Poetry Day: Breasts and Blood

Posted on August 11, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

Google Image Search

(I remember this one causing a small uproar.  I’ve made posts about this topic too.  Boils to down to a simple fact.  Society glorifies violence and death while demonizing sex and nudity, which is how you make more life.  I’m sure the comments are going to be just as crazy this time as it was back in the day.)

We cheer at gore and pain

Splattered on our screens

Staring at the chunks of flesh

And corpses full of holes

Our eyes feed upon the action

And accept the violent views

Yet we cringe at human forms

Bare breasts and rears shake

With a hint of frontal show

Causing us to gasp and cry

Disgusted by the lewd display

Many rise to scream their rage

While others shield their eyes

It is a strange world

That we have built for us

Where death is cheered

And the human form is booed

Posted in Poems | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Being the Chosen One is a Curse

Posted on August 10, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

Matrix

One of the most common tropes in fiction is the ‘Chosen One’.

This is a character who is destined to go on the adventure and, many times, win.  This trope traditionally removes all tension once it’s revealed.  It’s only in the last decade or so that authors began having it that they lose to trick everyone.  I even stated many times that the champions in Legends of Windemere were destined to reach the final battle in some form, but not necessarily win.  This still treats the ‘Chosen One’ in positive terms with very few negatives.  So, it isn’t that different.

Now, what if you make it clear that the ‘Chosen One’ isn’t a gift, but a curse?

This isn’t that hard to demonstrate even if the character is unaware of how much of a negative this status is.  Look at the following possibilities:

  1. Being the ‘Chosen One’ means that they have no free will.  All of their actions and paths are decided upon.  The heroes can try to do something else, but they will always be pushed back on track.  Sometimes, this can be a rather violent and brutal shove that destroys things.  At that point, they may start questioning their role and wondering if they are being punished.
  2. Relationships can be difficult because they have this calling.  While non-destined heroes are free to establish solid relationships, a ‘Chosen One’ will be aware that doing so puts people in danger.  They can become distant or get a sense that they may never truly belong.  This can lead to them wanting to get their destiny over with in order to gain a normal life.  Recklessness and frustration can grow to make it clear that this isn’t a position anyone wants to be in.
  3. Plot armor is a constant complaint when it comes to ‘Chosen One’ characters.  Being destined to succeed or reach the end, they will never be killed off.  If they do then the concept of prophecy is a lie and much of the development is thrown out.  This is why many authors steer clear of this trope.  Yet, the plot armor can be used as another reason for this character to be seen as cursed.  They are surviving incredible odds while their non-destined friends are dying.  Again, we can see how this can push a Chosen One into emotional distance and possibly even try to go it alone.
  4. A positive part of being the ‘Chosen One’ is that they will become famous if their adventure goes on long enough.  Definitely nothing to be upset about.  That is unless the author is a jerk.  Being praised and doted on can make the character become pampered and spoiled.  Their personality may change into one that isn’t very appealing, which can cost them in some fashion.  This becomes a ‘pride before the fall’ even if the hero isn’t able to fall entirely.  They can lose everything due to their newfound ego and then be left wondering what they have to fight for.

There are plenty of other ways to show how the ‘Chosen One’ is cursed.  It all depends on the world, author, and type of destiny.  Think about how even characters who can’t be physically harmed can still be hurt emotionally and mentally.  The burden of having so much on your shoulders and not being able to hand it off can grind nearly every hero into the dirt if written correctly.  This is internal damage over time, which won’t be unnoticed until it’s a really big issue.  Also, this types of blows are harder to shrug off because potions and spells aren’t really able to repair that damage without psychic manipulation.  All because a character was unlucky enough to be born a ‘Chosen One’.

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Writing Chapter One – Tips

Posted on August 10, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

Greetings, Storytellers! Diana here today. I hope you’re all writing up a storm. I’ve wanted to write about first chapters for a while, primarily …

Writing Chapter One – Tips
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Teaser Tuesday: The Calm of Clouds

Posted on August 9, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

Google Image Search

It’s another conversation teaser.  Really hope people are enjoying these since I want to establish Darwin and his relationships.  The big one is with his cousin who also acts like a big brother and protector.  I loved how their relationship grew and changed as the story progressed.  Though, I have a soft spot for how kind and caring Arlinger is with Darwin at the beginning.

