Fantasy in a Time of Crisis: Guest Post by Suzanna J. Linton

I left Twitter earlier this year but before I did, I noticed many writers talking about using their writing as a form of activism. This isn’t exactly a new concept. Many novels have been written in reaction to the times in which writers find themselves. Neither is this a bad thing. The written word can bring a society to its knees, not because there’s actual magic there but because of the force of the ideas contained therein.

Fantasy makes a good vehicle for activist writing because of its flexibility and the broadness of its audience. Some of the highest grossing films right now are some form of fantasy or science fiction. However, in times where it seems like a new crisis emerges every other day and you’re the living manifestation of that meme of the dog in the burning room (“This is fine.”), is there still a place for fantasy whose goal is not activism?

This question reminds me of an interview involving Brie Larson and Jeremy Renner, who were promoting Avengers: Endgame. The interviewer asked, essentially, if they felt any responsibility as actors. Larson responded that she definitely saw her acting as a platform to spread her ideals. Renner, on the other hand, responded that there was nothing better than seeing the joy on children’s faces. Both responses were perfectly valid. As actors, they do have the ability to reach a wide audience and influence people. Whether they do or not is up to them and it’s a very personal choice that relates to their overall goal as an actor.

For writers, it’s no different. We could go into writing a novel with a specific message or theme in mind. We could build a fantasy world so that we can examine a value or belief we hold dear. In fact, I wrote the novel Clara to answer a highly personal question. When I couldn’t answer my question, I continued the series. In a way, the series Stories of Lorst is a manifestation of an ongoing conversation I’m having with myself about fate and knowledge of the future. It’s not activism but it is writing for a specific end.

Cover of Clara by Suzanna J. Linton

However, maybe someone else is having the same conversation with themselves. Or, perhaps they see another theme or value in my series my subconscious placed there but which calls to the reader. Or, maybe they enjoy being sucked into another world, one that does catch on fire but the good guys ride in to put out the flames. 

Writing a novel where good triumphs over evil is valid. We need hope in a world that seems a mess, where everything is complicated and simply going to the store feels like a colossal quest full of dangers of one sort or another. 

Writing a novel where questions are posed and values are examined is valid. We need honest conversation and thought in a world full of people screaming at each other and no one listening.

Writing a novel where the greatest goal is entertainment is valid. Sometimes, we just need to slip into a different world where everything has to make sense.

Using writing as a platform for activism is a perfectly valid reason to be a writer. But it is still perfectly valid to write if all you want to see is the joy on people’s faces when they pick up your book. Whether you do or don’t depends on your goal as a writer and your choice is not one for which you should be ashamed.

Picture of Author Suzanna J. Linton!

More about Suzanna J. Linton

Website: https://suzannalinton.com/

Social Media: Goodreads, Instagram, and Books2Read

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Interview with Science Fiction and Fantasy Author Joseph Carrabis

My next interview is with Science Fiction and Fantasy Author Joseph Carrabis, who’s been a good friend of mine on Twitter and a fellow member of the Fantasy and Science Fiction Reader’s Lounge on Facebook.

Tell us about yourself! What would you like readers to know about you?

Joseph Carrabis: COVID hasn’t touched me or mine, yet, except in the ways it’s touched everyone - social distancing, quarantining, and such. However, since June I’ve had two surgeries and lost a loved one.

I was born blind and have had minimal eyesight my entire life. About two years ago a test indicated my eyes were weakening. We did everything possible and kept surgery as a last resort because, as my doctor said, “Once we cut we can’t go back. We have to save it for last.”

The nature of my challenge was such that we would operate on one eye at a time, see if that worked, then do the other eye. We did my left, weaker eye first and the operation was a complete success. For the first time in my life I could “see” through my left eye as people with normal eyesight can see.

And it enabled me to see one of my children grow weaker and weaker and finally pass over within a three day period. 

I would gladly go blind if I could hold my child for another heartbeat, one pulse of the universe, a single tick of the clock.

But such wasn’t one of the options offered me.

I recently had my right eye worked on. So far so good.

And I cherish what I see now. People don’t understand their worlds can change in an instant. Take nothing for granted, live each moment fully, completely, intentionally. Be aware of what you do. Appreciate yourself and those around you. Enjoy every breath, let everyone know they are loved, speak no harsh words to anyone, be at peace with yourself and let your peace teach others.

Long ago one of my teachers told me “Always look for the good.” 

That phrase has so much meaning to me now.

