Goal Post: Guess I’ll Try Again Next Week

First:

War of Nytefall: Eulogy will be released next weekend. Email to volunteers will be sent Friday evening.

Well, that’s pretty much the extent of my writing progress this week.  I tried to use last Sunday to design the 4 main characters for Phi Beta Files, but it didn’t go so well.  The cold weather, busyness at work, and general life stress kept causing me to fall asleep next to the notebook.  I managed to finish only 2 of the characters, but I might have to redesign them because I was groggy.  This time of year is always a pain because the cold and stress makes it hard to focus.  Maybe I’ll have a better shot next Sunday since I feel like these characters are the first hurdle.  Not sure if I’ll go into detail on the others since the books may run similar to ‘Bedlam’ structures.

Rest of the week was spent handling things at work, which was kind of busy since we were heading into the Thanksgiving weekend.  Had to help my son get things ready for school too before the break.  It resulted in me not getting to relax until around 9 PM and that was just passing out.  One of these days, I’m going to make it longer or have the energy to be somewhat productive until 10:30/11 PM.

Just won’t be in December since it’s fucking freezing.  Something is wrong with the heating system, so the house gets cold quickly.  This is mostly at night, which is why crawling under the covers and trying to stay warm is my go-to activity.  Being so cold results in my brain having trouble focusing and my body lacking energy.  I mean, I’m sitting here writing this blog at 7 PM on Friday night and I’m trying desperately to stay awake long enough to meet up with some friends later.  It’s just difficult because I’m getting drowsy and cold.  Hate winter.  To be fair, I hate temp extremes in general, so summer isn’t fun either.

On the plus side of everything, I got all of the January blog posts done.  Well, I didn’t get the ‘Top 5 of 2021’ set up since it’s too early for those.  That takes some of the edge off my stress when it comes to this blog.  I may start in on February to create a bigger cushion, but I need to figure out Tuesdays for that month.  The teasers are getting repetitive and I don’t know if I should try to grab more.  I was thinking of opening the day to anyone who wants to promote their book.  I’ve done it before with not much success, but maybe I’ll see if anybody is open to it come January.  It’s something that may help people out if they need it.

Nothing else to really say.  We’re seeing ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ tomorrow as a family event.  S’mores and fun tonight with friends.  It’ll be a nice bit of fun before stepping into the 4 weeks without a day off.  Television viewing wasn’t that interesting with ‘Cowboy Bebop’ (definite yikes) and season 2 of ‘The Great’ (really good).  I think I finished ‘Food Wars’ as well, but I was dozing in and out of consciousness most nights.  That’s another reason I’m rewatching ‘Trigun’ and saving newer stuff for when I’m feeling better or the heat is fixed.

Got nothing exciting going on other than the book release.  It’s Hanukkah, so presents are wrapped and menorahs are taken out.  Potato latkes will be made next Saturday, which is a fun and greasy tradition.  Beyond that, I’ll be working, parenting, and seeing if I can get in any notebook time.  Wish me luck.

Goals of the week:

  1. Parenting
  2. Working
  3. Staying warm
  4. Releasing War of Nytefall: Eulogy
  5. Hydrating
  6. Notebook work
  7. Tinker with an outline if I develop any energy

Could it be depression doing this to me?  Probably should consider that’s a bigger factor than the cold and stress.

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7 Tips to Using Flight in Fiction

DC Characters

From the picture above, you can see how many ways there are to fly. Wings, flying mount, technology, wind, magic, simply going, and the list continues.  It’s probably one of, if not THE, most common and popular special ability in fiction.  So, what are some things to consider?

  1. You don’t really have to explain how the character flies if they simply have the ability to go up.  People will wonder, but you aren’t obligated to do so.  If you do then you may inadvertently limit the power or make it seem less plausible within the rules of the world.  For example, if the character can fly because they’re strong enough to resist gravity then everyone with super strength should be able to do so.  It also doesn’t explain how they can hover or move around like a plane.  Just be careful with your explanations and don’t think you really have to.
  2. Flight is more than soaring into the air and traveling.  Remember that the air is thinner and the temperature is colder.  A character who can only fly and has no protection from the elements won’t be able to go higher than birds.  The further away from the surface they go, the closer they are to the icy, suffocating grip of space.  That’s another thing to toss in here.  Eventually, they can hit a point where there’s no gravity or any forces that will normally help them return to Earth.
  3. Wings . . . They get in the way when in tight places.  If the character has them and can’t put them away then they need to operate accordingly.  Either they’re careful about moving around or they have a way to keep the wings restrained.  Yet, this would be like tying up your arms, so a character can demonstrate a discomfort with this necessary action.
  4. Flying with a passenger isn’t as easy as you think.  First, the character needs the strength to carry the person.  Flight doesn’t grant them the ability to lift a heavy person, so catching them will cause both to plummet.  At best, they can slow the descent to a safe speed, but this will also leave them open to attacks by any villains in the area.  So, think of ways that a flying character with normal strength can solve this problem before you throw them into it.  After all, they’ve probably considered the issue in their own world.
  5. If a flying character is knocked out while in the air, it doesn’t mean that they will survive the fall.  I’ve seen this a lot where a flyer is zapped, passes out, and falls from the height of the Empire Statue Building.  They’re not dead, which is weird since they don’t have enhanced durability.  A crash landing is the greatest threat for a character with this power, so either make it a threat or give a reason why they don’t have to worry about it.
  6. Wind in the eyes!  This is why some flyers have goggles, but people don’t usually remember this issue.  You have wind hitting your eyes between blinks, which can be painful and debilitating.  It’s just asking for the character to slam into an airplane by accident.  Think of ways they can avoid this problem since it’s one of the easiest to get around.
  7. If your characters flies using magic or technology then think about limits.  Is there a maximum amount of time before the spell or batteries wear off?  Once you figure this out, try to be consistent and don’t make it fail only when it’s dramatically appropriate.  This makes it feel like there’s no real limit and it’s only there to cause tension from time to time.  It’s easy to add this in too without making it a problem.  Just have the character charge the batteries while at home and doing something else.  It takes one sentence to recharge or recast here.
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Happy Thanksgiving . . . I Think

Time for holiday funnies because I’m busy with family.  Either interacting with them or hiding under the bed from them.  Could be both at times.

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7 Tips to Using Intangibility in Fiction

Shadowcat

This is a power that fascinated me when I was younger, but I stopped paying attention to it as I got older.  Intangibility is what it sounds like.  A person can pass through objects like a ghost.  It seems simple and designed entirely for thieves because they can get into any building.  So, I lost interest until this (things really start around 1 minute):

Let’s get to the tips, but I’m probably going to use Mirio as an example for most of them because he’s amazingly well done.

  1. This is a terrifying power to have because of its greatest flaw.  If used improperly or control is lost, the character can (and really should) start falling through whatever they’re standing on.  This means falling out of any vehicles while they’re moving, through buildings from the upper floors, and even into the earth.  Authors tend to avoid this issue because it brings up a question of how they didn’t die when it first showed up, but that can be chalked up to a mental defense mechanism that cuts the power off when in danger.  This does NOT always work if a stronger character loses full control.
  2. Two things I never considered with intangibility are breathing and senses.  It makes sense that air wouldn’t enter intangible lungs and light can’t enter intangible eyes to create vision.  You can come up with reasons for these to not be a probably such as allowing oxygen directly in from the surrounding area.  Same goes for light since the two are not solid like what the character normally goes through.  Still, downsides like this can help limit the power of a character who is technically unstoppable.
  3. Psychic powers should still work.  Intangibility is only of the body, so the mind shouldn’t be protected by this specific power.  There can be some loopholes such as the character moving out of time or dimensions by a hair, but that should also mean that they can’t communicate with others.  If you’re going to have them become immune to psychics then you need a really big tradeoff.
  4. As you can see, intangibility at a higher level doesn’t always mean the entire body.  A character can practice to make part of themselves solid while the rest is ghostly.  This allows them to accomplish actions that require intangibility AND interacting with the environment.  For example, slipping a leg through a wall to trip a guard without exposing your whole body.  Reaching through something to type on a computer without entering the room is another.  Get creative since the human body can be split up in many ways.
  5. Yes, it’s funny for a character to phase and lose their clothes.  Don’t overdo that joke and try to keep it tasteful.
  6. Since intangibility is only the ability to pass through things, a character using it in combat needs to know how to fight.  Mirio is powerful because he knows how to fight even without using his quirk.  He’s developed a style that uses it to his advantage, but the moves are still part of a martial arts school.  For example, a character with intangibility can throw a punch, which passes through the skin to hit the liver directly.  This requires precision, knowledge of anatomy, and training to deliver the blow quickly.  An untrained hero might clumsily pull it off by surprise, but an experienced enemy will be ready once they see the power.  Combat training is where the characters can gain skills to handle hand-to-hand.
  7. In a world where intangibility is a known power, there should be defenses against it in terms of weaponry and security.  More than likely, someone with this ability set out to be a thief or broke into a building.  That means, advanced security systems can come with barriers designed to stop intangibility.  Same goes for guns, which may fire energy instead of bullets for these characters.  Keep in mind that these heroes and villains don’t cease to exist, but simply pass through objects.  They are some kind of wavelength or whatever you want to say to show they are still around since they can be seen.  So, it’s not surprising a scientist or organization found a way to counter it and make a fortune in the process.
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I’m on the Voice of Indie Podcast

Something to be thankful for: if you’ve missed my nuggets of wisdom and anecdotes from Greece and Scotland, don’t despair. I was invited over at the …

I’m on the Voice of Indie Podcast
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Messy Middles and Mystery Boxes

Ciao, SEers! Back in 2018, I gave a brief overview of story middles, touching on scenes and sequels and covering the falling and rising actions …

Messy Middles and Mystery Boxes
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Teaser Tuesday: Don’t Feed the Puppy

Cover Art by Jon Hunsinger

Kind of a jarring jump from all the fantasy teasers since July and now you have something from Chasing Bedlam.  Well, you know that poll from June?  Cassidy and Lloyd each got a vote.  I’m giving them a shared scene because they’re more fun to write as a team than separately.  Enjoy.

Continue reading →

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7 Tips to Writing about Telekinesis

Jean Grey

I’ve been thinking about some of the more common powers that we see in fiction.  It doesn’t matter if they’re natural powers, magic, or tech-based, but they seem to show up all the time.  At first, I was going to just write about them, but realized I’d just be giving advice on how to use them in fiction.  So, I might as well use one of my favorite post types, which is the ‘7 Tips’.  First up is TELEKINESIS

  1. Not every telekinetic has to press their fingers to their temples or lean forward to stare at their target.  This can be how they start, but these actions are clear indicators that they are about to act.  It makes them a target in a fight and not very useful until they get stronger.  Now, it does show strain on the mind and body, but try to think of other methods.  Balling of fists alone can do something.  The human body has many signs of tension and stress for you to choose from.
  2. Telekinesis is the moving of things with your mind, but that doesn’t mean you can’t modify it.  The basics can remain while you make your character a specialist of some kind.  Maybe they can only move inanimate objects because they’ll kill a living thing by moving them.  It could be only pushing or pulling or levitating.  It’s possible that they can only move their own body with their powers.  Limiting the scope can help to develop unique uses, which helps the story stand out.
  3. This might be the most important one!  There needs to be a limit to the amount that the character can lift.  If they’re hurling skyscrapers with their minds and not feeling the strain then they may be near unstoppable.  Think of telekinesis as a set of invisible limbs that come out of the mind.  They have muscles, which need to be worked on to increase their strength.  Even with practice, they will hit a weight limit requiring the person to either stop or push to a point of self-harm.
  4. Telekinesis doesn’t always mean the character has telepathy too.  I remember there being a theory decades ago that the human mind has a hierarchy of psychic powers once it goes beyond 10% usage.  First, the theory is useless.  Second, it went empathy, telepathy, and then telekinesis by 10% increments.  This is why you see older characters having this as a set.  It isn’t necessary . . . Says the guy who created Lost the Dawn Fang who has telekinesis and telepathy.
  5. It’s possible for telekinesis to imitate other powers.  You just have to be creative in how it’s used.  Force fields can imitate heightened durability.  Sticking to places can work by having them use it on their own body.  Same goes for flight.  This requires that you understand the other power and telekinesis, so research can help.
  6. Consider the stress and damage that’s inflicted to the targets.  Lifting a person up against their will can hurt, especially if the telekinetic is new.  It’s assumed by the audience that the entire body is moving, but you can play with this.  What if the character tries to shove someone, but focuses only on the stomach?  That could knock them back, but also induce vomiting.  Lifting by a limb can causes dislocation.  Objects can get crushed if shifted with too much force.  This is typically ignored, but you can play with it.
  7. Determine how comfortable the character is with this power to decide if they will use it only in emergencies or all the time.  One who is scared will try to avoid moving things and may be hard-pressed to display the power.  It can be terrifying to manipulate objects without your hands, especially if other people fear it.  Yet, a character who revels in the power will use it for everything.  Getting the remote, turning off lights, opening doors, and most other things that require hands may be done with the mind instead.  This is a great way to demonstrate the character’s personality as well as their power.
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Mountain Laurel Christmas

Let’s all welcome Jan Sikes to Entertaining Stories. She’s one of my longest term author friends, and a partner at Story Empire. She’s here to tell …

Mountain Laurel Christmas
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#NewBook Hoist the Colors, one more time…

I spent my weekend publishing “Wreck of the Lanternfish.” I swore this would come out in 2021, and now it has. Amazon took it’s sweet time, and I ran…

#NewBook Hoist the Colors, one more time…
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