Continue reading →

Posted in Slumberlord Chronicles, Teaser Tuesday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

We’re All Different

Posted on August 8, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

elizaseymour's avatarSeymour Stories

This started out as a reply to a blog post on Legends of Windemere (Writing Characters from Maligned and Abused Groups), but it struck a chord with me, and I ended up writing my own post about it.

The original blog post is about writing from perspectives other than your own, and doing it sensitively. If your character has a disability, for example, and you don’t, you need to know how that affects your character in their day-to-day lives, how it’s shaped their personality, how it affects their relationships, and their perspective on the world. It requires research and understanding of how real people with that particular disability think and feel.

I completely agree that writers should include characters from all walks of life. I also think there is a place for including minority groups without making a big deal about it. I’ve read so many books that…

View original post 484 more words

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Perspectives of Tropes

Posted on August 8, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

Sauron

We all know this topic since I touch on it from time to time.  For those who don’t know, tropes are things that are used very often in a genre.  They are similar to clichés, but not always seen as a negative.  Yet, the two words tend to be used interchangeably these days, which is part of the reason for the post.  Best examples are the ‘Chosen One’ and the ‘Tower Princess’.  Both are getting their own post this week.

So, where does perspective come into play?  At first, you may think I’m talking about the readers.  If a person has limited experience with a trope then it won’t appear to be stale or overdone.  Not until they run into more often.  Younger readers will find these common characters and plot twists as amazing while older ones will be annoyed.  This is one reason why many authors seek to avoid using them.  They’re targeting the older demographics even though you have members of those groups who may not read the genre often enough to be over the tropes.  Anyway, that’s not the perspective I’m talking about.

I mean the way a trope is presented by an author.  Not turning it entirely on its head, but coming at it from a different direction.  The character or object will still have the same purpose it always does.  You’re just seeing it from a different angle.  This can change the entire story too.  Some tropes that people think show weakness can be demonstrated as strong.  Those who are amazing can be seen as weak or pathetic.  Again, it’s all about perspective and how we show these things to the reader.  The author has full control over this, so take advantage of the god-like status.

Best example, which has become a trope itself, would be showing that the evil villain isn’t as evil as people thought.  Instead of the pure evil character like older stories, you see things from their perspective.  It could be that they’re still doing evil, but now you see the reason.  It could wrong and not how any sane person would do it.  May even be downright messed up.  Yet, you now have a trope that has been altered enough to stand out among its peers.  In fact, each new reason for doing evil can be seen as a change of perspective enough that you can always keep the ‘evil villain’ trope in some form.

Doing this isn’t easy.  You can go too far and lose the trope entirely, which isn’t bad.  It just means you may have to alter other things that depended on it.  You may not go far enough, which will show and bring about the using braying of ‘cliché’ from those who read books like their lives depend on it.  To be fair, it does in some cases.  This is why I think one has to be careful with altering the perspective of the trope.  You need to make it clear that you’re using one and clear that it’s different.  Go too far in either direction and you’re left with a mess.  Good luck.

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Author Growth

Posted on August 8, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

Hello, SEers, and welcome to another Mae Day on Story Empire. Let’s chat writer growth.  Last winter, a local newspaper featured me in an article. I …

Author Growth
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

The Coatimundi: Arboreally Adorable

Posted on August 7, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

What is a coati or coatimundi?

This omnivore is found in North, Central, and South America.  They’re a relative of the raccoon, but they’re diurnal (daytime) instead of nocturnal.  You’ll see in the pictures that they have long tails, which are used for balance.  This is why somebody mistake them for a type of lemur.  They are very similar since they’re arboreal, which is a species that mostly live in trees.  While coatis hunt on the ground, they sleep, mate, and birth children in the canopy.  This lifestyle is helped by them having double-jointed ankles, which can rotate 180 degrees.  This allows them to easily climb down headfirst.

It’s unclear how threatened the coatis are.  All 4 species have to contend with deforestation, hunting, and getting attacked by domestic animals.  Yet, it’s difficult to get an exact idea of their population.  The two mountain species are listed as threatened/endangered though.  A problem is that there aren’t any solid populations to use for study.  They’ve been found to be highly adaptable too, which adds to the problem of locking down a clear picture.  So, it seems they’re listed as endangered on the belief that we underestimate the influence of the issues.

Let’s get to the pictures and videos.  Coatis are cool, but I’m finding they’re better to see than read about.

White-Nosed Coati

South American Coati

Easter Mountain Coati

Western Mountain Coati

Posted in Animal Posts | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Goal Post: The Week of Recovery and Progress

Posted on August 6, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

Well, another week of summer is done.  Means I’m inching closer to the school year, which is promising to be exciting.  I think.  I’ll get a better idea this week when I go in for two days to get some special training.  Not sure how professional I should dress because I don’t know the air conditioning situation.  That’s become a really important thing to consider as I found out this week.  More on that later.

The big event was that my son had his 13th birthday.  I was nervous about it, but it ran very smoothly.  The kids enjoyed the video game truck and then enjoyed playing around while we handed out pizza.  There were some ‘no shows’ and surprise appearances, so things kind of evened out.  Only a few parents stayed, so I was left with 6 out of 10 pizzas once the party was done.  Two friends were given full pizzas as extra goodie bags, but it still left me with another entire fridge shelf of slices.  Made my way through this as best as I could.  Got half a cake left too.  That came out really well:

The day after the party, we went to see ‘DC League of Super Pets’.  It was me, my son, and his godfather, who made it for the weekend.  The movie was a lot of fun and had us laughing a decent amount.  They gave out free comics to the kids.  My son’s first one fell into the reclining seat though.  We got another and then it was back home for lunch and more video games.  It was a great and exciting weekend that I knew I was going to pay for later.

Surprisingly, later wasn’t Monday.  I was doing okay for the first three days of the week and got a good amount of Darwin & the Avenging Elf done.  I’m currently on Chapter 4 of 16 and I should be able to get up to chapter 7 before I go in for training.  I’ll be happy if I can get up to chapter 8 before the weekend.  That would leave me with 11 days needed to finish, but that’s only if I can do 3 sections per day.  At best, I’m going to come up 3 days short by the time the school year starts.  Probably going to be closer to 5 because I want to hang out with a few friends.  That has me a little upset.

The big reason I’m upset is because I gave myself a 10 day cushion at the beginning of the summer.  What went wrong? Fucking LONG COVID put me on my back far too many times.  The training days, special events, and days given up to hang out with friends would have been nothing.  The thing that killed me was that I had so many days where I simply couldn’t function.  For example, I woke up Thursday feeling like my head was encased in Jello and barely able to move.  I had to sleep the morning away and got a little writing done in the afternoon before I went to get my son.  I lost nearly an entire week back in July like this.  I learned this week that hot weather makes long covid worse and we have a friggin’ heatwave here.  This is why I sometimes wonder if the universe has it out for me or at least wants me to quit writing.

Speaking of Darwin & the Avenging Elf, it’s difficult to write even when I’m not suffering from brain fog.  Darwin’s newest ally isn’t the brightest and he’s more interested in charging in first.  Yet, the story calls for them to be tricky.  So, I had to make the guy a little smarter or at least have a reason to behave.  Without going into details, he’s a vengeance-fueled berserker and Darwin has promised to help him get his revenge on a warlord. I should be getting to the actual infiltration of the enemy organization tomorrow while today is the last part of bungling preparations.  Still, Darwin and this guy aren’t supposed to be able to make intricate plans.  Yet, I need them to make progress enough before things go wrong.  It’s a pretty frustrating headache at times.  Maybe I’m only saying this because the last section I wrote didn’t always feel right, but I needed it to explain why they are about to do something stupid.