Alexis: “Always look for the good”—those are good words to live by. I think when times are difficult it’s so important to hold on to the people we love. I’m so grateful that neither of my children has had a serious health problem, and that no one in my family has died from COVID. It’ easy to get bogged down by the hassles and the stresses, but we need to focus on what really matters.

What book or books have most influenced you as a writer?

Joseph Carrabis: Those I’ve read.

I wanted to respond “The kinds with words in them” and then came up with “Well written,” but the best answer is “Those I’ve read” because I’m influenced by well written and poorly written books, and probably more the poorly written ones because the mistakes are obvious. Well written books can be subtle. You know they’re good and enjoy them, figuring out why they’re good and enjoyable might take some effort. Then there are the books you recognize are well crafted but the story’s don’t interest you. Margaret Atwood’s books are the prime example of this to me. I love her storycrafting, her storytelling bores me to tears. I read her work to learn my craft. I read Bradbury to enjoy what I’m learning. 

Then there are certain authors I read to learn specific craft elements and whose work I enjoy. Katherine Mansfield is a trove of setting and character. Poe is a graduate course in timing and rhythm in language. Budrys owns imagery. Few match Butler’s ability to show emotion through character subtleties. Silverberg, at the height of his powers, had an amazing voice. Few writers can draw a reader in like Delany. Hammett is a study in plot. King is a master of character.

And I haven’t touched on poetry. Dickey, Hughes, Eiseley, Brown, ...

Essayists. Kenko, James, Eiseley again, ...

I haven’t mentioned much from non-English authors. Whatever your daily language, I encourage you (who are authors) to study writings in your non-native languages. A completely different philosophy, metaphorical system, my god I can lose myself for years reading non-Western works.

Alexis: I love so man of the writers you’ve mentioned! I do think that reading non-English authors is vitally important. Personally, I’m also drawn to ancient writers. I think there’s something so magical about reading the Epic of Gilgamesh or the Illiad, or Sappho’s poetry, and feeling like you’re hearing a voice from out of time.

What are some tropes of fiction in your genre that you love/hate? Why?

Joseph Carrabis: First, more and more readers tell me my genre is “Joseph.” In the Joseph genre, I will not tolerate weak writing. As soon as I tire, I stop writing and do something else. I don’t rush to get something done, I let it wait. Also in the Joseph genre, I love intricate, tightly woven plots. 

Second and regarding other people’s work, linear storylines bore me except in the work of authors such as Hammett, Faulkner, Hemingway and several of the Golden Age SF writers. Linear storylines are fine in some modern things, but if I can figure out a story’s ending before I finish the first 2-3 sentences, the story’s not working for me. I remember being 9-10 years old and reading Agatha Christie’s The Clocks. My mother loved Christie and I read the books after she finished them. I got about forty pages in, went to my mother and told her how the story ended, who did it, et cetera. I’d read 2-3 other Christie novels and figured out her storytelling style, how she placed clues, et cetera, and how she worked out her novels. I lost interest in Christie right after that (although The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a stylistic marvel still). I’ll guess my ability to deduce a story’s outcome (plot) is what’s caused me to prefer character driven stories, and unfortunately most genre stories are plot driven (Rita Mae Brown offers a great test for this and it hasn’t failed me yet).

I attended a con a while back (in the days when you actually went out and spent time with people not wearing masks) and offered that genre v literature test while on a panel. An author in the audience got loudly defensive. I was confused. I didn’t say there was anything wrong with genre, only that it tends to be plot driven, not character driven. But pick up any of this author’s books (the ones I’ve seen anyway), read the first paragraph, and you know if the emphasis is on plot or character, hence genre v literature, and please do remember that “literature” is also a genre, simply one that emphasizes character over plot.

In the end, it all comes down to poor writing for me. How many different ways can one write a “Man versus Nature” story? Well, it’s uncountable. “Man versus Nature” is the core. Change it up one and you get “Woman versus Nature.” Change it up one again and you have “Man versus Tidal Wave.” Make it feminist fantasy with “Woman versus Mountain Elemental.”

What I have no tolerance for is anything poorly written.

Alexis: That’s an interesting distinction between genre and literature. I often find the lines between the two very fine and rather arbitrary. Under your test, I imagine that a great deal of well written science fiction by writers like Connie Willis or Octavia Butler, would be re-classified as literature. I’m honestly not sure if I want that or not.

