Pens and Swords

Too much talking makes Relvan a hard sell

Kameron — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:00:43 +0000

I heard back from the editors at Heroic Fantasy Quarterly over the weekend. Return time was ~2 months. They felt the beginning was “too talky” for their tastes. That’s the second comment about the start of the story, so I took a hard look and did end up cutting a couple lines of dialogue that really added nothing to the plot. I’m not sure it makes that much of an impact overall, like going from “too talky” to “kinda talky,” but it’s all I’m willing to prune at this point.

The editors also admitted that “pirate-related” stories are a hard sell for them. I can’t do much about that, but it is good to know for future submissions, which they invited me to send, and a nice nugget of information to pass on to folks considering this market.

Relvan’s next stop is Beneath Ceaseless Skies. I recently discovered this e-zine via an article I read somewhere online. They publish new issues roughly every two weeks, with two short fiction pieces per issue. You can download issues as PDFs or PRC ebooks if you don’t like reading from their website.

Unlike many similar markets, BCS pays professional rates. It appears their main source of income is donations (their parent company is a non-profit), though they do purchase an option to buy anthology rights, leading one to believe they have plans to sell collections at some point. Until then, the donation model appears to be working for them. They’ve been producing issues since October 2008 without a break in publication.

Their submission guidelines are pretty standard. I really appreciate the acceptance of manuscripts as attachments and simultaneous submissions. You’d think the former would be standard practice in today’s markets (it’s not), and the latter is a rarity. While return time is 5-8 weeks, BCS offers another unique feature in the form of posts to their forums that announce when they have replied to all submissions emailed by a certain date. If you’re submission falls into that slush pile, but you did not receive a reply, they welcome you to query them.Similar Posts:

Relvan returns from Black Gate

Kameron — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:09:42 +0000

I heard back from Black Gate today on “Relvan’s Rescue”. Return time was about 6 months. John O’Neill, Publisher and Editor of Black Gate, was nice enough to send a personalized email, which included an apology for the delay (their stated return time is 3-5 months). Fellow author Marcy Rockwell often comments about the nice rejections she gets, and I finally understand what she means. I think this was the first rejection that made me feel good. Here’s what Mr. O’Neill said:

Almost. I was very impressed with “Relvan’s Rescue” — it’s well written and has a terrific setting, and some fine characters. But it takes just a little bit longer to get underway than a small handful
of other pieces I’m currently considering. I’m afraid I’ll have to return it, with regrets.

I hope you’ll try us again when we next open to submissions.

I readily admit that the story doesn’t jump right into the action, and I’ll take another look, but I’m not sure I’ll make any changes before I submit it to another market. Now, I just need to remember who was next on my list.Similar Posts:

Cult

Kameron — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:52:47 +0000

I should have known better. I wondered if this was the line he used on every weak-willed fool he tried to lure into his cult. It didn’t matter, but it confirmed my fears. What had Pelban tangled himself in this time?

“Ha! I highly doubt that,” I said. “Your god considers me an idolater.”

“Don’t be so modest,” Sahllos said with a smile. “You’re more than a mere idolater. You are a priest of a false religion.”

“Was a priest,” I growled. I wanted to ask how he knew about my former service, but I did not trust my tongue. The wrong word, spoken in anger, might bring down the man’s armed followers upon us. Zealots like Sahllos weren’t known for their stability.

“My apologies for a joke made in poor taste. I have been told that my sense of humor can be…inappropriate.” Sahllos’s expression turned serious. “I agree that you do not seem a likely candidate, at least not one that would be my first choice, but Jord does not see men in the same way that you or I do.”

“Look, I’m not interested in joining your little…group here.”

“I claim no ownership over these people,” Sahllos said, undeterred. “Nor am I asking you to stay. Just the opposite, in fact.”

I cast a questioning look at Pelban, but he just shrugged back. “Fine. What do you want from me then? What does Jord want from me?” I corrected when Sahllos opened his mouth. He smiled.

“There is a boy. He lives in a village south of here. His father died in a skirmish against the dragons’ forces before he was born. His mother dedicated him to Jord in gratitude for giving her a son to remember her husband by, and now it is time to claim him. This boy will be the vessel of our salvation from the dragons, but he must grow into a man, first. He will need someone to guide him past the obstacles he will face, someone who can teach him the skills he will need to be a leader of men, someone who can protect him until he can protect himself.