Television has been limited.  Writing this Friday night before I watch ‘Prey’ on Hulu.  I’m curious to see how that movie is because I’ve heard good things.  Beyond that, I watched an anime called ‘Jobless Reincarnation’.  The story is that perverted jerk (who it’s revealed was bullied into isolation) dies and is reborn in a world of magic with all of his previous memories intact.  It was an interesting story where several characters were despicable, but would try to be better at times.  The main character kept having an inner monologue that would be perverted, which threw me off.  I can see why this is a controversial anime as well as people saying that they ‘loved the story, but would never recommend it’.  There really was a good story and 3-dimensional characters in there.  Just many of those dimensions were morally wrong or questionable.  I heard the creator wanted to get people to think about the concept of redemption by showing these characters be terrible, suffer, and try to be better.  At least it’s done and I’m rewatching ‘That Time I was Reincarnated as a Slime’.

So, goals of the week:

  1. Write as much of Darwin & the Avenging Elf as possible.  Hoping to finish 4 chapters before next weekend.
  2. Training for 2 days.
  3. Son’s art show at the end of the week.
  4. Time with him whenever I can get it.
  5. Rest.
  6. Try to do biking a few times.
  7. Prepare stuff for the one week I get my son this summer.
  8. Video games?
Posted in Goal Posts | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

When the Character Doesn’t Want to Go Back

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Charles Yallowitz

One Piece

Author– As their swords collide and the battle reaches its climax . .. FLASHBACK!

Hero–  Wait!  What are you doing?

Author–  Perfect time for a flashback.

Hero–  No!  It’s a terrible time.

Villain–  Let’s hear him out.

Hero–  Shut up.  You’re about to lose, so you want a break.  Look, buddy, I have my sword inches from this guy’s face.  His knees are buckling.  I see no reason to jump into the past at this point.  What could you possibly show the audience that would change this?

Author–  Rapid fire scenes of you two as kids growing up together.

Hero–  But we didn’t grow up together.

Villain–  Or did we?

Hero–  No, we didn’t.  You’re an evil warlord who was born two hundred years ago and I’m a chosen farm boy who can’t even legally drink in the real world.

Author–  It’s more about how your lives would have been different if you had grown up together.  You probably wouldn’t be in this situation at all.

Villain– Then, it’s not a flashback.  Those are real events that connect to the present.  Can I sit down while we-

Hero–  Don’t you dare rest your aching muscles.  I worked hard to weaken you and you’re going to stay that way.  Try again, author.

Author– Hmmm . . . It will show how your father was killed by the villain in the same manner.

Hero– My father is dead!?

Villain–  Apparently . . . Do I have a reason for doing that?  I assume the old man is just a farmer.

Author–  He was at the time, but he was a great warrior who could be a threat before he retired.  In fact, he ran away with your daughter.  They married and had a kid.  She died in childbirth.

Hero–  My mother is dead now!?

Villain–  This brat is my grandchild?  I’m a rare breed of elf and this kid is human.  He has no elven features even though he would have to be a half-elf.  Also, didn’t you establish that I had a habit of sacrificing my children to demons for dark favors and to make sure they never try to overthrow me?

Author  You missed one.

Villain–  I guess that makes sense.  Is all of this going to be in the flashback?

Hero–  Am I an orphan?  I mean, my parents saw me off on this adventure.  That was a month ago and this guy hasn’t left his castle since.  That explains the smell.

Villain–  For the last time, that’s the moat.  It hasn’t been cleaned since the monster ate the last workman.  Nobody wants the job now.

Author–  Well, I want to do a flashback and I’m in charge.  So, we’re flashing back to something.

Hero–  Couldn’t it show this guy’s life of evil and selfishness running up to this point?  It isn’t a true flashback, but it could be like his life flashing before his eyes.

Author–  That only works if he’s going to die and that doesn’t happen.

Hero–  What!?

Villain– HA!

Hero–  Just end the story.

Author–  No.  I’m going to work on another one.  You two can stay like that until you remember who’s in charge.  Find some characters who respect my creativity.

Hero–  But my shoulders are cramping.

Author–  Don’t care!  La La La La La!

Villain– Told you we shouldn’t have let him know we were sentient.

Hero– Shut up.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments