Henry Miller’s 11 writing commandments, as taken from Henry Miller Miscellanea.

COMMANDMENTS

1. Work on one thing at a time until finished.
2. Start no more new books, add no more new material to “Black Spring.” (The project he was working on at the time)
3. Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.
4. Work according to Program and not according to mood. Stop at the appointed time!
5. When you can’t create you can work.
6. Cement a little every day, rather than add new fertilizers.
7. Keep human! See people, go places, drink if you feel like it.
8. Don’t be a draught-horse! Work with pleasure only.
9. Discard the Program when you feel like it—but go back to it next day. Concentrate. Narrow down. Exclude.
10. Forget the books you want to write. Think only of the book you are writing.
11. Write first and always. Painting, music, friends, cinema, all these come afterwards.

Elodin proved a difficult man to find. He had an office in Hollows, but never seemed to use it. When I visited Ledgers and Lists, I discovered he only taught one class: Unlikely Maths. However, this was less than helpful in tracking him down, as according to the ledger, the time of the class was ‘now’ and the location was ‘everywhere.’

-Kvothe from  The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

For those fantasy lovers that haven’t read The Name of the Wind, do yourself a favor and start reading it. Though admittedly, it seems at first like your typical, slow starting epic fantasy, you will find quickly that it is far from it.

In any case, one thing that Rothfuss does extremely well (in my opinion) is write characters who are absolutely mad. Elodin (mentioned above) is a professor at a somewhat archetypal “‘Roke Island” or “Potter” -style magic school. Tales have been told of how incredibly talented he was in his youth. He was once chancellor of the whole university. Now he does not teach a single class, he wanders around aimlessly with one sock on. He is harsh when he speaks, and makes little sense.

And yet, there are glimmers of pure genius that shine through his actions. Glimmers so hidden that perhaps they are not realized as genius until hours later.

As much as I love Brandon Sanderson’s work, I will be the first to admit that the character Zane in the Mistborn Trilogy is unconvincingly “insane”. Zane is fully functional. Zane is a deadly fighter. Zane is not even really quirky, he is merely a bad-ass with a soft spot for a lady and a desire to kill his father (who is a terrible person well worth killing). But because Zane has a voice in his head that tells him to kill people (which he can choose to ignore), he is constantly described as “mad”. I was totally unconvinced that even he would consider his own self crazy in any way.

So what makes insanity work on the page? In my observations, it seems like crazy characters work the best when they are still partially in touch with reality, albeit a distorted one. Recall any moment in your life when you talked to someone with Alzheimer’s. They have such a tenuous hold on the world around them. And yet, occasionally a moment of crystal clarity slips through. Where they seem to be totally there, totally with it, and can answer questions and recall moments in time when they spanked you for almost swallowing a quarter when you were four. But then this moment of clarity passes and everything seems lost.

I believe it is these glimmers that we must strive for in the madness on the page and table. Yes, it is quite a chuckle to write the character who randomly recites stanzas and times tables. To roleplay the crazed alchemist with his constantly singed beard. But when that character lets slip a glimmer of understanding that hints that perhaps they are better informed even than our sane characters, even than the reader or writer him/herself…

That is just plain chilling.

Now get back to your stanzas and times tables, your alchemical agents. But you better start paying better attention to them. Meaning is hidden everywhere.

illustration by jeloid

Fantasy writing must be grounded in both truth and life experience if it is to work. It can be as inventive and creative as the writer can make it, a whirlwind of images and plot twists, but it cannot be built on a foundation of air.

- Terry Brooks in The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing

Let us strive this week to find foundations in all that which is solid: our characters, plots, magics, worlds, and lives. Take hold of what you know can hold your weight and jump.

The wife, brother-in-law, and I played a good old fashioned board game thrifted while we were in chicago. Parker Brother’s 1975 masterpiece Gambler. A glorious game of chance that inevitably draws mass screaming in the stereotypical voices of gangsters and auctioneers. But throwing down wads of fake cash on horses simply numbered one through six left something to be desired. So we took it upon ourselves to google and vote on the best horse race names to give to our six steeds. For silliness and what-not I decided to post the winners.

1. Gayfields’ Pistol Packin Mama
2. Rollingwood’s Famous Cookie Thief
3. Frisky Little Man
4. Jerry K’s One Night Stand
5. Boldest Cheddar
6. Dance Hall Doctor

Keep on Gambling!

He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely foolish; no matter which is true, he is certainly an unhappy man, for he has put a knife in the heart of wonder.

-Tad Williams

Bear this in mind, my friends who are fond of railroads and outlines.

The best of luck today heroes, in your final struggle against time, the forces of evil, and whatever solo encounter monster that awaits you at the end of this year’s struggles. Fight as if your weapons are all Dancing. Drink as if your mugs are Everfull.

The merriest of all holidays to you lords of men and monsters. May you find truth among lies, peace among foes, and threads of magic among that which is most mundane.

But worry not, soon all will be as it should.

Just some fun stuff I happened upon while researching for Daughters of Oyr. What happens when a star gets too close to a black hole? Violent awesomeness, that’s what.

The above is the real sha-bang compliments of NASA’s GALEX spacecraft. I found it in this New Scientist article.

The below is a helpful CG that was explained simply enough to actually make sense to a lamen like me.

photo by robert young

The following is an excerpt from an early draft of Daughters of Oyr, my fantasy novel-in-progress.

The world around him moved at a crawling pace. The crowd of people were nearly still, save for a slight sway, like blades of grass pushed by the slightest breeze. One serving woman eased through the crowd, tray raised high. With each step the wine swished within glasses upon her serving tray, her curled bangs bounced. A patron lifted his arms, adjusting the straps of his devil mask. A disguised thief reached out and casually plucked the coin-purse from the patron’s exposed belt. In that long intake of breath Prince Weathermark was able to perceive all these things and more at once. But he pushed it all aside as this woman approached, the groping hands of patrons brushing upon her. He focused intensely upon the breeze of her passing. She smelled mostly of fine conifer rosin, of tarragon and other herbs, and vaguely of a dark, feminine musk. When he released his grip upon the Rhythm, much time passed instantly. Many of the patrons who had been standing around him were no longer there. The woman cleared the twenty some feet between her and the stage in an instant, and was being hefted onto stage by a man wearing a jackal mask. Prince Weathermark heard nothing but an intense ringing for a few moments as his ears adjusted to the passage of time.

As always, all original fiction is copyright Keith Potempa 2009. If you enjoyed this passage, check out more here.