Who is your favorite character in your book? What do you like about them? (or, which character do you hate most and why)

Joseph Carrabis: Which of your children is your favorite? (Hopefully) we love them all equally although we may love different things in them. I recently completed Don Quitamo Sails, a story requested by Harvey Duckman Presents editor C.G. Hallum. I wrote the first two pages of Don Quitamo Sails over two years ago but didn’t know where the story went from there. C.G. Hallum asked for a pirate story and Boom! there was the story. When I realized what the story was about I wept for joy. C.G. also asked for another story set in a world I created, The Woods. During the conversation, she mentioned making “little knitted dragons” for someone as gifts. I heard “Little Knitty Dragon” and Boom! “A Tale of The Woods: The Little Knitty Dragon” is born (which brought tears to her eyes when she read it).

There’s not character(s) I hate. Even the most evil, rotten bastards - and I’ve had readers ask me how I come up with such malevolent characters - are given one if not more reasons to make them human. Such is a requirement, me thinks, of writing any character; flaws. A “good” character needs one if not more “bad” traits, sometimes called “weaknesses.” So do “bad” characters, except a weakness in a “bad” character is a redeemable trait.

What are you doing to de-stress during the pandemic? Is there any coping mechanism you’d recommend (or NOT recommend)?

Joseph Carrabis: Ha. I’m writing. Listening to music. Playing music, too. Walking with Susan (wife/partner/Princess) and our dog. Reading.

Wait a second...that’s what I do anyway.

I tell people I’m boring and dull and this is evidence of it. My life isn’t complex. I’ve also learned to be adaptable. Not being able to do something means I have time to do something else.

Alexis: That’s a good way of thinking about things! I’ve been listening to more music lately, and reading more books as well.

What do you like to do other than read or write? Do you have any interesting hobbies?

Joseph Carrabis: Music. Cooking. Reading. 

Interesting. If you didn’t put that qualifier on it, I maybe could come up with some answers. Oh! I know! I love to fly kites. I have about a hundred different kinds for all sorts of weather conditions and types of flying. Completely relaxing to me, and I don’t do it enough. I also enjoy a good cigar with a good single-malt Scotch. Usually once a week on the backporch, a kind of ceremony, a “Hurrah! I made it through another one! Congratulations to me!” I wrote a blog post about it, Enjoying Scotch and Cigars with @FireRenaissance, @FromGreenhills, and @GGGenge.

Tell us about a mystery/urban legend from your hometown (or another place you’ve lived).

Joseph Carrabis: Oy! I’ve lived many places. What legend or mystery would be best? Have your readers heard of the Inuit SnowWalker? Or how the Northern Lights are the souls of unborn children? Sometimes the myths of where I’ve lived show up in my work. Two examples would be Them Doore Girls and The Boy Who Loved Horses. The former’s about a ocean elemental and the latter is about a gifted child.

One legend that I keep coming back to as story fodder involves an 1800s factory and a boy who was killed in the machinery. He haunts the mill and some workers claim to see him to this day even though the mill itself has been gentrified into office space.

What TV shows/Movies do you like to watch or stream? 

Joseph Carrabis: Well-written ones. Currently we’re watching old episodes of New Tricks and Hustle, two British mysteries. We’re also restarting The Doctor Blake Mysteries, a mystery set in the post WWII Australia. We’re impatiently waiting for the next Murdoch Mysteries season, a Canadian import. Sometimes we’ll do a Cadfael night, a Brit period piece from the time of the Crusades. 

Sometimes the production values get in the way of the stories, especially with some of the older shows, and so long as the storytelling is there, we’ll watch. I watch mostly to learn storycrafting technique; learn how to introduce characters, situations, how to use setting to enhance a story, things like that.

We recently rewatched the original StarMan. I took notes on how seamlessly they introduced setting, character, initialized plot, provided crisis elements, et cetera, in the first eighteen minutes of the movie and kept it all moving forward so the viewer didn’t stop watching. Amazing.

If your readers find a movie or book they enjoy, go back and reread or rewatch it and take notes on what works and why. A movie or book they don’t enjoy? Ditto. Learn what doesn’t work and why. Then apply both to your own writing

What’s your favorite animal?

Joseph Carrabis: Favorite. Hmm...that is a tough one. Do I talk about my Totems? My Guardians? My Guides? My Grandmother and Grandfather spirits? The animals appearing on my personal shield? I suppose the safest answer is “The one I’m talking with at the moment.”

Every aboriginal culture I’ve studied has told me I carry Spider and Wolf (medicines), and most of these cultures associate Spider with StoryTelling and Wolf with Teaching. So I teach via stories?

Yeah, I’m good with that.

Hope it’s true.

Do you like playing board games or role playing games like D&D? If so, which games do you like best?

Joseph Carrabis: My all time favorite was Risk, although I haven’t played it in years. I played Trivial Pursuit with my in-laws at family gatherings but they decided to handicap me due to my extensive reading and memory; I was allowed to know only one word of the question. 

I love chess but lost interest early on as I’m not competitive. I learned to play because a friend played. My uncle, who taught me, told me to play my first game with someone and lose, but pay attention to how they play. Figure out how they play, their weaknesses and strengths, and you’ll win thereafter. I played with that friend, lost, and asked to play again. His mother asked why I wanted to play again, hadn’t her son shown he was a better player? I explained about losing to learn and they couldn’t accept that. Then let’s play again? Okay, fine. And I won six games in a row, at which point his mother wouldn’t let him play any more with me. About two months later he wanted to play again, beat me the first game, and I beat him the second. “You learned to beat me. Specifically me. Not how to play chess better.” During those two months I’d read half a dozen books on chess. My mentor in chess was a fellow student, John Baumgart. My god what a gifted player he was. And lonely as hell. I felt so sorry for him. I hope he found happiness in life.

I play cards fairly often and relax playing various solitaires. I prefer card games because the mathematics is usually fixed by the situation, hence they’re better training for the things I like to do.

Do you have pet(s)? If so, share a picture of your pet!

Joseph Carrabis: Ghost, our cat, passed about a month ago as I write this. Congestive heart failure. He weakened and passed in three days. We still mourn, less each day, and prefer to remember our joy with him than our sorrow at not being with him. We’ll join him when we pass, as we believe all things are waiting, not lost.

Boo is our pup.

This picture is from December 2012, shortly after we got them. Both are rescues.

Alexis: They are so cute! I’m so sorry about your cat’s heart failure. It’s so hard when a pet dies.

What advice do you have for other writers or people just getting started in writing?

Joseph Carrabis: Write, write, and write. When you’re done with that, write some more.

Also read, read, read. And when you’re done with that, read some more.

Here’s a post about it, What do you mean, exactly, when you tell me to Read and Write to be an author?

How do you choose what books you want to read?

Joseph Carrabis: As noted earlier, the first requirement is that the book be well-written. I do an hour a day on the stairs at the gym and read the entire time. Those books tend to be instructional/educational. My nightstand has books recommended to me and/or given to me. My headboard has books I want to study for various reasons, usually technique or research. The stand by my chair has books I read for enjoyment (and often technique gets in there, too).

Authors sometimes ask me to read their books. I ask for the first few chapters/10-15 pages, and can tell (often in the first sentence and usually in the first paragraph) if the author has enough chops to keep me reading, at which point I’ll buy their book (love supporting my brothers and sisters in pen). Four authors who blew me away with their book openings/writings are Steven Searls, Ricky Ginsburg, Joanell Serra, and Terry Melia. Four completely different styles of writing, four completely different genres, four amazing authors worth watching. And reading.

Do you like Greek/Roman/Norse/Asian/African mythology or folklore? What’s your favorite myth? 

Joseph Carrabis: I spent much of my life as a cultural anthropologist, so yes, I love indigenous truths. Many of my stories make use of various cultural milieus.

But my favorite? Probably the earlier ones. The earlier the better. They tend to be more accurate to what actually happened, less edited to suit some political or social agenda.

If you write scifi, what technology or innovations or scientific discoveries have inspired your work?

Joseph Carrabis: I don’t write about technology or such per se, I write about how people are affected by technology. Most often I come up with a story idea and then go looking for the science - current or projected - to support it.

The closest I can come up with re science presaging a story would be a work-in-progress, The Absolute Limit of Sound. The story came to me pretty much fully formed while I was reading a Science magazine paper on sonoluminescence.

What’s one subject you wish you knew more about? What kinds of things would you like to learn someday?

Joseph Carrabis: The one subject I wish I knew more about? Me.

What kinds of things would I like to learn someday? First, stuff I don’t know I don’t know. That’ll keep me busy. Then the stuff I know I don’t know. Finally, the stuff I “know,” because I really don’t and am just fooling myself.

Alexis: Yes, it’s always hard to really see and understand ourselves, isn’t it? To get an honest picture of what we’re really like.

Find Out More About Joseph Carrabis!

