Starting An Adventure Behind Bars

Posted on November 12, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

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Pretty sure we can all think of at least one story that begins in jail.  Many stay within that setting too.  It isn’t only fantasy as well.  There is something about a prison story that appeals to readers.  Maybe it’s about redemption or survival.  I should do a post series on that, but today I’m going to stick to adventures that begin in prison.  Sorry.

I kind of did this with War of Nytefall since you first meet Clyde when he’s in prison waiting for execution.  That isn’t really what I’m talking about though.  A prison meeting for a party is when everyone is thrown into jail together.  It doesn’t matter if they know each other or not.  They are now in jail with no clear sign that they are going to be released any time soon or at all.  Similar to, and possibly jumping off from, the bar brawl opener, the jail beginning has several benefits:

  1. There isn’t much to do when sitting in a jail cell.  Whether they are in the same one or nearby, the characters can now interact.  They’re almost forced to.  Introductions and other information can be shared, which begins the bonds needed to form a solid adventuring party.  It doesn’t require that they become friends, but an understanding can be forged.  This also creates an opening for the characters to reveal more about themselves to the readers without it feeling forced.
  2. The characters are now put in a shared situation, which means they are equals.  There aren’t a few who are out of trouble and a few who are.  All of them are facing the same level of consequences.  Even if they think they are superior or in a better situation than the others, the reader knows all of they are in trouble.  This is another factor that can create a bond.  Think of the real world where people are thrown together for a variety of reasons.  Work projects, science labs in school, getting stuck in an elevator, and the list goes on.  You are no longer total strangers, but a group of people who are in the same mess.
  3. If the characters don’t work together then the story ends.  So, they are effectively forced to do so.  This means a reader can see how well they work within a group.  Who are the problem solvers?  Who are the leaders?  Who are the mediators?  Is there one who will keep trying to do things on their own?  Right off the bat, you begin establishing roles within the party, which can continue and grow throughout the adventure.
  4. Non-combat skills and knowledge can be revealed in these situations.  It’s not about fighting your way out unless the escape is a disaster or the entire group is made of violent meatheads.  Thief skills are the most common types that are displayed since you can use lockpicking, stealth, pickpocketing, and a variety of other skills here.  A person who is good at charming others would be useful as well.  Finally, this is a safer scenario to show if someone has magic because they would, typically, be using non-destructive spells.  That last one could go the other way though if you just want the caster to be short-fused and blow a hole in the wall, which forces everyone to work together since they are now seen as accomplices.

So, what do you think of adventures starting in jail?

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The Issue With Character Interviews

Posted on November 11, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

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This is going to be a short post because it’s more of a rant.

So, I used to set up interviews with my characters.  I did this two ways in the past:

  1. One version was me posting about the character and people would ask questions in the comments.  This was to make it real-time interactive.  It worked for a while then dwindled to nothing.
  2. Then I came up with setting up a weekend post for people to leave questions and I would answer them in the actual interview post.  This didn’t work as well as the original concept and failed rather quickly.

The biggest issue I had as my series progressed is that most people weren’t reading the books.  So, nobody felt like they should or could ask a question.  I repeatedly said that they can ask a general question since this was to get people curious enough to buy and read the books.  Only a handful did so.  I had other people say they were just waiting to see what others said.  In other words, my attempt to get interaction crashed and burned.

This hit me kind of hard back in the day because it came off as people not finding the characters interesting.  Not outside of their stories, which meant my goal to make them relatable was a failure.  A notable exception was Ichabod Brooks who always garnered questions, but rarely got book sales.  That was a rather rough failure to accept since I couldn’t figure out why he was popular and still never sold much.

I’ve noticed for a long time that blogging isn’t as interactive as it once was.  So, I doubt character interviews will do any better.  Considering trying to put myself out there for questions, which I’ve done in the past.  Doubt it will go any better.

