Battle Cry

Through all the world there goes one long cry from the heart of the artist: only give me the chance to do my very best!

--- Isak Dinesen

I think this "cry" is also in Steigan's heart. Maybe it's why his story is so close to my heart.

One thing I really need to get back to...

Is my Facebook page for Sacred Knight.

I have a Who's Who started - check it out. First draft of my characters from the graphic novel I'd started. Then writing the novels became easier. Now, I want to finish the books and get started again on the graphic novels. I wonder if there will ever be enough time.

One book becoming two, Part 2 of the tale

I've spent several days now working on the beginning of what will now be the third book in the series. It does feel like a beginning and sometimes I have to stop and remind myself that it is the start of a new book. It's weird because I'm so use to thinking of it as one story arc. But as I've said before, it's all a matter of working the story harder.

Speaking of which, I suppose I ought to explain why I decided to break it into two.

As readers may guess after reading The Three Books (aka book 1), the second story arc is about the life of St. Steigan. There is so much to set up, more of the magical world to build, new characters, etc. Overall, there is a lot! I do work to develop my stories, so there's work to do to make sure you, my fabulous reader, has lots of paths to explore. What is truth and what is a lie? Is this character a friend or a betrayer? What really lies beneath the Temple in the catacombs? I'm sitting here with a wicked grin on my face. Already I'm ready to go get back to work on the story. I love diving into this world! Really, this story is not meant to be read only once. There is enough here to read multiple times and deeper levels of meaning found each time. Wonderful parallels are cropping up between book 1 and 2. I am delighted and surprised each time I discover something new.

Just today, in fact, I started writing about Laurient (see previous posts) and St. Steigan going out to fight the gargaxes and St. Steigan comes up with this brilliant idea to transfer magic to Laurient. I hadn't seen this coming, didn't have it planned, it just popped in there. But it adds so many dimensions to the story. Because of this one thought, I can now spider several more things (like some foreshadowing for events in what will now be book 5) into the story. I love it!

Some of you may be wondering what will happen to the release date of the second book now that the preliminary draft is done. That's coming soon, I promise. The good thing is that I actually finished the draft by the date that I had set as my deadline so right now the story is still on track. As for my working title, I've had to change it because it no longer works. The Saint and the Betrayer, when split into to becomes The Saint (first title) and The Betrayer (second title). Somehow this just doesn't inspire me in the same way. Sigh. However, I have a new plan for the titles. I'm giving it a settling period to make sure I like it, but I'll probably make the title known at the same time I announce the release date for the second book.

So wait eagerly for more to come!

Happy reading!

Making the story stronger

I have a sign in my writing office which reads, "Make your story stronger. Show it slowly. Show it thoroughly. And always show your characters doing the action. Then make it harder for them."

It's that last line that always gets me.

I enjoy making the story harder. If I have to really think through my plot, especially when I keep in mind that everything has to make sense across three time lines, them I know my story is getting deeper. Yes, it already feels bigger than me. It needs to. Let's face it, if it were simple for me then why would I need to be writing an epic fantasy? I want a world that engages the reader and makes you think. So, it's got to be tough for the character.

Then there's the thrill when your character rises to the occasion and proves himself to be he very hero he was created to be. When he devises a way out of the sticky situation. When the writer stands up and cheers in victory with the character. Yes, those are the moments!

A challenge to my hero equals a new level to the puzzle for me which equals a greater thrill ride for the reader. Ah yes, those are indeed the moments.

Laurent appears

I actually wrote the scene this morning where Laurient takes the stage and I think he stole the scene. Centaurs! Gotta love how they just take over. If you've read book one, you know what I mean.

Then, afterwards I was talking to my number 1 fan (aka my youngest son)and he said he thought there was a Laurient character in Lord of the Rings guess its time to research.

I purchased a copy of The Three Books today at Barnes and Noble for their Habitat for Humanity donation. I told the clerk, the lovely Christine who helped get my book in (yeah, she's my best bud now!), that I was donating it and she said, "Aw, that's the Christmas spirit." I laughed and replied, "What, to be total self-serving?!" Fortunately, we both laughed at the joke.

