a different stage of life. Frankly speaking I cannot get the long hours of stress-free and distraction-free creativity that I used to luxuriate in.

When I updated my cellphone recently I found I could write blog posts and such in the small moments I have free. I am getting it done when I am away from the house because my mind knows I am not going to be called upon by a family member who needs me.

Small moments are proving more fruitful than late nights.

Time-constraints on our writing produce frustration and some writers resort to boatloads of coffee and late nights in order to accomplish the task. I will admit to doing that sometimes myself (albeit with dark chocolate and yogurt instead). But a well-rested writer will be less stressed, and one whose mind is free will be more creative.

One of the keys in continuously improving as a writer is to find those moments free of distraction. Time to meditate, center and clear your mind for the creative task at hand. Writing comes from the heart. A story is grown in the mind. Do everything you can to clear your mind to write from the soul because frustration only ruins productivity.

Q: How do you deal with frustration as it relates to creativity?

eBooks and increased literacy

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Buying a new iPhone that actually has a decent screen-size and far better memory reminded me of why I love ebooks. Kindle and iBooks are now more readily available to me (because I can’t have my iPad at work) and for a working father of four the ability to snatch bits of reading time when and where I can is invaluable.

Now I imagine you are a little surprised to hear me say that because I so often celebrate print books and decry the negative aspects of reading in the digital age. But though I am an ardent fan of collecting books in print I do recognize that ebooks are a wonderful opportunity for both writers and readers.

The benefits, I believe, are best summarized in one word: Accessibility. Accessibility is the key to literacy.

For writers: it is now incredibly simple to take your finished book and upload it to Amazon’s Kindle platform. It is an unprecedented means of delivering more content with more consistency, in a short span of time.

For readers: eBooks are instantly downloadable, most often cheaper to purchase, and offer out-of-print works that are often difficult to find in paperback. My wife has acquired many books free through Kindle and I have found some great bargains as well.

I have a collection of tiny books, most of them around a hundred years old. They are titled The Workman’s Library. No more than a few inches in width and height these books were designed to fit in the lunchbox or pocket of an average working citizen so that, in the previous few moments he had to spare, he could read Dante’s Inferno, Shakespeare, or Sherlock Holmes mysteries.

Digital books today are the equivalent of those tiny paperbacks. They can be brought anywhere, read in sweet snippets… But eBooks are superior. Within the palm of my hand I hold hundreds of books all accessible in an instant.

While I still prefer print books, eBooks are a wonderful asset to me both as a writer and as a reader.

Q: What are your thoughts on the advantages of eBooks?