All of this makes me realize how much authors, regardless of their hermit-like lifestyle, typically require some interactions.  Whether it be with fans or other authors, we do need some type of book-based interaction to make us feel like we are connecting.  It can’t always be the sales and reviews of books.  Most people don’t review books and sales barely exist for most indies these days.  Blog interactions are probably the best way to go, but I feel like blogging is a shadow of itself.

You can tell I’m frustrated and wishing I had some idea on what I could do to garner any attention.  Not just for sales, but writing in general.  I don’t get to talk to anyone about my stories.  Can’t promote the ‘Slumberlord’ books since I don’t have cover art, money, or time to publish.  Given that it’s a core Windemere book, I refuse to make it a blog story like I did with ‘Bedlam’.  Maybe the day I get to publish Darwin & the Fate Bracelet will be when I can revive the interactions, but I need something in the meantime.

Anyway, this was a little rant about an old tactic that part of my keeps considering bringing back.  Almost like a bit of masochism.  Maybe I’ll try a ‘ask the author’ thing next Tuesday.

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Starting in a Bar Fight

Posted on November 10, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

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I’ve been thinking about the beginnings of adventures and how some characters meet, especially in D&D games.  One of the most common starting points is a tavern, which is why some parties unite over an initial barroom battle.  It could be caused by all of them or just one.  In the end, this results in them seeing what each other can do and maybe even get dragged into the same adventure.

The barroom starting battle is one that I’ve used both at the start and in the middle of a story.  Is it a trope?  Pretty much.  Yet, it has a handful of uses:

  1. Characters who have just met can bond over the action.  It helps with party conflict as well because they have to work together.  It isn’t an organized battle, so there isn’t any time to plan.  Everything is out of instinct and reacting to what is going on, which means grudges can be undone.  A grudge typically requires conscious thought to act on, but if you’re in a pitched battle alongside the person you’re feuding with there is a higher chance you will depend on them.  Not even consciously, but actions can be done to show each other is helpful.
  2. Bar brawls can show how active a city’s guards are and reveal how the locals act to such disturbances.  If it happens with a minor spark then a reader can assume the city has a higher rate of crime or at least a weak security force.  It can also reveal that the locals are already tense or suspicious.  They might not like outsiders, so are looking for any reason to start a fight.
  3. If you are having a hard time getting your characters or players to move on in the story then this helps to get them kicked out.  There are times where a city is too welcoming or characters settle in a bit too much.  You start to realize that they might not realistically want to leave or at least stay longer than the timeline you’ve already set up.  So, you get them into trouble and force them to move on.
  4. This kind of scene can set the tone for a story that is going to have plenty of action.  It will demonstrate how you write such scenes as well as give an idea of what the characters can do.  This isn’t where you reveal all of their tricks, tactics, and tools, but you can show how they are in a battle.  Is a character aggressive or more likely to hide for a variety of reasons?  If it began with taunting, it can show if a hero has a general temper or has a specific trigger.  Use it for character and world building, which will continue throughout the adventure.
  5. If it’s right at the start and the heroes don’t know each other, it can lead to another type of beginning . . . Jail, which is Wednesday.

So, what do people think of the bar brawl beginning?

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Colugo the Flying Lemur

Posted on November 9, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

This creature is found in Southeast Asia and it’s name doesn’t really tell you the truth.  It is not a lemur and it doesn’t fly.  As with the flying squirrel, it glides using flaps of skin that run from their necks to their limbs and tail.  I guess ‘gliding lemur’ doesn’t have the same ring to it.  Although, Colugo sounds pretty cool.

Both species of Colugo are in danger due to habitat loss.  They are also hunted for meat and fur, but it is mostly the destruction of their home.  The Philippine Colugo was listed as vulnerable since it was under more of a threat.  It is also the primary prey of the Philippine eagle, which is critically endangered.  This means the Colugo population decreasing threatens another species that is in greater danger.  Really shows how nature involves connected organisms and systems.