Happy holidays, my dear readers. I hope you have a good, safe time! Blessings to you all.

Evolution of a character

When Laurierent first came to me, the last thing I imagined was that he would be another character in my Sacred Knight series. But once he was,the trick was to figure out how he fit.

I know I had originally pictured him as half elven. A kind of Legolas image. But obviously that is so been-there-done-that. So how to put a spin on that?

I won't say that I'm anywhere near having his character figured out, but I'm on the road.

I'd hate to give away any spoilers, but I will say he is of mixed cultures. Too many of my characters already have abnormal backstories so I've decided to give him a good, normal childhood, one that let him become a lovable, flamboyant, regular person. He's a leader and a loyal friend. A got-your-back kind of person.

It's starting to feel like this world has never been without him.

But how does a character actually evolve from name to character, especially when there's already an established plot line? There's no easy answer. I'm sure everyone also has different ways too. For me, it almost always begins with "what if?"

For the development of Laurierent I asked myself what of he was an archer, but not half-elven. What could he be? I soon had an idea. He was half centaur. Hence his mixed cultures. It put him in the exact place needed a character in book 2. I also realized that because of the magic mythology already stated in the series, I could have him do some things here which will foreshadow other events in books 3 and 4. It was
Coming together wonderfully.

Then his name changed again. It shortened down to Laurient. I don't know if this is a permanent change. I might very well go back to the original by the time I get to him in my draft. Author's prerogative. Of course you could always write me and let me know which version of the name you like best. Get your say in!

A Character Comes to Life

As I said in my last post, spam email found me a new name, but what can one do with a name only? Not much.

Laurierant. That was all I knew. Where did he fit? Who was he?

Have you ever heard the saying that to give something a name takes away its power, or makes it less scary? For me, giving something a name is a clue for me to get creative and discover the story. So who was this character? I knew he had to be male since that had been an initial factor.

With a name, the beginnings of a image for the character develop. I saw him as blond. I knew he wasn't too muscular, but he had pizazz and attitude.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Laurierant de Santz, come to grace us with his presence, have ya?" was the first line I heard spoken. Something still didn't feel right, but I was on the right track.

I started to see an elven archer. I've been wanting to write a story about an archer for the last month or so, so I wondered if the time was finally right to get the story. But it still didn't feel right.

Now let me tell you what it's like to write an epic saga. Epic sagas generally have a lot of people in them. I'm still discovering characters and plot twists as I write. A few people have heard me talking about how I'm thinking of breaking the second book into two (it's either that or let the movie studio do it for me when they get their hands on it! Since that's the latest trend in Hollywood as well as my wishful thinking.). Seriously, there is a lot of material and I'm not feeling I'm doing the story justice right now. However, breaking it into two also means more developing of other characters and scenes. Push the story. Make it harder for the characters. Those are the two most important rules of storytelling, in my opinion.

Another thing I always have to be aware of is the plot line continuing into the books that will follow. Even though I have a fair idea of what's going to happen, every time I push the story adjustments need to be made. It's like a big game of chess where you can plot your moves ahead but you might have to adjust based on what your opponent does.

So here I was thinking about book 4. I had already made several adjustments. Looking backwards and forwards at a timeline from several different angles will certainly occupy your brain for a few days! In the end I realized I was going to need more characters.

Brain kicks in and says, "Remember Laurierant?"

How could I forget? He was the reason my subconscious was not working on the right story!

"I beg to differ," the brain argues. "Remember the blond elven archer you wanted in book 4? Hello, that's Laurierent." Please note the change in spelling. Yep, it really did happen that way.

And so Laurierent was born. His evolution remains another matter.

Can spam email be good?

I, like you, get a lot of spam. Who doesn't these days? So is it possible that spam could ever be a good thing?

I certainly didn't think so until earlier last week. That's when I got an email that gave me an idea. All I could read on the email line was From: reverend father laurie...

Needless to say, it made me laugh. A "father reverend" with a girl's name of Laurie? Really!

Of course that got my brain to thinking. What if the rest of the name "twisted" to make it masculine?

Brain playing some more. Can you hear it?

I knew it was from that familiar little tickle that I get when something is working out. So I waited and let my subconscious mix it around. Worse, I left the annoying little spam blocker notification in my inbox just so I wouldn't forget what my brain was mulling. Usually that's the first thing I get rid of during the day.

Then, late in the morning, the tickle turned to a "ding." Just like toast popping, a name came out of the machine: Laurierant.

But if I thought I was done there, I wasn't. A character was about to be born.

So, has spam ever been a good thing in your life? Or have you had a similar experience? Keep your eyes open. You never know what you might see.

Fitting into today's world

At the heart of my Sacred Knight series is the metaphor that we are all looking for a place to belong within the world. Steigan, my main character is an orphan who has been taken in by the Temple, by his mentor, and by a family in a nearby town. He loves each of these deeply and realizes that he owes his life to all of them. But he also doesn't feel like he belongs with them; he still feels separate and that he has to work hard to please them.

I think we're all looking for that in our lives. We want to be part of something. We want to have something that we believe in, something we can support, something larger than ourselves.

The work always begins in our own lives. There is nothing out there in the world that we can be part of -- that which we seek is in ourselves. We always hope someone will come to rescue us, that we'll go somewhere to belong (why do you think the Cheers tv show ran for as long as it did? The lyrics said it all with "Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name."). But that space is never ever out there. It is inside you. You have to know why you feel like you don't fit into the world. Once you know why, then you'll realize the change you want to see in the world. With this knowledge, you can be the change. Then you'll fit in. You'll find the message that you need to take to the world and you'll find the people that need to hear it.

So look inside yourself to find out why you don't fit into this world and challenge yourself to make a difference so that you do fit in. The world needs your courage now more than ever.

Getting the job done right

Starting off the second book has been more of a challenge than I thought it would be. Because book two is about the life of Saint Steigan, I knew exactly how it needed to start, where I needed to begin, and what exactly had happened to the character before hand. But when you start writing about a character who keeps fading in and out of consciousness it gets a little hard. After all, how much is that point of view character really getting.

So, it seems to make sense to flash forward to a time when he's more conscious. Easy enough to do. But then how do you let on about the backstory up until that point?

There's a barn burning scene in the first book. As I was working along on the second book, I realized that what I had going on was another barn burning scene, except without the barn or the burning. I just had the same information gathering feel to it. I suppose that's a good thing. It should feel like the first book if I'm doing my job right.

What I Aspire To

I was reading blogs and came across this video for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel -- two of my favorite shows. I thought I'd also share the video here.

Yes, it's what I aspire to -- to have a story so interesting and compelling that fans become fully invested in the characters. Of course, that starts with me. Can I say I'm a fan of Sacred Knight? Oh yes! After all, I've been working on it for 17 years. You can't work on a story that long without have some connection to it and the characters.

And now, the Buffy/Angel video:

Think Only As You Can Think

I subscribe to Notes from the Universe from Mike Dooley at TUT.

Aside from me being very jealous that he's got the cool domain name (I'm a big fan of King Tut!), I love getting the Notes, especially when there's one that strikes a chord.

Today, I received just such a message. Here's my message for today:


It's the way you think. That's your purpose. It's never been about what work you choose, what gifts you develop, or what niche you fill - let these be for your pleasure.

Think as only you can think, which will lead to feelings that only you can feel, from which connections will be made, lives will be changed, and worlds will come tumbling into existence.


As writers, we have something we want to tell people, whether it's about a character, a theme, a message, or just a story. It is born inside us and needs to come out. I really liked the part about worlds tumbling into existence. Even if your story isn't a fantasy, you create a world. It starts off in your head. It is your thoughts that begin it. From there, yes, it is something you start to feel because from those thoughts manifest a change within you (and change always evokes an emotional response). Just as people then seek out like-minded friends, writers create like-minded characters to populate their stories. Of course, then comes the foes and foils that stand against the character(s) and thus the world is born. In that moment of being able to sink into that world that is entirely the writer's own, pure bliss is discovered.