“This is the task Jord has set before you. Do not ask me why. That is a mystery he has saw fit not to reveal to me. You must trust, as I do, that Jord knows it is something you can accomplish. Do not the inspired Scrolls, from which you also read, say, ‘The laws and ordinances of Jord are not encumbering. He does not require of you more than you can bear.’”

I frowned at the familiarity of the words. They were indeed ones I had read during my time in the church, though we attributed them to Dwarvul, the durkar name for He Who Forged All Creation.

“Keldon.” Sahllos said my name, drawing me out of my thoughts. “Let’s lay aside the theological debate for a moment and take a different look at what is being offered. Do you wish to see the dragons’ yoke thrown off?”

I nodded.

“You are being given the opportunity to nurture and influence the one who has been anointed for this very purpose. He requires the knowledge and training you can provide. If you fulfill this role, you will have planted the seeds that will grow to produce the fruit of freedom we all have been hoping for.

“The choice, though, is yours. We are all agents of our destiny, as Jord created us.”

“And if I refuse?” I watched him, waiting for the pronouncement of doom I knew was coming.

“Jord will find another for his use,” Sahllos said, disappointment dimming his eyes. “His will can be delayed, but not circumvented. To think otherwise is the height of arrogance.”

I shook my head to free my thoughts from the disbelief and shock that clouded them. The man confounded me every time he opened his mouth. Let his god find someone else. I wanted nothing more than to be done with him and gone.

But where would I go? I could not return home, not after the raid and the attack at our house. The weight of uncertainty crashed down on my shoulders, and despair welled up inside me.

“Brother, you should do this.” Pelban’s voice surprised me, and I turned to look at him. “We should do this, together. We have no clearer path in front of us, no reason not to.”

His words echoed my thoughts and I knew he was right. Uncertainty fled. I stood and faced Sahllos. “Where do we find this boy and how will we know him?”Similar Posts:

The Bible as a storytelling pattern

Kameron — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:00:01 +0000

I know I have readers who are neither christian nor religious. Most of what follows may not have relevance to you, but I do make some applications to fantasy fiction writing with regard to presenting deities and embedding messages in your story. I encourage you to read through the entire post and take from it what you can.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

…as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,… (2 Peter 1:3).

I believe wholeheartedly in the words of the apostles Paul and Peter. The Bible provides everything one needs to live the christian life through direct commands, examples, or logical inferences. These form patterns that can be followed: patterns for moral living, patterns for worship, and patterns for ministry.

You can even find patterns for storytelling in the Bible.

There are two types of stories in the Bible: historical and illustrative. Historical stories are found in the Old Testament, and they serve a special purpose even after the covenant of the Mosaic Law ended at the cross:

Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:11-12).

Therefore the law was our tutor to Christ… (Galatians 3:24).

Paul reveals in his letters to the churches in Corinth and Galatia that the accounts of Israel still serve a purpose. They tell a story of how God dealt with those who obeyed Him, and those who chose their will over His. They paint a picture that prepares one for the revelation of Christ.

A fantasy fiction writer can make a some applications to their own writing when they read about the exodus from Egypt, or the conquest of the promised land, or the Babylonian captivity. The first is how the Bible depicts the interactions between man and deity. God is never seen. He appears as an elemental manifestation that is obviously supernatural. He sends visions, or unearthly messengers who are immediately identifiable as superior beings. The mere sound of God’s voice is enough to cause a nation to tremble in fear, and even glimpsing the glory that trails the passing of God is enough to make a man’s face shine so bright he must wear a veil.

In other words, a god’s presence in your story should not be a mundane event. I know classic tales are filled with scheming gods, but the greatest myths focused on the mortal pawns, or denuded deities seeking to regain their place in the heavens. I had one scene in Maiden of Pain where Loviatar appeared to Ythnel, but the editor told me to remove any direct appearance by the goddess. I don’t remember his exact words why, but it goes to show that even in the Forgotten Realms, where deities are a dime a dozen, their participation in a story is not a regular occurrence.

The stories of the Old Testament also give fantasy fiction writers a pattern for how to include the involvement of a god in a plot. In most cases, God appears to an individual agent, reveals what He wants that agent to do, and states how His power will manifest through that agent. If He does not act through a man (or woman), He sends an angel to do what must be done. When He does appear and directly interact, it’s as a cloud or pillar of flame that guides His people. God’s appearance or working of His power is never a deus ex machina. There’s been plenty of foreshadowing.