Here are some facts:

  • The only species are the Sunda Colugo and Philippine Colugo.
  • Their closest relatives are primates, but they diverged around 80 million years ago to become an ancient lineage.
  • Family name is Cynocephalidae, which means ‘dog head’ in Greek.  This is because of their broad, short-snouted heads.
  • Order name is Dermoptera, which means ‘skin wing’ in Greek.
  • Webbed feet and light skeletons help them to become the best gliding mammal in the world.
  • Their incisors are comb-like to help with grooming.
  • Other unique dental structures are upper incisors with two roots, no canines in upper jaw, and molars with sharp edges.
  • Colugos can glide for about 230 feet before they start losing altitude.
  • As good as they are at gliding, they are awkward climbers due to not having any thumbs.  They have to hop up the trunk.
  • They are nocturnal and only glide when their tree is out of food, want a mate, or need to protect their territory.
  • Their big eyes allow for night vision and great depth perception.
  • While Colugos are not marsupials, they raise their children by keeping them in a ‘pouch’ for 6 months.  This ‘pouch’ is made by the mother using her skin flaps while the 35 gram baby clings to her belly.
  • A reason deforestation is a problem is because the removal of trees makes it more difficult for the Colugos to travel.  Fewer trees means longer distances of gliding, which can expose them to predators or force them to try hopping along the ground.

Pictures from Wikipedia and video time!

Philippine Flying Lemur

Sunda Flying Lemur

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Goal Post: Got Somewhere With Some Things

Posted on November 8, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Tuesday was a virtual learning day, so we had to work from home.  This allowed me to write the first section of chapter 8 during the periods I wasn’t in a class. Didn’t finish until after the school day was done though because I had to pay attention to the clock and the scene was giving me trouble.  Still, it was an extra chapter section of Darwin & the Joy Path, which I didn’t expect.  I won’t be able to write any more until maybe next weekend, but it’s the big Pokemon event of the season.  I’ll be happy if I can get the last two sections of chapter 8 done though.  Totally possible if I’m home by 7.

Unfortunately, I can’t claim any other victories beyond the writing progress.  Having trouble remembering any glimmer of non-writing success, but I’m writing this with a raw throat.  Wish it was an amazing story, but it’s just rough and gross:

I ate a KFC sandwich a little too quickly and a bit got stuck in my throat, which happens from time to time.  The soda didn’t help and the ensuing gagging set off an acid reflux event.  I got myself under some control and tried to get home with several breaks to give my guts a rest.  Well, a car cut me off and forced me to stop short, which caused the seatbelt to push on my stomach.  I think we know where this went and it still took me 20 minutes to get home.  4 Tums and a bottle of water reversed the issue, but my throat was definitely battered by the stomach acid.

To be honest, I’ve seen grosser stories on posts and I’m not going into details.  This is another case of me being laid low by a health issue.  Thankfully, I did recover enough to take my son to a local event called ‘Lumino City’.  Below is only 4 of the many pictures that I took, but you get the idea:

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This weekend has an appointment today, which means dealing with certain individuals that I’m not getting along with lately.  Beyond that, my son and I are going to do the usual Pokemon Go outings today after a movie with lunch.  Tomorrow is supposed to rain and we have family coming over, so it’s going to be in the house stuff.  We both need the rest since the first school quarter just finished.  Got a crazy couple of weeks ahead as well because of Thanksgiving.  It might be a little less than 3 weeks away, but it’s a holiday that rushes in fast when you work in education.  Christmas too.  Not sure what’s going on during that break.

Blog-wise, I tried my best to figure out what to do about my Teaser Tuesday repetition situation.  Decided to use the last 4 Tuesdays of the year to promote most of my series and give myself more time to figure things out.  The issue is that nothing actually works and I really prefer to do something that creates interactions.  Many times, I’ve done something that people think will work and then I get nothing.  The character interviews are the main victims of this situation.  I can’t interview them myself because I don’t know what people would want to hear.  I know everything and would rather readers/audience ask questions that I never considered.

Plan for this coming week is going to be the usual ‘survival’.  Getting Tuesday off is a good thing since I get my son.  A day where I can sleep in won’t hurt either.  Didn’t get a lot of quality sleep this week due to stress.  If I can’t get to Darwin & the Joy Path, I might try to finish the January posts and work on ‘Phi Beta Files’.  My plan for the holiday break in December is to work on the latter during the time my son is here.  When my son is with his mom, I’m going to work hard on the book and I might be able to reach chapter 14 by that point.  Entirely possible for me to finish Darwin & the Joy Path by the end of January.  Then . . . Darwin & the Hejinn Queen starting during the February break?

Think I’m getting unfocused lately because so much is happening.  Work is always busy with so much happening with our students this year.  My son is trying his best in 11th grade as well as dealing with the stressors of being a child of divorce.  Other situations are getting confrontational, which has resulted in a few nights being destroyed by triggered anxiety attacks.  Geez, my life is really a mess at times.  Makes me wonder why I still have people asking when I’m going to start dating again.  I wouldn’t even date me with all of my baggage, trauma, and issues.  Pretty sure this is going to be my existence since I internally freak out at even the thought of asking someone out or opening myself to the possibility of emotional pain.  Hey, at least I’m honest about it.

Goals of the week:

  1. Enjoy time with son this weekend and Tuesday.
  2. Enjoy the 6-7 Pokemon events all week.
  3. Watch more ‘Reacher’ on Prime.
  4. Tinker with ‘Phi Beta Files’ if possible.
  5. If energy and time permits, write more Darwin & the Joy Path.
  6. Puzzle time.
  7. Get extra sleep when possible.
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Conflict in the Party

Posted on November 7, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Thief– Why is everyone angry at me?

Warrior– Because you crossed a line.

Caster– Like you’re one to talk.

Warrior– This isn’t about me and I didn’t do anything nearly as bad as him.

Druid– Well, you all suck!

Caster– I liked it better when you were pretending to be a horse.

Thief– I did most of the work, so I deserved the greater share.

Warrior– You don’t need all of that.

Caster– I came up with the plan in the first place, so I should get more.

NPC– Dear heroes-

Entire Party– Not now!

Druid– I told all of you that this was a bad idea.

Warrior– You always say that, which is why we don’t listen to you.

Druid– That’s plain hurtful.  I knew you guys were cruel, but now you’re being rude.

Caster– Again with the cruelty accusation . . . Hey!  I saw that.

Thief– No you didn’t.

Warrior– Give the rest to us then.

Thief– Everyone has some of the loot. It was divided according to the physical work put into acquiring it!

Caster– I’m starting to regret every working with you three.

NPC– Great heroes-

Entire Party– NOT NOW!

Warrior– I don’t see how we can fix this.  You already made a mess of the split like you always do.

Thief– I don’t always do this.

Druid– Sometimes she incinerates the loot by accident.

Caster– One . . . Tw . . . Four times can still be an accident.

Warrior– I am telling all of you that we just need to do an even split instead of trying to say one of us does more than the others.  All it does is cause conflict and delay moving on to our next adventure.

Thief– This wouldn’t be a problem if you weren’t so cheap and let each of us get our own pizza instead of sharing.  I’m the one with the membership card.

Caster– You stole that off the lich we fought last year.  No idea why he had it.

Druid– And why did you have to put meat all over it!

Warrior– Because black olives are an abomination to the taste buds!

Thief– At least we can agree on that.

NPC– Noble heroes?

Entire Party– What?!

NPC– I have a coupon.

Warrior– That should solve . . . It’s expired.

Thief– Can I rob him now?

Caster– We see nothing.

Druid– I still hate all of you monsters.

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Poetry Day: Stag of Visindor Forest

Posted on November 6, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Irish Elk

(This is another sestina from back in the day.  Again, these are poems with 6 stanzas, 6 lines each, and the same 6 final words in different positions.  Takes a few tries to get them right since you can go 5 stanzas with ease then run into a mess at the finish line.)

He is the shadow of the forest.
Seen by many who are lost.
A towering buck without a herd.
Rarest sight among these trees.
Many believe him to be king.
The lord of all with antlers.

 

He leaves no markings on the trees
No scars left by his antlers.
He moves with the poise of a king.
Far removed from his adoring herd.
The stag’s prints are quickly lost.
As if they are eaten by the forest.

 

People talk about his ancient herd.
Once raised for a nameless king.
Fed the leaves of copper trees.
Giving them the sharpest antlers.
Of any creature in the forest.
Before the breed was lost.

 

Many claim the blood of the king.
They hope to enter the great forest
And return with the precious antlers.
Only few have not been lost.
They say the rest are taken by a herd
The stag can summon from the trees.

 

Many come forth with false antlers.
These they swear were shed from the herd.
All other proof has long been lost
By the timeless, growing forest.
The only ones who know are trees.
Who existed at the time of the king.

 

Even though the truth is lost
And none can whisper with the trees.
The stag still lives within the forest.
Acting like he is the rightful king.
With golden light born from his antlers.
He is the lord without a herd.

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7 Tips to Creating Inner Party Conflict

Posted on November 5, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Things don’t always run smoothly for adventuring parties.  Even if they’re the best of friends, a tense situation or a misunderstanding can cause conflict.  So, what are some things to consider if you want the heroes to butt heads?

  1. Be aware that there are lines that can’t be crossed without the group being completely destroyed.  If you have them begin fighting in such a way that the reader can’t believe they would realistically be allies again then you might have gone too far.  Interparty conflict is there primarily to create character growth and possibly shift the power dynamic.  The only time you should really cross certain lines is if your intention is to destroy the party.
  2. There should be some build up for the conflict. If things are going smoothly then you can’t suddenly have them get into a full-on screaming much.  Have some tension appear beforehand.  It can be them nearly dying or getting lost or something that doesn’t even have to do with the party members.  Your heroes need to be under enough stress that it makes sense for them to react to what would be the inner party spark, which could be minor in the grand scheme of what they are dealing with.
  3. Conflict doesn’t always have to be overt.  There could be a situation where a member doesn’t trust someone.  So, they begin acting a certain way around them.  This will eventually turn into an open issue, but the conflict can stay under the surface for a while.  It doesn’t even have to explode.  A third party could notice, talk to both allies, and get them to discuss things.
  4. There doesn’t always have to be a yelling match or violence.  That is flashier, but that is the extreme finale of party conflict.  Like in real life, things can be settled through a discussion.  It isn’t dramatic, which is why most authors don’t use it much.  Yet, it can work for certain situations.  Some conflicts can be caused by an accidental slight that the annoyed person doesn’t mention.
  5. Cursing is not necessary!  Neither is mother insults!
  6. Timing is important for a conflict to come to a head.  Having it all happen during a dangerous situation might not make sense even if it increases the tension.  I think people do this under the ‘facing death makes you want to say everything on your mind’ concept.  Yet, it ignores that most people would want to survive and know that their allies being on their side increases their chances.   Pissing off someone who is trying to keep you alive is self-destruction and foolish.  If it fits the character then it works, but it gets done for some who you would think have more sense.
  7. A personal issue should fit the personality of the characters involved.  Those who demonstrate a level of pettiness or hold loyalty in high regard are examples of those that can have conflict with less noble allies.  One who is highly forgiving or doesn’t care about underhanded tactics wouldn’t fit very well if they go off on someone over anything short of a major slight.  Even the way that a character goes off needs to fit how they have been acting up until that point.  Otherwise, it feels like the author is doing it solely for the sake of drama and hasn’t thought it out.
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Tuesday Promo Ideas

Posted on November 4, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Jay Sherman (The Critic)

