Living in a False World (Matrix Anniversary)

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Matrix

It’s not a milestone year, but ‘The Matrix’ was released on March 31, 1999.  I think this movie really changed how certain genres operate.  At least for a time.  We saw ‘bullet time’ everywhere and stories about living in simulations exploded.  Not to mention characters who could absorb skills like Neo and chosen one tales.  It really was a fun movie and I still enjoy it today because it feels culturally impactful to me.

The aspect that I was thinking about today was the concept of humans being trapped in a false world.  ‘The Matrix’ poses this as a place where humans are kept to be unwittingly used as batteries for machines.  If one is going to escape, they are approached by someone who gives them a choice.  Red pill means they wake up to the horrible reality of a desolate Earth and blue pill means they stay in the fake world.  Of course, the heroes always take the red pill in order to make the story continue.  Wouldn’t be exciting if they bow out of their own adventure, right?

I’m sure there are stories out there with the climax being that the hero decides to stay in the fake world.  Can’t think of any off the top of my head, but I swear I’ve seen some endings like that.  Staying in a false world can make sense if reality is so horrific that you would rather not face.  People do that in the real world too.  An author would still call this a negative ending since the hero didn’t escape what we are supposed to see as a prison.  I guess the message could be to enjoy what you have and don’t always toss it away for what might not be better.  Need to have a lot of prep work for that though.  Most will think escaping reality is a sign of failure and weakness.  Just see how people will speak to someone who plays D&D or wants to be a fantasy author.  It’s not pretty.

Role-playing games, fantasy, and science fiction can all be seen as creating fake worlds for us to play in.  While we don’t physically go to them, we mentally travel there and leave our reality behind.  Yes, we can do this with other genres, but I’m talking about the ones that are more likely to leave Earth.  Personally, I always felt there was a different level of escapism when you go into an entire new world.  It isn’t one designed like ‘The Matrix’ to make people think they’re in reality, but to leave here entirely.  Guess I’m leaning towards how all authors, especially in these genres, are architects of their own ‘Matrix’ to temporarily trap readers.

On the other side of the coin, I have seen a big push to make our fiction more realistic.  I see people tearing fantasy apart because it doesn’t match science.  Historical fiction is shredded because people don’t pay attention to the second word in that genre.  I don’t know what caused the rise in destroying fiction and a large push towards getting readers to stick to non-fiction and the news.  The amount of political books and biographies that seem to come out is dizzying.  In fact, I really only hear about those on the few ads I bump into or maybe a James Patterson book.  Are people so worried about leaving reality and missing something that they are avoiding escapism in all forms?  That would explain why so many are stressed, negative, and miserable.

The fake world is a fun story trope to work with, especially since it’s a very flexible.  You can make it everything.  Characters can be aware or unaware of their situation.  Maybe they’re trapped in a game, which is a common anime/manga tale.  It could be them being experimented on by aliens who want to learn about our society and only kidnapped the hero.  The fake world concept can be used to carry almost any story that involves ‘reality vs fiction’.  Sure, reality tends to win, which might feed those who think fiction is a waste of time, but that tends to be the good ending.  It’s still a fun adventure.

What do other people think of stories involving ‘fake worlds’?

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , | 16 Comments

How a sampling of international authors approaches marketing: Part 1, Authors Ken Stark and Melisa Quigley weigh in.

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Greetings to all! Joy York here today. In my last post, I shared my quest to gain some clarity for how to best market to readers. My research proved …

How a sampling of international authors approaches marketing: Part 1, Authors Ken Stark and Melisa Quigley weigh in.
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Fauna of the Galapagos Islands

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

The Galapagos Islands are an incredible place known for its biodiversity.  They have a lot of endemic birds and reptiles due to it being difficult to reach the islands.  So, not a lot of mammals made it here to take hold.  This region has also been very important to scientific research, which I will get into after showing some of the more famous animals.

Flightless Cormorant

Galapagos Fur Seal

Galapagos Hawk

Galapagos Penguin (Most northern living penguin)

Galapagos Tortoise (Most famous of the animals)

Land Iguana

Lava Lizard

Marine iguana

Another common animal found on the Galapagos Island are finches.  Many NY students learn about these when they take Biology (also called Living Environment) in school.  This ties into one of the four labs that New York state requires for completion of the Regents course.  Take a look:

One of the reasons Galapagos biodiversity is so important is because Charles Darwin was there for 5 weeks in 1835.  He wrote a lot about the animals and it helped him formulate the Theory of Evolution.  The finches of the island were central to his theory because of their beaks.  Each of the species originated from a single ancestor, which led to them looking similar, but not identical.  Their beaks changed over time to allow each one to each specific foods without heavily competing.

More recently, Peter and Rosemary Grant witnessed the finches demonstrating evolution in real time on the island of Daphne Major.  There was a drought on one of the islands in 1977, which made it harder for the medium ground finch to find food.  They went from nearly 1,500 to a couple hundred in population.  During this time, the Grants found that beak size in newer generations had gone up by 4%.  This is because smaller seeds were rare while bigger ones were more accessible, but only those with larger beaks could crack them open.  In 1982, there were heavy rains and smaller seeds became more numerous.  Beak size for the medium ground finch then dropped 2.5% in future generations.

The story doesn’t stop there because large ground finches showed up with the heavy rains and began competing for the bigger seeds.  This caused medium finch populations to shrink.  Another drought in 2004 ended up devastating both species.  This time, the medium ground finch beak size got smaller in spite of small seeds being harder to find.  This is because the large ground finches were competing with them, so only those with smaller beaks could get the food that the bigger birds ignored.

All of this is why the Galapagos Islands are so important.  They are great for scientific research on biodiversity and evolution.

Posted in Animal Posts | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Goal Post: At Least I Finished Chapter 7?

Posted on March 29, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Not sure how or when, but I managed to finish editing chapter 7 of Darwin & the Beast Collector.  Maybe I’ll get lucky and finish chapter 8 this weekend.  It’s possibly since I’m only really busy this afternoon.  Tomorrow has good weather, but no solid Pokemon Go events for me to do for more than an hour or two.  I’ll see how I’m feeling because this week brutalized me.

The truth is that the issue is really physical health.  I have to wake up at 5:30 AM every weekday when I have work.  I try to go to bed at 10, but that doesn’t give me enough sleep time since I always wake up for one reason or another.  By the time I start dozing off, I usually have only 30-40 minutes before the alarm.  So, I get jolted.  Things get tougher when I’m trying to wrangle a teenager and prepare lunch and breakfast for both.  This results in me starting the day going full tilt, which is made even worse with the weather pounding at my sinuses.  This is why I felt like I was hit by a truck on Thursday and had a few moments where I thought I’d pass out.  Going to bed early made Friday better, but I barely had enough energy to make it to the end of the work day.

I think a major factor here is that there are no days off between winter and spring break, so its’ 7 weeks of nonstop activity.  The kids get worn down too.  I have to handle it as both a teacher assistant AND a parent, which also means working with my ex-wife.  Tensions run high in every aspect of my life, so the emotional exhaustion builds up.  My hope is that the break in 2 weeks will help me reset, especially since I’m going to Oswego for a few days to get some alone time.  I don’t know how it is for other authors, but writing when I’m already at the end of my rope doesn’t happen.

This coming week might be more productive though.  The students are off on Monday, but I go in for a conference day.  I could go in later, but I might get Dunkin for breakfast and go in earlier to do some editing in the faculty lounge before others show up.  Aside from an hour for lunch where I’ll hang out with my son, I’ll be fairly busy, so the morning could help get extra work done.  I had to take another day off for a meeting about my son, which is in a position where I can’t do a half day.  That gives me another day to get some editing done.  I have 10 chapters to go, so getting 2 done this week will make the Oswego trip easier where I hope to get 2-3 done.  My goal of finishing Darwin & the Beast Collector by the summer could actually happen . . . Not that I know what will happen next, but people have given some suggestions.

Getting closer to finishing the May posts and then I’ll make a list for June, but I really do think I’m going to reblog much older ones for the summer.  I’m talking about from my first year, which many current followers might not have been around for.  Not sure if I want to change them around or post them blindly then realize I no longer think that way.  That isn’t being born from laziness so much as curiosity.  Not to mention I’m going to have my hands full over the summer with work, writing a new book, and spending time with my son.

You know, I’m going to admit that I’m nervous about tackling a new book.  It’s been so long that part of me still isn’t sure I have the skills.  I believe I mentioned this last weekend too, but I did more research on the brain fog issue.  Covid could have been a cause, but constant stress and anxiety can do it too.  I’ve been extremely stressed since January of last year, which is around the time my writing endurance dropped from 3 chapter sections (10-17 pages) in a day to 1 section (3-4).  Pokemon Go wasn’t a thing for me beyond taking my son out to play, so that really hasn’t been a big factor.  That means, it could really just be the stress, which isn’t going away any time soon.  Not sure I’ll know what to do with myself if the stress disappears too.  With any luck, this theory is correct, but I won’t be able to test it during a week with meetings, my son having two quarterlies, training, and a weather pattern that makes me think Mother Nature is on meth.

So, what are the goals of the week?

  1. Help son study for quarterlies.
  2. Edit Darwin & the Beast Collector.  I did kind of fix a timeline issue, but I don’t know if it makes things messier since it means a certain character has been out in the world for over a decade instead of a few years.  Eh, they’re an elf, so it shouldn’t be an issue, right?
  3. Finish the May blog posts.
  4. Make packing list for Oswego trip.
  5. Get extra sleep when possible.
  6. Puzzle time to relax.
  7. Maybe tinker with a few old ideas if I can’t get to anything else.
  8. Watch more ‘Solo Leveling’ when possible.
  9. Catch more Pokemon.
Posted in Goal Posts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The Review Black Market

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Author– I hear you can provide legit reviews.

Dealer– I might be able to help you.

A– Well, I’d like one for my newest book.

D– When did it release and how long is it?

A– Two weeks ago.  It’s 250 pages.

D– I can work with that.  I get a free copy, right? I can still work with a blurb, but it won’t be as legit.

A– Of course.  Whatever will help me get a 5-star review.

D– That’s the tricky part.  People get suspicious of 5-star reviews if they aren’t written perfectly.  That will cost extra.  Maybe a coffee on the sly.

A– I don’t know.  Isn’t that a bribe?

D– Some people would say a free book is a bribe too.  Never know what an angry reader or a rival author might do, especially if they find out about me.

A– Maybe I can do a contest for a Starbucks card and give you an advantage.

D– For that, I’ll give you a stunning 4-star with the only complaint being that the sequel isn’t out yet.

A– I don’t have a sequel planned.

D– That doesn’t matter.  Many big name authors fail to release a sequel even if they clearly had one planned.

A– Sounds like a good deal.  When can I expect the review?

D– Within the month since I do want to read the book.  I might work in the black market, but I’m still a reader.

A– That doesn’t sound crooked at all.  Free books for reviews are fairly common.

D– Yeah, but some people still consider it cheating.

A– I guess so.  I’m just saying this doesn’t feel like a real black market.

D– Do you see how there are no lights on around here?

A– Yes.

D– Nobody pays the electric bill because we spend all our money on books and food.  So, it’s always black around here.

A– Really went for that bad of a joke.

D– Don’t look at me.  I didn’t write this skit.  I’m not even sure what it was supposed to be in the first place.  Idiot writing this forgot what he wanted to do.

A– Typically author then.

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Poetry Day: Outcasts

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

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(Hard to really explain this poem.  It’s about people who spend their lives struggling due to bad luck.  They always seem to be fighting to keep their lives together.  Every time they find stability, an event happens beyond their control and knocks them back down.  All they can do is get back up unless they choose to disappear.  Definitely felt this way in 2024.  Society tends to keep them as outsiders either intentionally or by accident since it’s hard for one to understand the mindset without suffering the same way.  I mean, imagine reaching a point where happiness and success are seen as signs that bad stuff is about to occur due to pattern recognition.)

We are the abused ones

God’s band of guinea pigs

The deformed freaks

And trampled souls

That are his failed experiments

We all are tested

By his great design

Some of us will pass

To join his damned utopia

They will be the lucky ones

The rest of us

He refuses to release

We have great potential

To become members

Of the decadent elite

But it will never be

When we forget our place

He gives us a test

Which we cannot pass

I am expecting my next test

It looms on my horizon

I know he will have his laugh

While whittling away my happiness

But I will survive

I always survive

To rebuild my tattered soul

What has not killed me

Has made me stronger

Bringing freedom near my grasp

Even if it is only an illusion

Posted in Poems | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Writing Your Character’s Faith

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Use faith to enrich your story and create compelling characters. Find out how here!

Writing Your Character’s Faith
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Being Your Best and Worst Critic

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

I’m really hard on myself.  Think a lot of people can say this about themselves as well.  It’s extra tough to handle the inner critic when it comes to art.  Yet, one has to be their own cheerleader as well.  We are the final say in what our art will look like, which makes us the best critic as well as the worst.  So, how does this work exactly?

Be Your Own Cheerleader

I’m going to start with the positive side first.  We need to have hope, faith, or whatever you want to call it in ourselves.  Once we give up on ourselves, the game is over.  So, our inner critic needs to be positive to keep us going even if it’s telling us how we made a mistake.  I believe all authors run into this voice when editing.  You need to fix things without feeling like the entire project is a mess.  Think people used to say that you need to junk 85% of your first draft to make it good, which is kind of extreme.  It still shows that one can be critical and keep pushing forward as long as they feel that all of the changes are for the best.

This can be dangerous though.  Being too positive can make an author egotistical to the point where they won’t listen to outside opinions.  As much as we aim to be our own cheerleader, we need others to support us.  It’s not a solo show even if we believe it because we need editors, publicists, readers, reviewers, publishers, and more.  So, a person needs to remain open to other opinions.  Listening solely to the positive critic inside to avoid negativity will block you off from this.

I’m Trash!

This is the abyss that will lead to utter failure.  Your inner critic can’t muster any positive thoughts on your creations.  It isn’t being tempered by a cheerleader, so you’re destroying everything you make.  Nothing is good enough.  Every word is a mistake.  You end up going back to the drawing board all the time.  At this point, the inner critic is the equivalent of an Internet troll determined to make you quit.  It’ll vanish as soon as you do so and swear to never try again.  One could say this voice is born from depression, anxiety, or doubt.  No matter what, it’s pretty nasty.

Though, it isn’t entirely useless as long as it’s kept on a leash.  We do need to admit when we’ve made mistakes.  An author needs to be able to ditch bad ideas instead of pushing forward with something they hate.  Sometimes, you have to put aside something that you like, but isn’t working out.  Not a full quit, but shelving it to work on projects with more gravitas.  The ‘negativity’ here isn’t at full strength, so it helps one come to the conclusion that it’s time to move on or make really big changes.

Balance is Key

For anyone who has been following my blog for years, they probably knew this would be coming.  I’m always talking about balance because that’s what one needs.  Odd coming from someone who is repeatedly unbalanced, but it’s easier to preach this than put it into action.  My mentality aside, the trick with the inner critic is to make it be cheerleader and party pooper.  Maybe it’s the cheerleader who is at the bottom of the pyramid and not happy about it.  Give them an attitude where they are positive, but have no problem tearing something down if they hate it.  That way, you keep going while making changes and casting aside things that really don’t work.

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Teaser Tuesday:

Posted on March 25, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Cover by Alison Hunt

(CLICK HERE FOR AMAZON SITE.)

Why Can’t a Caster Fix It?

Because then it wouldn’t be much of a story, would it? Okay, that isn’t a real answer, but it’s what I have to get out of my system.

In Legends of Windemere, I have the character, Nyx, who is a powerful caster. I lost count of the number of times people asked me why she didn’t just blow up *insert obstacle*. This gets frustrating because the question ignores that some challenges are clearly for other characters, so Nyx wouldn’t get involved to that extent. It ignores her personality and the basics of group dynamics. She’s aware her friends will be angry if she blasts away their rivals and obstacles. Not to mention it means she’d reach the final battle against a superior enemy alongside a band of weak allies.

This question also treats magic like a cure-all for every situation, which isn’t how it should be, even in worlds where it’s plentiful. Readers may miss the nuances of this, so this question will exist for as long as people write fantasy stories. As authors, we should be more aware of this and have an explanation as to why the caster doesn’t do it by themselves.

Do I blame readers for asking this question? Not really because it’s a legitimate point in several cases. The audience might not realize the reasons behind magic not being used to solve everything because the author doesn’t make it clear. That isn’t to say it’s the author’s fault. Many factors fall into the use of magic in stories, as long as it isn’t being thrown around without consequence. If that’s the case then there’s fewer reasons for casters to solve every problem with a spell, which brings us to a truth about writing.

We depend a lot on readers catching the nuances of characters, worlds, and situations in order to avoid spelling everything out for them. Doing so can make a story boring and offend people who think they’re being looked at as simple-minded. So, an author has to work off established rules and themes without bringing blunt attention to their existence. A rampaging monster not being stopped by the powerful caster can be seen by a reader as a mistake while the author is hoping for them to see the limitations of the world’s magic. Just another reason why some people go for low and limited magic since the more of it that’s around, the louder the question.

The real question that should be asked at this point is:

Why CAN’T a caster fix it?

Posted in do I need to use a dragon | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Check This Out: The 1896 Leadville Ice Palace

Posted on March 25, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

With me on the blog today is my good friend, Afton Rorvik, who is here to talk about her nonfiction book, The 1896 Leadville Ice Palace. It was …

Check This Out: The 1896 Leadville Ice Palace
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