The last application I want to make pertains to fantasy fiction writers seeking to use their stories to evangelize or reveal a spiritual Truth. I applaud and encourage those who champion a christian worldview in their writing. I think you would be better served to write stories that followed the pattern seen in the histories of the Old Testament than to incorporate Christ-like characters and conversions. Remember, the law and the examples of those who lived under it are a tutor to bring people to Christ. They are effective tools for laying a foundation of Truth and establishing principles that will better prepare people to ultimately receive the message of the gospel.

I’ll cover parables, the illustrative stories Jesus told to reveal a spiritual truth, as a storytelling pattern in another post. Until then, I’d like to know what your thoughts are on the depiction of deity in fantasy fiction. Do you lean toward the biblical pattern revealed in the Old Testament, or do gods belong in roles more similar to those seen in classical myth? If you’re a christian writer, what do you see as the pros and cons of tales in the mold of OT histories versus Christian allegory or conversion stories?Similar Posts:

Treating it like a second job

Kameron — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:00:56 +0000

I began the process of dissolving my company earlier this summer. Goldbox Media Group incorporated back in June of 2006, and for the past three years, I poured time, money, and less tangible resources into the production of an online game. It was my second job.

The decision to quit that job was not an easy one. It meant swallowing my pride. It meant asking my family to shoulder a financial burden that I had promised they wouldn’t need to. It meant letting go of a dream.

I picked up an old dream I had let lie by the roadside. I wasn’t ready to fully embrace it yet, though. I’d been burned by dreams, including this one, and I needed some time to heal. My family needed some time.

I started writing again, in small chunks, but with regularity. A half-an-hour or forty-five minutes during my lunch. Sometimes 25 words a day. Sometimes 500. I reconnected with an old friend and, in time, he opened up to me once more. I discovered new and interesting things about him, fueling my enthusiasm for the relationship.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the average productivity of a “professional” writer is 1000 words a day. The manuscript for Shattered Amulet surpassed the 20k mark last month. Increasing my productivity to professional levels would make finishing a first draft by the end of the year a realistic goal, but requires a greater commitment of time on my part. No more playing computer games or watching TV during the week after the kids are in bed. I’d need to treat it like a second job.

Excuse me while I go fill out an application.Similar Posts:

My trip to Barsoom

Kameron — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:43:53 +0000

I owe a large part of my love for fantasy fiction to my parents’ bookshelves, upon which were stacked the works of Brooks, Eddings, Lewis, McCaffrey, Tolkien, and others. There was a mix of science fiction as well, but I shied away from the likes of Asimov, Bradbury, and Clarke. (I did read Chalker’s Rings of the Masters series). Perhaps that is why I never got around to reading my father’s collection of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom series. While the Frazetta covers certainly drew my eye, the “Mars” in the titles meant “science fiction” to my youthful mind, and I preferred spending my time with elves, dragons, magic swords, and wizards at that point in my life.

A series of posts on pulp fantasy at an RPG blog I follow, along with a John Carter of Mars film in production, brought the classic sword-and-planet series back to mind. My father’s collection disappeared during the years since I moved out, so I turned to the public library for a copy of A Princess of Mars.

I was at once struck by the archaic and stilted grammatical structure of the prose. It took some getting used to, even with the knowledge that the narrator is a Virginia gentleman from the post-Civil War era. A Princess of Mars is told in first person as a written account of John Carter’s adventure, except for the introduction, wherein Burroughs sets himself up as the nephew of Carter, assigned the responsibility of building Carter’s tomb to the proscribed specifications left by Carter’s will, and safekeeping the manuscript of Carter’s story until he had permission to release it.

Like most of its contemporaries in the genre, the story handwaves the fantastical and focuses on the adventure. I say “adventure” rather than “action” because many of the fight scenes are summarized. You won’t be reading detailed depictions of swordplay or long, involved chase scenes across the landscape of Barsoom (the natives’ name for Mars).

It’s characters are also basic archetypes: the noble savage Tars Tarkas, the damsel-in-distress (Dejah Thoris, the titular Princess of Mars), the well-meaning-but-ineffective sidekick (Kantos Kan), the faithful dog/companion Woola. John Carter himself is something of a Marty Stu, finding allies at just the right moment in unlikely circumstances or settings. He is stronger and more agile than native Martians by virtue of the lesser atmospheric pressure on Mars compared to earth. And Martians have an incredible healing unguent that can revive one from even the most mortal of wounds, if applied swiftly enough. Conflict typically comes from the peril faced by John Carter’s friends and allies as opposed to himself, and was often resolved through a deus ex machina.