Books: The Augmented Man, Empty Sky, Tales Told ‘Round Celestial Campfires

Website: https://josephcarrabis.com/

Social Media: Twitter, FaceBook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Instagram

How to Get Writing in Five Steps

It’s been an exciting, but also very stressful year. I started a new job, published two books, and I’m continually amazed by my children, and the myriad of ways they discover to make me worry about them. All of which is to say, I love reading and writing, and I find myself with less time and energy than I’d like to do them. But I’ve decided I really want to get back to writing everyday—when I did that in the past, I felt like my writing and creativity flowed better and more consistently. So here are some of the strategies I’m going to use to get back on track:

1. Don’t always write on a computer.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my laptop. But computers come with tons of distractions—social media, emails, work, marketing. When I’m really struggling to get going, I’ve found myself organizing my pictures instead of writing! In other words, sometimes it’s better to just go pen and paper. It keeps you honest, and is relatively distraction free. I’ve decided to go back to carrying a small writing notebook in my purse, and writing in it when I have free time. It’s an easy enough set up, and it feels like less pressure sometimes than writing on a computer.

2. Write What You Want

I think one of the reasons that I stopped writing as much as I had been, apart from life stress, that the project I was working on was sort of overwhelming me. I loved the story, and I still hope to finish this book over the summer. But writing a whole book felt like too much while I was working full time and taking care of my family. Short stories, on the other hand, feel much more approachable to me. I feel like I can handle them easier, and they don’t overwhelm me as much. So, while I know that there’s a writing rule about finishing what you start, I’m going to give myself a break from that for now and write what I want. Maybe that’s a short story. Maybe that’s a blog post. Maybe it’s an angry letter to the editor about the horrible effects of standardized testing in schools that I will never send. But I’m going to write what I want to write in the moment.

3. Use the Time You Have

I wish I had a nice two to three hour stretch of uninterrupted time in the afternoon to write in, but I don’t. Instead, I have ten minutes of lunchtime. That’s not ideal, but that doesn’t mean it’s not useful. If I can only write ten minutes, why not make the best use of that time? It helps to carry a small notebook, so that when I have a break or a quiet moment, I can take advantage of it.

4. Keep Writing and Editing Separate

Especially when I don’t have a lot of time or energy, it’s important to just get writing, and not judge my writing too much. Editing is important, but it should come later in the process. This has always been really hard for me, since I tend to edit as I go, but I think it does hold me back from actually getting the story out. So I’m trying to let go and keep going, even if I want to stop and polish something.

5. You Do You, Don’t Compare!

I can get discouraged when I see other writers who seem to write so much faster than I do, especially during NaNoWriMo, when it seems like everyone is doing 5,000 or 6,000 words a day. I have almost never written 5,000 words in a day. But I’m not going to let it bother me. I need to write my story at my pace, and just keep going. I might never write a huge daily word count, but if I keep going I’ll still finish something. Eventually. Just keep swimming!

Also, if you’re interested in reading some great science fiction books in kindle unlimited, check out the “To Infinity and Beyond!” online book fair in Story Origin!

If you like my writing, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter!

Our Half Price Books Tour: Results

If you’ve been following my blog or other social media, you may know that my friend Sarah Mensinga and I did a mini-book tour of our local Half Price Bookstores. I thought I’d write about how we set up the tour, and what results we had in terms of sales and experiences. It’s been a fun and exciting journey!

Setting Up an Author Event

It turns out that arranging book signings and other events at local bookstores, at least at the Half Price Bookstores here in Texas, is fairly easy. Honestly, I started by just visiting the bookstores and asking if they did events for local authors. If they did, I asked who to contact or talk to arrange an event of my own. Sometimes we had to fill out a form online or send one into the store, but most of the time either me or Sarah just had to email or talk to the manager of the store and arrange a date. Truthfully, I was surprised at how easy this part was!

Now, I do think that it’s likely easier to arrange events at used bookstores or indie bookstores than it may be at larger chains, but since I love used and indie bookstores, that didn’t bother me. There’s also a waiting list of a couple of months at the larger bookstores, such as the Flagship Half Price in Dallas. But if you’re patient, professional, and flexible on dates, I don’t think it would be particularly hard for most authors to arrange a book signing at a couple of local stores.

My author table at the Flagship Half Price Bookstore in Dallas!

Presenting Your Books—the Display

Sarah and I had already bought banners, banner stands, and book stands for our table at Dallas Fan Expo, so we didn’t really need any more materials for our events. The nice thing about a good author banner is that you can reuse it at tons of different events! I also had a few books leftover from Fan Expo and Arlingcon, though I did end up buying about ten more copies of both Sapience and Saints & Curses to bring on the tour.

A good display should show off a couple of copies of your books, have a clear and easy to read price list (including any deals or sales you’re having), and be eye-catching (dramatic colors, texts large enough for people to read at a distance, etc.). We had cute little mini-easels that held copy of each books upright, so people could see them easily. Sarah found these at an art supply store for a steep discount. I also printed a couple sheets of QR codes, so that people could scan them and easily find our books/website online if they wanted. I’d also recommend that you have a way to take credit cards, which is easy to do using the Square App (they’ll send you a free card-swiper).

I think one of the things a lot of author miss at book events, however, is a clear communication of genre. As a reader and a writer, I generally prefer science fiction and fantasy. Whatever genres you write, your banner—its pictures, its text, and its style—should reflect that. One thing I’ve discovered is that many people have clear preferences for say, science fiction, and they are looking for a display that screams “scifi here!” Which is fine, as my banner does just that, and that’s what I like to write. But if your banner is genre ambiguous—if people can’t tell if it’s high fantasy, urban fantasy, steampunk, or scifi—tons of potential readers will give you a hard pass. So make your genre clear! Even if it turns off a few casual readers who don’t care for say, Urban Fantasy, that’s okay. Those people probably wouldn’t have bought your book anyway, and your banner will be a beacon to people who are interested in what you write.

Smiles and Professionalism—Meeting Your Readers

Most of the book signings we did were about 2-3 hours long, and the amount of traffic we saw during that time was highly variable. Our position in the stores seemed to matter a bit too—we generally sold more from a central location, right where people entering the store could see us clearly. I also sold dramatically more books at the large Flagship store in Dallas than in the smaller suburban stores. But, we made sales and connections at every store we visited, even if we were in an out-of-the way corner.

I think it helps to smile, greet people, then have a short pitch ready for people who come by your table. Try to give the basic of your book in a sentence or two—genre, length, topic of interest, price. My pitch for Sapience went something like this:

Hello! I’m a local author. Sapience is my collection of science fiction short stories. Many of the stories take place on a colony on Jupiter’s Moon Europa, because Europa is one of the places that NASA thinks we are most likely to find extraterrestrial life in our solar system. All of the books are ten dollars a piece.”

Short, simple, to the point. If they seemed interested in any of our books, I had a short description of each of them ready. I encouraged people to pick the books up, read the back, flip through them, and many people did. At that point, I shut up and left them alone. I wanted a chance to explain the basics of my books, but I didn’t want them to feel pressured or harassed. What’s more, if someone walked away, I kept a smile on my face and thanked them for coming by. No one will buy your book if you come off as sullen or resentful, and people will sometimes come back to buy your book as you’re leaving, or even online. It may be coincidence, but I often had an online sales bump after good sales at a bookstore. Besides, if you come back to the same stores, you may see regular costumers, and you always want to treat them with kindness and respect! Make their memories and encounters with you positive, and even if they don’t buy your book right then, they may buy it later or tell their friends.

In fact—here’s a fun story! One lovely lady who bought a copy of Sapience at an earlier event, came to see me a second time at our big event in the Flagship Half Price! She liked my book so much she bought copies for all of her friends!

Results and Sales

One of the nice things about doing the book signings in Half Price Books was that our table was free (unlike cons, which can charge a significant amount for a table at the larger events). Furthermore, since we already had most of our set up and display equipment from previous events, the only cost for our tour was the books themselves. That’s nice, because it meant I felt less pressure to sell a certain amount of books to cover the cost of the table.

We sold books at every event, but I definitely sold dramatically more books at the Flagship Half Price. It was a significantly larger store, they did signs in the store to promote us, and we were very centrally located. However, one of the major sales I had was to a reader who’d met me at a previous event at a smaller store. My point is, while you will likely sell more at larger stores and events, that’s not the only thing that matters. Sometimes making a meaningful connection with a reader, even if you only sell one or two books, is what’s most important.

Overall, I’d highly recommend organizing in-person local bookstore events to any author, whether traditional or indie. Many people really enjoy meeting authors face-to-face. It’s easy to get bogged down in the digital world and think that the best way to promote your books is on social media, but I’ve found in-person events can give you great connection to readers, as well as good sales, that you might not find online.

Xanthuss Marduk, the Sorcerer of Tea, Discusses Mythology and Worldbuilding!

How to Use Mythology to Worldbuild

I recently wrote a post about how to create better mythology for your world. If you’ve read that, or you’re already confident creating myths then this is the next step - using myths to worldbuild.

Using myths as a vehicle for worldbuilding is something I love to do. I often write a creation myth before anything else in my world. But how do we do this?

Remember, Myths were Once a Religion

If you’re writing myths that people still believe in, think of it as a religion. The primary difference is that classical myths were not codified like modern translations of the Bible are today. There was no single version, and many were recited by entertainers and not written down.

The myths we read today were once working religions. It is important to remember this. Much like the Bible, people truly believed in these stories and followed them. Using them to set their morals by, and understand the world.

If you’re writing myths that have no followers left, think about their impact when they did have followers.

Use Myths to Set the Tone of your Setting

Myths are an important way to colour your setting. For both your characters and your reader, they give context to history and natural laws. If all the heroes die, it sets a darker tone than a myth or legend where the heroine gets the girl.

The god of the moon, Gywndolin, from Dark Souls.

Dark Souls tells the bulk of its lore through fragments of stories, many of which are merely legends and myths. They tell of a grander era than the one the player explores. A golden age of gods. That contradiction immediately tells us what is going on. Dark Souls is a story about the world slowly fading. Through each game, the myths get warped and we hear less and less about them. The facts start to give way to rumour.

If you instead decide to set a bright and heroic tone, your myths may always see the heroes win, and the gods will hand down the details of these events in perfect clarity.

Mix Politics and Mythology

Politics plays a surprising role in mythology. Many myths are promoted or rewritten to promote royal families or noble lineages who claim heroic ancestry. Cities are named after mythological figures. And oracles become the tools of politics.

The Oracle of Delphi was often a central player in the politics of the Greek city states, and for the right amount of gold, you might get a prophecy that’d cement your legacy. Whether or not the Oracle really spoke to Apollo was less important than the fact that the average person believed she did.

Marble busts of Hadrian and Antinous. Photo by Carole Raddato.

Another example. The death of Antinous, the lover of the Roman emperor Hadrian, led him to deify his love. Though it may have been solely because of his grief, creating a cult of worshippers loyal to his lover gave Hadrian political clout in Egypt. In the following centuries, the cult of Antinous became a political hot potato. Everyone from Christians to the Sibylline oracles criticized the legend of Antinous, often as a vehicle to attack Hadrian’s legacy itself. In the fight between Christians and Pagans, Antinous was used as a central figure and medals were issued with his face as anti-Christian propaganda. Christians responded by destroying statues of the god, and in 391 banned his worship entirely.

Think about how your world’s queens and lords have used myths to support their own rule or undermine their enemies. Do they claim descent from a god? Have they compared their enemy to a heartless villain? Have they proclaimed their favored historical figures demigods?

Consider Why the Myth was Popular

Who did your myths appeal to? The rich, the poor, the marginalized, the ruling class?

Farmers might hold agricultural myths close to heart, and these myths might hold important wisdom farmers need to know - like the order of the seasons or movement of the weather. The cult of Dionysus was popularized because it justified the excess of the Athenian elite, and parties under the pretense of worship were a great tool to make allies.

Today, LGBTQ people have adopted many myths like Tu Shen and Antinous into their own religious practices. They do this because they seek out representation like themselves, and find it in these ancient stories.

So what do the people of your world see in your myths that appeals to them?

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Thank you for your insights, Xanthuss! I personally love coming up with mythology that’s unique to my worlds, or else using existing mythology in a new and interesting way.

Review: On Becoming a Novelist

I picked up John Gardner's On Becoming a Novelist the last time I went to the library. Unlike most books on writing, this one doesn't try to teach you how to write, or offer any definitive ideas on the creative process. Instead, it reads like a thoughtful meditation on the nature of creativity, inspiration, and the writing process. Amidst the plethora of advice targeted at writers today, this book is notable for its lack of definitive advice beyond, "do what works for you," and "don't quit." I found that one of its most endearing qualities.

Gardner, a brilliant novelist and creative writing teacher, begins by noting that few, if any, writing teachers can tell which students will ultimately become successful writers. He considers the difficulty of the task of evaluating a youthful writer, especially considering how much success ultimately depends on a writer's dedication to the craft ad refusal to give up or withdraw. He offers a critique of the most common methods of teaching writing and the inane, repetitive, and often destructive advice heaped on young writers. For example, the "write what you know" trope that so many creative writing teachers push ignores the fact that fiction is based on the imagination. While it's true that characters and settings need to feel vivid and real, writers can use their imagination and their sense of empathy to create whole new worlds and populate them with unique characters. Rather than "write what you know," Gardner advocates writing honestly and avoiding overly optimistic ("Pollyanna") or overly cynical cliches. He reflects that all great art is about finding and sharing truth, and we make poor artists when we can't see or understand what's true about human nature.

Gardner is at his best when he tries to capture those elusive and brilliant moments of creative flight that all artists have in their best work. Indeed, the writing process he describes is about capturing those dreams as closely as possible, then meticulously going back over the work to make sure it communicates the writer's intention. I loved his description of the vivid, creative dream-like state of creative inspiration--it comes closest to the feeling I get when I know what I'm writing is good, or when I'm playing music and everything just falls into place.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who needs an antidote to all the writing advice that gets heaped on you the second you start talking about writing. Gardner notes that there are many kinds of writers, and everyone of them has a different process. What matters is that you work to perfect your craft, keep yourself honest, and hone your sense of observation.

Fantasy Integration in Saints and Curses

Welcome to everyone stopping by from OWS CyCon 2019! Be sure to check out my author booth (I have one for fantasy and one for science fiction), and sign up for my newsletter using the form at the bottom of the page. Don’t forget to sign up for the giveaway too! I hope you enjoyed your previous stop on this blog hop, and now for my take on fantasy integration into society.

My newest book, Saints and Curses, is a collection of fantasy short stories. Since each story is different, the way fantasy relates to society is slightly different as well. So I’m going to focus on just two stories, “There Was a Nicholas Once,” which you can listen to for free at the Gallery of Curiosities podcast, and “Braids,” which you can find online at Swords and Sorcery Magazine. *Trigger Warning—Depicts Domestic and Sexual Abuse

“There Was a Nicholas Once” is set in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution. War, deprivation, and terrifying government purges have left many people struggling to survive. The main character, a witch-child, has horrifying visions that she can barely understand. In a society that brutally punishes anyone accused of disloyalty or dissent, her visions are a danger and a curse. Yet, the witch-child grows more comfortable with her visions, and with the dark powers she can feel in the cold winter forest.

In this story, fantasy isn’t integrated into society so much a dark undercurrent, a sign of the blood and trauma of the past and the desperation of the present.

“Braids” is set in the Middle Ages. When the Haar-witch Cresputina comes to Mont Noire, many people are at first afraid of her. But Cresputina can weave magic into women’s hair as she braids it, and soon all the women of the village come to her for their troubles. But while Cresputina is welcomed by some, others see it as dangerous and evil.

One of the things I like about this story, is that it shows many different reactions to magic, from joy and excitement, to fear and hate. I think that if we discover real life magic, it would likely face the same kind of mixed reactions. Not everyone will want to embrace it, just like some people reject modern medicine or other scientific discoveries today. Yet, I think most people would love a touch of magic in their lives!

Thank you for stopping by my post for the Urban Fantasy blog hop! The next post is on Mary Woldering’s blog, so be sure to stop by her blog next. And if you’re interested in hearing more from me, I’ll be taking over the Fantasy and Sci-Fi Reader’s Lounge Friday, May 17 from 1-2pm, and again on Sunday, May 19 from 8-9pm. Finally, make sure you sign up for my newsletter using the subscribe box below (and put that down for the giveaway)!

Short Stories: Why I Write Them

Over the last few years, I’ve written tons of short stories! I started writing them soon after I had my first child. As a new mother, I found it difficult to get the focused, sustained time and attention I needed to write a full length novel, so instead I started writing something short. I ended up really liking short stories, both to read and to write, because they can pack such an emotional punch in such a quick period of time.

Short stories are also good way for writers to explore different genres or writing styles without committing to an intense project. If you normally write serious, dramatic novels, you could try writing something light-hearted or funny in a short story. I've written short stories about minor characters or aspects of a world I might later use in a novel. That allows me to flesh out these side characters and give them more depth, and it can help with world-building.

It can be tricky with science fiction or fantasy stories because often the worlds we create in speculative fiction are unique to our imaginations. This is why many fantasy writers spend so much time "world-building," or writing about the setting of their stories or novels. For short stories, our world-building needs to be economized as much as possible. We need to suggest the nature of our world in a few words, or else our "short story" quickly swells into a novel with a limited, short-story plot. I handle this by trying to keep the world entirely within one character's perspective. If that character knows little about the nature of magic or a scientific discovery, then I don't give the reader an explanation either. It's often more dramatic and emotional if characters don't completely understand what's happening to them, or how things work. Life is often bewildering.

While writing short stories is a fun challenge, reading them wonderful too! I love many short stories by writers such as Connie Willis and Neil Gaiman. I also like reading multi-author anthologies such as Black Swan, White Raven, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, or the Nebula Awards Showcase books, which have some really excellent science fiction. Books like these can also help you find new authors whose writing and story telling you admire.

Of course, if you enjoy short stories, I hope you’ll read my book, Sapience, as well!