I've likened this to a hole in the paper -- I've often told writing friends of mine that there is a hole somewhere on the paper (or screen for those of us who write on computer now -- it wasn't always this way though!) and you just need to find that hole to slip through to the other side. Once you're through and you're soaking in the world you created, don't you just feel like you're home? I do. Maybe that's why I get so cranky and have a tendency to throw things when someone disturbs me while I'm writing! Could it be? For me, being yanked out of my world is like being dropped from a hangman's noose. That choking, suffocating drop. Yep, just thinking about it makes me irritated! Always leaves me with the "I want to go home!" feeling.



Now I admit, the last few days have been really hard because I've been working very hard on getting my manuscript formated for publication (Boy do I have stories about that, but you'll hear them later). So I've been several days now without writing or painting. I can feel myself getting antsy because I want to get back in the game, yet I know this is a process I have to go through. In some ways, it's also been good because I've had time to work on my projects just in my head (what I want to paint next and the composition of the piece, as well as a change I need to make in the second storyline of Sacred Knight, which is going to mean a rewrite/edit, but not a severe one). It's been nice to have a moment to see an overview of all my thoughts. Maybe it was TUT that inspired me to look beyond what I was seeing.

And speaking of Tut, I was also thinking about my plans for the next few years. I know Sacred Knight will keep me occupied for a little bit (ha ha! 4 story arcs, busy for a bit, you think?! Especially if #1 son has his way and talks my subconscious into creating another arc or 2). However, there is also an Egyptian historical fantasy that's lingering around. I was just talking about that story over this last weekend. Maybe it's a sign that it's going to be next on my list. There's also my genie story that I've actually been working on longer than Sacred Knight (yes stories need time to percolate, some more than others). Not to mention the story I was working on right before I was struck with Sacred Knight.

Or maybe they were all meant to be manuscripts forever hidden away beneath my bed. Never meant to be seen by anyone.

I guess it depends on if I can find those holes again and slip back into those stories.

Well, I guess I'll just have to think about it and see if worlds come tumbling out.

Progress on Second Book

I have to admit that I thought writing the second book would actually be easier than the first. It's not like this is my first "cake walk." I've got several manuscripts under my bed, so to speak. I have been writing since I was four, after all.

I knew that most of the second book would be a total rewrite from what I already have, but I also knew I'd be threading in a lot of the material from my earliest drafts of this story. So what's happened?

I'm on chapter 8 of scripting this out. I realize I have a lot of talking heads. If nothing else, thinking about how I'm going to put this into a graphic novel eventually has made me more aware of character interactions and settings. Pick up any comic or manga and you'll see intense action on nearly every page. It is harder to maintain that level in a book. I also realize this is my very first draft of this and there will be much rewriting to be done so I'm not even real worried about pace right now.  There's something more bothering me.

I wish I could put my finger on it. Maybe I'm anxious because the first book is so close to coming out. Maybe it's because I don't feel ready to put a deadline on the second book.

I use to never understand authors who had writer's block. I never believed in it. Until I faced my own.

Am I scared of getting into this and facing another block? Am I afraid that I'll have a failure to launch with the first book and no one will even care about the second book?

It really is times like these when my main character, Steigan, gives me strength. I can hear him telling me to circle round my fear instead of letting it circle around me. To do the latter means that fear takes my strength, but in the former strength is gained from the energy of fear. It forces you to be your best, to think things through, to stay sharp. Yes, he would say, there is a mind-shift that occurs when one turns the tables on fear. Even now, I can feel it like a seed within me.

My first draft doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be material to start with. Yes, I know what's going to happen in the story -- I should after all the time I've spent on it.

Good, strong characters come from the core of the author. Steigan is my core. When I feel like I'm going to shoot off in a million directions or fall to pieces, he steps in and reminds me to be who I am. He is my balance, my center. As long as I've listened to his noble advise, he's never led me astray. I'm glad to be telling his story.