I’m pretty much out of teasers since I’m reusing old ones.  So, I’m trying to figure out something I can do to keep Tuesday as a book promo day.  Here are some ideas that I can do starting in December:

  1. Character interviews that can use Sundays to gather questions and then I’ll set up the post for the following Tuesday.  Probably do all of the main heroes from the series.  I’d do a poll, but I can’t find that option on WordPress anymore.
  2. Rotate through my books to do a simple ‘Buy it’ every week.  Take a smaller teaser if possible.
  3. Repost the character origins posts from long ago.
  4. Keep doing teasers even though I’ve used all of them at least twice.
  5. Give up on promoting books.
  6. Something else that I haven’t thought of that people might want to see.
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Secrets in a Party

Posted on November 3, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

LOTR

I thought of this ‘issue’ when I was rewatching an anime called ‘Delicious in Dungeon’.  A character ends up keeping a secret from the rest of the group, which causes some trouble at a pivotal moment.  They still find success and survive, but it created a brief argument and lecture afterwards.  Not a shattering of the group, but reminding the character that they need to trust each other.  So, it got me thinking about how authors have used the secret trope.

Minor

These are small background secrets of a character that come out as flavoring throughout the adventure.  It isn’t that they are purposely keeping a secret out of shame, but these things aren’t important enough to mention.  Regional knowledge can fall under this category since it wouldn’t come up outside of specific situations.  Nobody is angry about the ‘secret’ here because it doesn’t do any damage before or after its revelation.

Fear/Shame-Induced

This one is fairly common and can go either way with hurting the group.  The premise is that there is a dark secret the character fears others knowing, especially after they have found a place to belong.  For example, the hero who comes from a family of villains might do this.  It can backfire when they bring extra attention and threats to the group, who don’t know what is going on.  The revelation can be met with shock, a sudden loss of trust, and confusion.  Yet, this most often results in the character proving they aren’t like their family and solidifying their role in the group.  So, one could see this as a predominantly positive secret situation.

Greed-Induced

Definitely a destructive secret since this is intentional and comes from a darker part of the soul.  This can cover a character who takes a powerful artifact, money, or an essential item without telling anyone.  Problems occur because of this action either because other people want it or there are challenges it could help with, but it wasn’t used.  Many times, the character knows they shouldn’t have or keep the item to themselves, but they do it anyway.  The revelation can, and usually does, break the group in a way that the secret holder is ostracized.  If not kicked out right away, they are not fully trusted until they get some redemption.

Unknown Secret

This is a weird one that just came to mind.  A character has a secret, but they don’t realize it’s a secret.  They might have some information or an item that they feel is mundane, but is really important.  So, they don’t realize they are keeping a big secret from the rest of the group.  It usually stems from ignorance or innocence.  Once the revelation happens, there can be some anger from the others.  It has to be made clear that the character had no idea they were doing anything wrong.  That way, the group isn’t shattered, but they might be more ‘parent-like’ with their friend.

Dark Secret

Feel like this is mandatory since people love using the term.  It can probably be considered the same as ‘fear/shame’ though.  There could be a slight alteration on some of them though.  Typically, a dark secret is one where the character doesn’t want people to know because they are ashamed or afraid of the consequences.  Now, I have seen some uses where the character keeps the dark secret because they know it will not be accepted by the others.  They aren’t ashamed of it.  They simply know it isn’t seen as a positive by society, so they keep quiet.  When revealed, it can cause a big mess with the character refusing to be sorry since they have rationalized it.

Bright Secret?

Not sure what to call the opposite of a ‘dark secret’.  These are harmless ones that will cause joy or help when revealed.  Somebody caring a powerful, one-use weapon for an emergency is an example.  They don’t say anything because they don’t want to be forced to use it for a situation they feel isn’t worth it.  Might be a little annoyance at the use, but a simple ‘I cannot use it again’ explanation can fix that.  I would say surprise parties, gifts, and other positives can fall into this category.

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