7 Tips to Creating A Secret Defense Force in Fiction

Posted on May 21, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Harper Symbol

As you can see, I’m still not sure what to call this type of organization.  A cabal or secret society has fairly dark undertones.  For this topic, I’m really trying to lean towards groups that are fighting to protect something.  It could be a kingdom, a terrible secret, or anything that can lead to disaster if it’s damaged.  So, what are some things to keep in mind?

  1. The organization should have a name.  This might sound like a weird one, but many authors will make an important group and not give them a name.  With their goal being so crucial to the survival of something, you would think those in charge would want them to have a name.  It can be something fairly benign, which they can subtly use in conversation without drawing attention.  Doesn’t have to be flashy, especially since they are trying to be a secret.
  2. A goal is needed for this group to both exist and function.  Why were they made and why do they remain?  If they no longer have a purpose then they probably wouldn’t stay together.  For example, a group that came together to prevent a dark god from reviving wouldn’t remain after that god was permanently destroyed.  If they do then an explanation needs to be given.
  3. A key component is them being a secret, but that doesn’t have to mean that they are completely in the shadows.  People can know that they exist, but not who the various members are.  It could even be that all of that is known, but their actual purpose or functioning isn’t known.  Without these secretiveness, the organization’s activities will be easy to disrupt by their enemies.
  4. While you don’t need a hierarchy, there should be some formal organization to these groups.  They can’t be ragtag since they are supposed to be established with a determined goal.  Parts of this aspect would be leadership, how tasks are handed out, territory, rules of conduct, or even smaller groups within the larger one.  To explain that last one, you might have a group that handles information gathering while another takes care of traitors.
  5. Communication between members needs to have some type of subterfuge.  Written and oral messages need to be in code if the characters are in public.  If they are speaking in clear terms then anyone can hear them.  Without this, an author can’t have organization members discuss events in any scene that doesn’t include privacy, which can be a harsh limitation and increase the chance of info dumps.
  6. It doesn’t hurt to create a long history for the organization.  While you might not use all of it in the story, it can help you determine how the members will function.  This can also birth ideas on the organization and hierarchy since you will be thinking about how this group changed over the years.  It can definitely help psychologically.  You would be imagining them as a small, original group and then think about how they would grow into what they need for the story.
  7. Passwords and secret handshakes . . . Not necessary, but they are fun to make.
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Teaser Tuesday: Harbor Battle

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Cover Art by Alison Hunt

This was the first teaser for War of Nytefall: Lost and it dove right into the beginning of the book.  I used a lot too.  The story takes place 17 years after War of Nytefall: Loyalty, which is when I realized having vampires warring with each other could be extending over years.  I mean, they’re immortal, so they have plenty of time to plan battles and jockey for power.

Continue reading →

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Reading Journals & Craft of Fiction

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Greetings! Liz Gauffreau with you today with some thoughts about reading as a writer. I fell in love with reading literature in the ninth grade. I …

Reading Journals & Craft of Fiction
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Special Defenders in Fantasy Worlds

Posted on May 19, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

I thought about this concept when I watched ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’ and they brought up the Harpers.  This is a special group of people who protect the Forgotten Realms from various enemies.  They’re kind of political, but the members come from all walks of life.  Very different from the Rangers in the above series, which are specially trained for their group.  So, why are these types of groups so popular and useful in fantasy stories?

I think it really comes down to the mystery and intrigue that comes from their existence, which works for the genre.  Fantasy already has that mystical appeal due to having magic and unearthly creatures.  Any organization that works in the shadows or has a mysterious reputation fits the atmosphere.  It isn’t that different than the Illumanti theories that relate to our own world, but we don’t always see the fictional groups as evil.  Probably because we see their inner workings and know more about them than the groups people believe are pulling the strings here.

These groups tend to be found in one of three categories:

  1. Evil organization that the heroes have to defeat or get around to reach their goals.
  2. Heroic organization that the heroes either work with or join to reach their goals.
  3. An organization that is in the heroes’ way due to a misunderstanding, having something they need, or a slight against them.  This one covers a lot of ground, which is why it’s become increasingly popular.

I do find it interesting that these groups tend to be associated with a political entity.  Even those that claim to be neutral have a habit of getting involved to save a good-natured kingdom from a blatant evil one.  Many have nobles as members, so they are connected to some political entity.  Though, I have noticed a trend for these nobles to be there in secret and not on talking terms with their families.  Still, authors rarely have these groups be anything other than political on some level.

Of course, that would make sense because why else would you have some kind of special group in the shadows.  Some could exist to protect certain areas like rangers defending a herd of unicorn.  Others might be more into spying and gather information for their own benefit, which really is more like a thieves guild.  That kind of leans these organizations further to the political arena in order to justify their existence.  I find that rather limiting though, but I haven’t been able to much else when I consider these kinds of groups.  I think this is because they need a lot of resources and influence in order to be effective, which again puts us closer to politics.

Personally, I do like the idea and I do want to tinker with a few Windemere groups.  I keep going back to adventurers though, but that doesn’t really change anything.  A few ideas can work as well, but my limited writing time keeps them on the backburner.  Maybe one day I’ll get to outline them, which could flush out more of the world’s political landscape.  I guess that’s another benefit of such groups.  They expand on the inner workings of the kingdoms and other parts of society.  Something for me and other authors to possibly keep in mind.

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Better Sleep Month

Posted on May 18, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

You would think sleep is an easy activity since it’s so essential.  Yet, so many of us have trouble.  There are a multitude of obstacles that one can face like sleep apnea, insomnia, difficult work schedules, noisy living arrangements, anxiety, and whatnot.  There are some ways to improve things though.

One of the most common suggestions is to create a constant sleep routine, which doesn’t end on using technology.  This requires consistency too, so you can’t just do it whenever you want.  Keep the times relatively the same as well as the activities.  For the finale, many recommend reading a book, but other suggestions are music, meditation, and even exercise.  The point is to get your mind to relax and not be subjected to blue light, which comes from electronic devices.

Other possibilities to help with sleep:

  • Keep the room cool, but not too cold.
  • Drink warm tea or milk to help you relax.
  • Have the room be as dark as possible.
  • If you are having trouble falling asleep, get up and do something for 20 minutes to get rid of your energy.  Not checking your phone.
  • Don’t drink alcohol before bed.
  • Melatonin if need be.
  • Try to avoid midday naps unless totally necessary because it will make it harder to fall asleep at night.

Question time!

  1. What do you do to help fall asleep?
  2. Why do you think sleep problems plague so many people today?
  3. Do you think dreams help or hinder good sleep?
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Goal Post: Spirit Was Willing, But Body Was an Issue

Posted on May 17, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

I feel like half of these posts turn into a ‘my body broke down on me’ conversations.  I’m going to dive right into what went wrong and prevented me from finishing a chapter of Darwin & the Beast Collector.  I’ll get it done this weekend and try to finish the next one though.  I’ve got a 4-day weekend coming up and that could lead to most, if not all, of the remaining chapters being finished.

Anyway, there’s a thing called plantar fasciitis, which is a word I’m not going to try to type again.  This is when the tendon along the bottom of your foot becomes inflamed and walking becomes a painful experience.  It started near the end of February when I spent a weekend walking around in new shoes.  Icing, massages, and resting as much as I could helped to keep it at bay, but it’s always hurt.  On Wednesday, the pain suddenly amped up to a stabbing sensation in my heel when I stepped down even remotely hard.  I ordered a foot massager that day, but it didn’t help as much as I had hoped.  I also couldn’t use it at work.  So, I ordered compression socks (not stockings) on Thursday and that reduced the pain to a dull throbbing then a faint ache by Friday night.  Unfortunately, I had to spend a lot of time massaging and icing during the week, which made it hard to focus on editing anything.

To be fair, I also had a lot of errands and chores to do since my parents have been in Italy since end of April.  They come back tonight, so I wanted to make sure things were clean and the kitchen had food for their breakfasts.  The rain also forced me to space out the yardwork and errands, so that ate into my afternoons and evenings.  By the time Friday came along, I was spent and just wanting to get laundry done.  So, I’m going to finish the chapter after breakfast and biking then tackle the next one after an hour of Pokemon Go after lunch.  It’s a special event and my son can’t attend, so I want to get him one of the shinies.  Beyond that event, I won’t be doing much else outside of editing today and tomorrow.

In other writing news, I price dropped all of my eBooks to 99 cents.  I won’t make the big post about it until next Friday.  After that, I’m going to simply mention it at the bottom of every Teaser Tuesday.  Maybe an occasional post about it around holidays.  Will this create more sales?  No idea since I can’t afford any marketing and have the social media reach of a hermit.  Even on my own Facebook page, I can’t get any traction beyond a sudden flood of DM’s asking me to promote a book or offering a paid service to help me.  Sometimes, the responses are immediate, which makes me think they’re bots.  Anybody else ever run into this?

Next week is only 4 days of work, but they’re going to be doozies.  Two field trips that will be outside if weather permits.  My son has his big concert too.  This is on top of studying, homework, and hoping to get some father/son time in.  Still, I’m fairly certain I can get at least 2 chapters edited prior to the end of Memorial Day Weekend.  If I pull of getting through the 1.33 this weekend then I’ll only have 3 left too.  That means the crazy week is going to be worth it.  Besides, the Pokemon Go event coming up sucks aside from a 3-hour one on Saturday that I get my son for.

Eh, let’s just jump to the goals:

  1. Do more editing of Darwin & the Beast Collector.
  2. Rest feet when possible.
  3. Do biking more than walking.
  4. Enjoy son’s concert.
  5. Wear sunscreen and hat for field trips.
  6. Work on summer blog posts a bit.
  7. Shake fist at sky when rain comes back.
  8. Sleep in tomorrow to rest up for the week.
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Quotes in Daily Conversation

Posted on May 16, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

I have a few friends who I can hold an entire conversation with using quotes from various movies and shows.  90% of them end up being from Futurama, but it’s interesting how such a thing can happen.  Yet, the lines don’t always have the same context as when they were in the show.  I will admit many times we use them to randomly text hello, but there are other meanings.  Felt like sharing and see if people do the same.

“Good news, everyone!”- Futurama (I’m having a good day.)

“Bad news, everyone!”- Futurama (I’m not doing so good.)

“What about, Zoidberg?”- Futurama (Have you tried something else to solve your problem?)

“You shot who in the what now?”- Simpsons (I didn’t hear what you said.)

“Believe it!” -Naruto (I agree.)

“The corner!”- Simpsons (That hurt.)

“To shreds you say.” -Futurama (That’s really sad.)

“My manwich!”- Futurama (I lost something important.)

“That you pie?”- 8-Bit theater (I woke up and am hungry.)

“Catch you fuckers at a bad time?”- Blade (Hello, everyone!)

“It’s a suppository.”- Futurama (Said to friend who has to take medication.)

There are probably a lot more, but they always come up without thinking.  Anybody else do this is or even have one catchphrase they use all the time?

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The Magic of Catchphrases

Posted on May 15, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

For anyone in my generation, we probably heard this exactly as it was said and know the movie.  I don’t know if the 80’s and 90’s were the era of catchphrases, but it feels like a lot from those times became immortalized.  Then again, I remember them in context, so it might be my perspective.

Catchphrases are kind of magical in that they gain power and we can’t really predict their existence.  A line that an author is sure will be quoted by all readers might be ignored or even mocked.  Yet, a simple response from a character that was made without a second thought can end up on a t-shirt.  It can be frustrating, especially if you are determined to make a catchphrase on your own terms.  Maybe that’s not how these work outside of comic books though.

From reading about the creation of these popular lines, it does seem that those behind it simply hoped for the best or focused on the story alone.  I think the second option is the less stressful way to go.  A memorable phrase probably hits home if it isn’t forced and flows with the story or character arc.  Maybe have a little realism too. Take ‘It’s not a tumor’ up there.  I know it’s from a comedy, but the line works for a character who is a badass cop in over his head running a kindergarten class.  So, he loses it at the suggestion that he has a tumor, which is something a small child would definitely say.  I’m sure many teachers and parents nodded their head at similar interactions.

Comedy tends to create a lot of these lines as well even in non-comedic movies.  You can have bad situational puns that people will use whenever they have an opportunity.  Witty responses and insults are popular too.  If a person gets a positive response by quoting a movie or show then they’ll keep doing it.  Others will see this and do the same, which makes it a cultural phrase.  At least for a generation or two before something replaces it or the source is no longer relevant.

For an author, I think it’s great to gain such an achievement.  A catchphrase acts as a verbal advertisement because people who hear it will want to read the book.  They will be curious as to who created such a memorable phrase.  As stated before, you can also put it on marketing items such as shirts, bookmarks, mugs, or anything that you think people might buy.  If you can get a catchphrase for multiple characters then you can garner even more attention.  Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be as common as we would think since most characters outside of superheroes don’t have a catchphrase.

Personally, I would love to know that there are lines I wrote that people repeat in real life or at least really enjoyed.  I tried to make a few in my fantasy books, but never put a ton of effort into them.  Figured that if they didn’t gain traction in book 1 then I wasn’t going to keep pushing in book 2.  The only series I made a harder attempt was the Bedlam Series , but that was just Cassidy saying ‘Shut the fuck up, Lloyd’.  It was funny and happened a lot with different emotions, but the series itself didn’t do well enough for me to know if the phrase worked.

Maybe one day I’ll stumble upon a catchphrase that people will enjoy, but I don’t think it’s a priority.  For shows and movies, it might be very important to get a phrase repeated by the public.  Books can look at it as an added bonus, which the previous mediums could think of as well.  So, probably best to write the story and making the lines work in context instead of them being useful for daily conversation.

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Author Quotes & Quiz

Posted on May 15, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Hi SEers! Denise here today with a new quote post and quiz, along with my reasoning for it from a past Story Empire post. Like I’ve said in the past,…

Author Quotes & Quiz
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Poetry Day: Psycho-Grannie

Posted on May 14, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Clefairy!

(Actually saw this event play out in Florida.)

She has lived her life

Wish you could say the same

She stares upon the road

With half a working eye

Moving from lane to lane

Without a pattern to be found

Bumping off the corner

She nearly hits a bus

That all can clearly see

You try to keep an eye on her

Making sure she stays ahead

But she darts into a parking lot

Sending walkers leaping high

She reappears behind you

Almost hitting your rear end

This old lady is a menace

That you cannot elude

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