For all that, I still enjoyed John Carter’s struggles to overcome the obstacles in his path. That he would overcome was rarely in doubt, but how he did provided good entertainment. Burroughs imagining of the culture on a dying planet has depth and richness that drew me in. The stories are perfect for passing time on the commuter rail, and the ending of A Princess for Mars generated sympathy for John Carter within me.

Heroic Fantasy Quarterly publishes first issue

Kameron — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:00:25 +0000

I think I’ve found the next market I will submit “Relvan’s Rescue” to, barring acceptance from Black Gate. Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, an ezine that began accepting submissions back in February of this year, published their first issue at the end of June. (I just heard about it last week via Grasping for the Wind.) HFQ publishes three pieces of short fiction and two poems per issue. I read all three stories and found them to be fun, entertaining examples of heroic, sword-and-sorcery fantasy (even if I could see the twist in “The Black Flowers of Sevan” coming from a mile away).

Their submission guidelines contain a couple items I thought worthy of mention. The first is their rate of pay. It’s not professional rates, but $100 is pretty significant for an ezine. If you view short fiction as a marketing tool, it’s icing on the cake. With no ads on the site or announced plans to publish anthologies, I’m intrigued by how they are funded.

The second item is their method of submission. They require a query/excerpt (first 10 pages) on short story submissions. This is unusual, from my experience, for pieces of 10,000 words or less. A synopsis, sure, but not an excerpt that could possibly be the entire story.

I know that the publishing industry is a late adopter of technology in general. Some markets won’t accept attachments, if they even take emails at all. HFQ appears to run on blogging software (hey, guys, if you’re reading this, you need to up the visibility on your RSS feed link; I can’t find it anywhere). I know Wordpress allows the creation of “Author” accounts, which allow users to submit posts–stories, in this case–that need to be reviewed before publication. It’s a model I’ve considered when investigating opportunities for starting my own ezine. There are other online markets that use forums or online forms that allow the input of the story directly into a database from where it can be easily published once approved. These tools are one of the benefits of being an ezine; I’m not sure why any online publisher wouldn’t take advantage of them.

That small critique aside, I found HFQ to be a solid entry into the pulp fantasy market. Their choices of content reveal a solid editorial staff, and the site and rates are of semi-professional quality. I look forward to reading their fantasy fiction offerings, and submitting to them, in the future.Similar Posts:

Fire and prophecy

Kameron — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:00:49 +0000

The orange light of the campfire glinted off the spear tips thrust in our faces. I held my hands up to show I posed no threat.

“We are arrows in the dark,” Pelban said. I saw him hold up his silver pin from the corner of my eye. The sharp metal point inches from my forehead persuaded me from fumbling for my own pin. Pelban’s guard grunted his acknowledgment of the passphrase and spears were lowered. We climbed to our feet and followed the two men into the camp.

The guards deposited us at the central campfire then returned to their posts. A pair of outlaws walking past hailed Pelban and he rose to join them. I took a seat by the fire and glanced about the camp. People huddled around a couple satellite fires, while others stood in tight groups conversing. Three canvas tents, one by each fire, were the only standing structures. The front flap of the tent by the central campfire flipped back and the aylar who spoke at the induction ceremony stepped out. I watched him as he gazed over the camp, his head nodding on occasion as though he were noting someone’s presence. When our eyes met, I did not turn away, and he smiled, but continued his sweep. Then, once finished, he looked back at me, strode to the fire, and sat down across from me.

We stared at each other for several moments, taking the other’s measure. The fire gave a ruddy cast to his features, which were dominated by the mass of dark, wiry hair that covered his face and head. He wore a simple, knee-length linen shift, belted at his waist. I told myself I would let him be the first to speak, the first to signal an end to our little confrontation, but I could feel questions welling up inside me. Pelban came to my rescue as he took a seat beside me and drew the man’s attention.

“Sahllos, I am glad to see you escaped.”

“Yes. I continue to serve at Jord’s pleasure as long as he has a use for me.” He eyes strayed back to me. Pelban did not miss the gesture.

“This is my brother, Keldon.”

“I know.”

I frowned at the statement. How did he know who I was? The idea that Pelban may have spoken about me in detail without my knowledge, or that this group had been prying into my life unsettled me. I looked at Pelban, and discovered a combination of guilt and anticipation in his face. What had he told them?

“You are wondering how I know,” Sahllos said. I fixed the aylar with my sternest glare.

“Do not blame your brother,” Sahllos chuckled. “He has done his best to respect your privacy in the face of my demands. And I have not sought out on my own more than he was willing to give.”

My anger surrendered to my curiousity. “That does not explain your interest in me.”

“Oh, I am not interested in you, Keldon Ironbiter. Jord is.”Similar Posts:

Training my inner editor

Kameron — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:00:29 +0000

I am not a prolific writer. I like to attribute this to my struggle to maintain a regular schedule of writing, and that once I establish a habit, my productivity will increase exponentially. There is some truth to this assessment, but it is only a part of my problem. I need to train my inner editor if I really want to pump up my word count.

Your inner editor is that little voice in your head that tells you when something in your writing isn’t working: plot points, characterization, and language. Especially language, in my case. My inner editor hovers over my shoulder, watching every single word I type, and eagerly brings my flow to a grinding halt if I have not chosen the perfect word on my first attempt.

Technology has enabled my inner editor. He knows how easy it is to hit the Delete or Backspace key. Procrastination in college helped him further erode the concept of a rough draft. There’s no time to rewrite when you’re working on a paper due the next day.

I’m suffering now from these personality quirks and bad habits because they’ve allowed my inner editor to disrupt my creative process. Instead of just pouring out the words in my head into a rough draft, I struggle to push out more than a couple of polished sentences at a time.

I need to be able to turn my inner editor off until my first draft is done. It’s not that I think editing shouldn’t happen at all during the initial writing process, but rather that my inner editor has gotten so out of control that I need to take such a drastic step to rein him in. That means ruthlessly squashing my urges to hesitate over the use of a “to be” verb or word repetition, and just type.

It’s not going to be easy. In fact, I imagine I won’t see much difference in my productivity for a couple weeks because I’ll be spending as much time strangling my inner editor as I was searching for the solution to what wasn’t “working.”

What I really need is one of those shock collars you put on dogs to train them not to bark. Have scientists identified what part of the brain the inner editor lives in yet? Then I could just hook up an electrode between it and a battery, and press a button to jolt him every time he rears his troublesome head before the rough draft is done.

Do you let your inner editor run free or keep it on a short leash? What exercises have you done to train it so it doesn’t interfere with your creative flow?

Power levels fluctuating

Kameron — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:00:45 +0000

I recently watched disc 1 of Justice League animated series’ first season. I’ve been a fan of Bruce Timm’s other DC universe productions, but found myself sorely disappointed in this particular endeavor for one reason alone: lazy writing.

How do I know the writers were lazy? Because they committed a cardinal sin of comic book writing. Rather than coming up with creative ways to foil the combined (or individual) might of earth’s greatest superheroes, the writers opted to simply cripple their powers when the plot mandated that they fail. One minute the heroes would be pummeling their way through the ranks of the bad guys, and the next the Flash would trip on a rock or Superman would succumb to an electrified barrier that protected the door leading to the control room, and they would be captured. Then, when it came time for the climatic battle, they would once again become unstoppable.

It’s not unusual for the power levels of a superhero to fluctuate over time as new creative teams take over, but to do so with the same story is a sign the writers aren’t taking the time to fill in the plotholes. Instead, they rely on a kind of reverse deus ex machina, creating artificial conflict where none should exist.

This laziness is not limited to superhero stories. It can worm its way into any fantasy fiction story. The skilled weapons master fumbles at a key moment against an opponent he obviously has the upper hand against. Or a powerful wizard’s spell that blew a hole in the foot-thick stone wall just a moment ago, now fails to do lethal damage to the dark lord’s mortal minions (with no justification for the change).

Readers, and viewers, can spot the contrivance from a mile away, so spend some time coming up with real challenges for your heroes. Pit them against enemies that can take the punishment and dish it out in kind, or who have the ability to exploit a weakness that you’ve set up prior to the encounter.

Another option is to lower the power levels. Invincible heroes might seem cool in our heads, with their ability to mow down enemies and not break a sweat, but they don’t make for very good storytelling. Your audience won’t relate, and they won’t care about the heroes because nothing can happen to them.Similar Posts: