Writing and Poetry Revisted

Posted on January 17, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Hello SEers! Last year was a writing struggle, so I spent most of it editing. In this new year I plan to reset and get back to basics, or what has …

Writing and Poetry Revisted
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Poetry Day: Night of the Ghost Dance

Posted on January 16, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Minions from Despicable Me

(A fun little poem about ghosts and dancing.  Enjoy.)

Starry skies are set abuzz
Killing all but a lonely echo

 

Evil rises in moonlight dim
Leaving their shadowy tomb

 

Ears of vapor listen for the concerti
To tell them when to dance

 

Once it starts, the dance is endless
No ghost will resist the magic

 

Summoning all without flesh
A night of fun in the spectral gala

 

Making the world of death idyllic
Before the sun begins its daily arch
And ends the ghosts’ euphoria

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Scenario: Using Spells in a Big Battle

Posted on January 15, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

This scenario does give you a lot more personality leeway than the previous one.  I want to see if leaving it more flexible will be easier than making people be in a very strict role.  So, here we go again.

Scenario

You are the caster (wizard for new people to my blog) of an adventuring party, which has gotten itself pulled into a large conflict.  Now, you find yourself standing at the edge of the battlefield while your warrior allies have rushed into the fray.  Your friends have mixed in with the enemy forces to try and disrupt their ranks enough to create a clear path to the evil fortress.  It appears to be working since the opposing army has split with the chaotic orcs running wild on one side of the battlefield and the more disciplined lizardmen holding their positions on the other.

Being a battle caster, you have a long list of spells that can be used here.  Most of them are area of effect, which means you could hit your allies.  Yet, these are also the ones that can bring a quicker end to the violence.  You do have a few that can enhance your allies, which allow them to fight harder and longer.  Unfortunately, these also create fatigue after they fade, which would still require that the battle end quickly.

So, what do you do?

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Guest Post – Jacqui Murry – Savage Land Series – Endangered Species and Badlands

Posted on January 15, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Virtual Book Blast For Savage Land Book 1, Endangered Species (with a shoutout for Book 2, Badlands) Jacqui Murry writes wonderful books about life …

Guest Post – Jacqui Murry – Savage Land Series – Endangered Species and Badlands
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Teaser Tuesday: Evil to the Core

Posted on January 14, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Here’s a big piece The Mercenary Prince‘s prologue here.  It involves Stephen Kernaghan who is still the most evil character that I’ve ever made.  Feels like I always have to give a disclaimer that he’s a special kind of gross and horrible when compared to my other villains.

Continue reading →
Posted in Legends of Windemere, Teaser Tuesday, The Mercenary Prince | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

#3 of All Time- Being the Chosen One Is A Curse

Posted on January 13, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

This post originally went live on August 10, 2022.

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’.

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Navigating the Sea of Social Media

Posted on January 13, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Greetings once again. Beem Weeks back for my first post of 2025. This month I want to look at the sea of social media. As writers and creative sorts,…

Navigating the Sea of Social Media
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The Baiji or Yangtze River Dolphin

Posted on January 12, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

I don’t remember what I searched up to find the baiji, which is a freshwater dolphin once found in China.  It is the first dolphin species driven to extinction by human actions.  Yet, it is still listed as ‘critically endangered, possibly extinct’ since sightings turn up from time to time.  Surveys never seem to find the baiji, but some people say that there might still be a chance of a few survivors.  In fact, the World Wildlife Federation pushes for their habitats to be preserved in case some remain in hiding.

The decline of the baiji started in the late 1950’s during China’s ‘Great Leap Forward’ where the importance of the animal was denounced.  So, they were hunted, caught in fishing nets, hit by boats, killed by electric fishing, killed by pollution, and lost much of their habitat.  The industrial revolution that happened in China did a lot of damage, but the baiji was hurt most by getting caught up in the increased fishing industry.  Not enough was done to protect them in time, so the last confirmed baiji died in 2002.

Some baiji facts:

  • The last suspected sighting was in May of 2024.  Two baiji were supposed seen in the Yangtze River.
  • Due to their poor eyesight, they depend primarily on their sonar to locate food and obstacles.
  • Females are a little larger than the males.
  • Its name means ‘white fin’.
  • Females breed once every two years with the season being between February and April.
  • The baiji is regarded as a symbol of peace and prosperity.
  • A mythical origin says that a beautiful girl had an evil father who took her out on the river to sell her for money.  Before he could do so, he saw how beautiful she was and tried to have his way with her.  She dove into the river before a storm took out the boat and her father.  Later, the locals saw a beautiful dolphin, which was the girl reborn in a new body.

There are pictures, so let’s take a look:

Posted in Animal Posts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Goal Post: First Week Back

Posted on January 11, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

Well, I didn’t get any writing done.  Should point that out right away so those who only care about writing progress can move on.

It was a crazy week back to work with everyone being off in some way.  Ended the last two days of the week feeling bruised and sore.  Friday morning was a challenge to physically get out of bed too.  The polar vortex making things freezing cold didn’t help by making my muscles even stiffer.  So, it was just a long slog to the end with a few blips of relaxation and fresh air.

I attempted my first ‘scenario’ post this week.  Not sure how well it went, but I’ll see how the others do.  Each one was done a little differently to see if one method works better than the others.  The whole point of these posts is to see if authors and readers can put themselves in the shoes of a character.  I didn’t want to give so much information that only one choice could be made, but I also didn’t want to be so vague that a person could choose something that it entirely out of character.  Guess you would call this a kind of thought experiment if you wanted to be generous.  This all stemmed from a feeling that people read stories with their own morals and ignore those of the characters when decisions are being made.

Really wish there was more to mention, but the week was just a mess.  Last weekend wasn’t that much better, so I’m stuck mid-chapter as far as the hand edits go.  Didn’t get to go out for Pokemon Go much with the weather too.  Had to go to bed pretty early every night in the hopes of recovering as much energy as possible.  Think I might have prepped a few posts for March, but that was it.  All I can say for sure is that I’ve ended things with my back repeatedly threatening to lock up on me.  Good thing I don’t have an early morning appointment and a bunch of other stuff to do today . . . Tomorrow isn’t looking much better.

2025 really is shaping up to be a pain in the ass as far as time management.  Next week might be a little easier, but only because my son has All County chorus rehearsals most days.  That means I can use the afternoons to get errands, chores, and other things done before I have to pick him up.  Unfortunately, this is also the week before midterms, so the two nights I have him will be spent studying.  It was chaotic last year too with us struggling to get everything done with such limited time.  At least it goes into a 3-day weekend, which could see me getting a bunch of the editing done.

Wish there was more to say, but I’m drained and got nothing left in the tank.  I’m physically, emotionally, and mentally done after everything that’s happened.  2025 is turning into as bad a year as 2024.  So, what are the goals?

  1. Help son study for midterms when possible.
  2. Type in Darwin & the Demon Game edits when possible.
  3. Pokemon Go to relax when possible.
  4. Get extra sleep when possible.
  5. Work on puzzle when possible.
  6. Work on March blog posts when possible.
  7. Finish watching season 1 of ‘Castlevania: Nocturne’ when possible.
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Top 5 of 2024- #4 Curved vs Straight Blades

Posted on January 10, 2025 by Charles Yallowitz

This post originally went live on April 17, 2024.

Google Image Search

Saying ‘versus’ isn’t correct.  Yet, I do see many people trying to claim that one type is superior to the other.  Becomes a whole ‘knight vs samurai’ thing at times.  Meanwhile, I’m sitting here owning both styles of swords.  I still want to do a short post since some people might think a sword is just a sword.  Many are surprised to learn that each one has its own strengths and weaknesses.

Curved Blades

Let’s start with blades such as scimitars and katana.  These weapons have a backwards curve, which helps with slashing and cutting.  A warrior can deliver a blow across an enemy who has none to light armor.  These wounds are deep and the movement results in the blade cutting through a bigger area.  For example, a slash starting at the right shoulder can go all the way to the left hip with enough power.  Heavy armor can be a problem since the force isn’t hitting a single point to penetrate.

Curved blades were especially useful when it came to cavalry.  Needing less accuracy than a stabbing weapon, it’s supposedly easier to wield from atop a moving horse.  Being a weapon that depends on momentum, the speed and power from a charge can add to the slashing damage.  Some people believed this would mean less training necessary for cavalry when compared to a knight.

They are also easier to draw and work better in large army situations where there are plenty of targets.

Straight Blades

Longswords and rapiers can cut, but their strength is in stabbing and piercing.  They can be used with more accuracy since you’re aiming a straight thrust.  This allows for hitting gaps in defenses and even breaking armor since all of the power is being focused on a single point.  With chainmail being the most popular during Medieval Europe, this piercing power was essential.

Straight blades are better for small group fights and duels, which was what you found in the regions they were used.  A defensive reason for this is because they are better for blocking.  The straight blade deflects a blow with very little chance of the opponent sliding along and into you.  A curved blade has a chance of directly the blocked weapon towards your body if you aren’t carefully.

In General

Everyone who is into swords has their own preferences in opinions.  Mine is that I like both and see a use for each type.  I’m sure there is plenty more information out there than the basics I wrote here.  So, what do you think?

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