Questions 3 and Looking Back at ‘The Merchant of Nevra Coil’

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Cover art by Jason Pedersen

This is the 8th volume of Legends of Windemere.  The funny thing is how this book was not really planned and came about because I needed something to happen to make volume 9 work.  The Merchant of Nevra Coil ended up solving a lot of issues that I saw appearing down the road too.  Guess you could call this the maintenance book of the series, which sounds rude.  Still, it prevented a lot of trouble.

The basic story is that the champions go to the new city of Nevra Coil, which was built by the gnomes.  It flies and is very high-tech.  I worried about that because this is a fantasy series and the gnome inventions weren’t in your face yet.  This was a city built entirely on their techy culture, so it bordered on science fiction to a few readers.  Anyway, Yola Biggs (ugh) the exiled Chaos Goddess shows up to cause some trouble.  Some of the champions are turned into their action figures, which a gnome has been selling for profit.  Others are mind-wiped and left in an asylum to keep them out of the way.  A race is on by the one champion would avoided the curse and a few supporting characters to get the lost figures back in time to revive them.  Sounds messy, but I’m trying desperately to sum things up without dropping spoilers.

So, what did this solve?

  • It gave one champion a time to shine on their own.
  • It brought more closure to the Kira/Sari/Luke Callindor plotline.
  • Delvin was prompted to commit to the actions, which created volume 9.
  • Brought some closure to a previous character that people missed.
  • Created more of a foundation for Stephen Kernaghan going insane.
  • Established that the champions were actually famous instead of it coming out of nowhere.
  • Locked in the awkwardness of a confrontation that would happen within 2 volumes.
  • Introduced Fizzle to how human society doesn’t always take care of the less fortunate and allowed him to grow.
  • Gave Yola a chance to do more than be comic relief and make her role in a later book more sensible.  I realized that if I didn’t have these events happen, her being involved in a fight would make no sense and her ‘defeat’ would make even less.

That’s a long list and probably reveals a bunch.  This was a difficult book to write in general too.  I originally thought I would have it be in short story form with each champion, Yola, and a few others getting a section.  I dropped this idea because the format wasn’t used before and wouldn’t be used after.  So, it felt like I would be making this volume awkwardly stand out for no real reason.  By focusing on a few characters, I was able to make it work.  Still had a lot of juggling and heavy-lifting to do because I needed to cover a lot of ground.

Another positive of this book is that it combines with volume 9 to create a good break between champion temples.  Three have been done and there are three more.  So, I wanted to avoid the repetition and stopped after the magic number 3.  It showed that destiny can be derailed for a bit and even put at risk.  Another reason I used Yola the Chaos Goddess because she would do something that could ruin the plans of both Gabriel the Destiny God AND Baron Kernaghan.  Glad I had her in there the whole time and found the perfect use for her.  Probably why I always enjoyed thinking back about this one and volume 9 because they were born from chaos.

Would I change anything?  I think I rushed a bit on a few of the stories because I didn’t think all of them through.  It isn’t very noticeable, so it’s more me thinking of stuff after the fact.  Everyone did get a good amount to do or be done to them.  I established a lot of world building and foreshadowing.  Still, I always got the sense that I could have done more here.  Maybe I’m just getting greedy.

Let’s juggle some Merchant of Nevra Coil questions:

  1. Do you think magic-fueled machines work in fantasy?
  2. If you were transformed into a toy, what would you do?
  3. How would you feel if you learned that nobody cared that you existed?
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No Rest For A Hero

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

I forgot what made me think about how certain heroes never get to rest.  Might have been when I was watching ‘Highlander’ Season 1.  I remember a character telling the protagonist that he can’t stay out of the contest of immortals forever.  He would one day be drawn back into battle.  Yeah, that sounds right.  I mean, we can all think of heroes who never get to retire.

This is probably a really big issue in American comics.  These un-aging heroes have to deal with a constant flow of villains.  Many end up getting a rouges gallery of repeating foes, who are always up to evil.  There may be moments where the hero can take a breath, go on a date, attend school, or be given a semblance of normalcy.  I’m sure this is to make sure they remain somewhat relatable.  Still, it isn’t long before they are thrown back into the fray and having to save the day again.

In fiction, the heroes usually muster the willpower and desire to do what they always do even if they are getting tired.  They might have moments of weakness, but they rarely fall completely.  Those that do end will get replaced by a hero taking up their mantle until they return somehow.  So, it comes off more as a marketing attempt to freshen up a long series instead of a natural end.  Again, this is more common in American comics as well as some long-running TV shows.  It plays hard on the concept that a hero doesn’t get a chance to rest or achieve a normal life.

Another level of agony that is heaped on protagonists is that the adventures can all happen in a tightly packed timeline.  I remember reading how some comics are said to always cover 13 years.  No matter what, it has been 13 years since the superhero set off on his new career.  Works for a while until you do the math to find that they are getting into multiple adventures in a 24-hour period.  So, you need to spread stuff out, which comes with its own threat.  That would be fatigue because a person can only go hard for so long before they crumble.  Really does suck for a hero to not get any rest when you start to think of the timeline, which is why I prefer having an ending planned.

Fantasy is strange in that many of the genre’s heroes have a final goal and will achieve some form of rest.  Either a happy ever after or they die, but they do reach an ending instead of having to trudge through multiple adventures.  Even a D&D campaign will inevitably reach a finale because characters become so powerful that they no longer find challenges.  I guess this is why stories where heroes don’t get any stronger or villains match them without it going too far allow for extending the series.  Doesn’t really work in fantasy as often as other genres though.  Maybe due to the nature of questing involves self-improvement and getting stronger.

Personally, I prefer to see my heroes get some rest.  Not a full retirement at times, but giving them some periods of downtime.  This helps them stay fresh and makes it clear that they are doing some self-care.  Otherwise, readers might wonder how they are healing from physical and mental damage.  Throwing healing spells at everything comes off as a cop out, so you need to do something to let them relax.  It doesn’t even have to be in a story, but to have time pass with them not seeing any action.  For example, an adventuring party gets half a year of resting before they are called back into action.  This also allows you to bring them back with either some new toys, having lost old gear, or them needing to get back into fighting shape due to getting lazy.

What do you think about heroes who don’t get any rest?

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What’s Happening in the Writer’s World–April

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Jacqui here at Story Empire with the April edition of “What’s happening in the literary world?” What used to be a simple process of penning what we-…

What’s Happening in the Writer’s World–April
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Happy Easter!

Posted on March 31, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

The title says it all.  Happy Easter!  Enjoy these funnies.

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Goal Post: Half a Week of Work and Half a Week of Break

Posted on March 30, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Easter Break started on Thursday.  It’s not Spring Break this time because Passover isn’t until the end of April.  So, the holidays got split and we received two breaks.  Definitely needed the mini one.  A lot happened at work and in the home life . . . None of which I can talk about on the blog.  Sorry.

I can say that I’m really tired.  Partially from the craziness of Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.  I didn’t get to begin recovering from those days until Friday.  By then, I was beyond exhausted.  I was barely able to do any editing on Darwin & the Halfling Hunt too.  Chapter 4 was done on Wednesday night, but it took me all of Friday to get through chapter 5.  I’m being fairly meticulous with the repairs and making sure everything flows, so I’m going slow.  It’s the first run through, so I should have expected this.  I still hope to get 6-7 done today and 8-9 done tomorrow.  I’ll have to tackle other chapters on Wednesday and Thursday nights to get to where I want to be.  If I even have the time with everything going on.

The only thing I really have to talk about is Thursday.  It was the first day of break, which I would normally spend resting.  Instead, my friend invited me into NYC to do an hour long archery lesson.  I hadn’t been in the city for a while, so I was eager to go.  Didn’t realize how much the price of a Long Island Railroad ticket costs, but I made it in.  Penn Station was not what I remembered.  Sort of.  As I told my friend, the main area looked nicer and shinier, but the offshoots were the same.  The smell and sounds were the same too.  Not to mention having to stay on the move while waiting for my friend to arrive in order to avoid the more colorful locals.

We met up with a high school friend of his, who I also talk with on Facebook, and his friend’s wife.  The archery place was in Chinatown and they showed up with a list of dumpling places.  All of these places sold dumplings for $5-$6.  The amounts ranged from 8 dumplings to 15.  So, my friend and I split dishes in order to make it through all of the locations.  They were all given nicknames too, which I remember instead of the locations:

  • Crack Dumplings– This is one we’ve been going to since 2000.  Used to be 5 dumplings for $1.  Now, it’s 13 for $5.  It got the name because they were SO GOOD that you kept going back for more.  The joke was that they put crack in it, but it was really just damn good cooking.
  • Chonky Dumplings–  These were 15 dumplings for $5 and they were meaty. Thick, dense dough and meaty filling.  We devoured these as if we hadn’t eaten a ten minutes earlier.
  • Dungeon Dumplings–  Named because it was on the lowest floor of an underground mall.  This was 8 dumplings for $5, but they had the best sauce.  The dumplings tasted a little like they were made with eggroll wrappers too.
  • Bridal Dumplings–  My friend and I actually got 6 pork buns for $5 while the others got the dumplings.  Forgot to ask how many for $5.  Everything was good.  The name comes from a bride and groom showing up with their photographer to have pictures taken while they eat.
  • Taquito Dumplings–  The last place was 13 dumplings for $6.  The sauces were good and the dumplings were open at both ends, hence the name.  Being at the end of the tour, I barely made it through this portion.  It was definitely the finale for me, but a great one.

Between dungeon and bridal dumplings, we did an hour of archery.  I’ve never done it before outside of playing around with a set when I was a teenager.  This was an official lesson and I didn’t do half bad.  My shoulders definitely ached, but not as much as my feet from walking so much.  This was my target:

Funny thing is that the one outside of the last circle on the left was from my second round, which also had three entire misses.  I was a mess that time for some reason.  First round was black, blue, and a red.  On the plus side, I tended to do good groupings even when I was missing stuff.  Need to find a place out here that I can take my friend to next time he’s out here.

Next week is back to work and school on Tuesday.  I’ll be helping out with a basketball team that our special education kids are a part of.  So, I’m going to be busy after school for the next two months.  Beyond that, I’m going to have the usual week with helping my son with his work and aiming to get as much done before the weekend as possible.  The NYC outing was a very early birthday outing, but it reminds me that it’s coming in about 1.5 weeks.  Not that I have anything planned since it isn’t a milestone birthday and this year has me feeling rather battered.  Just another day to me at this rate.  Maybe people will set up something fun and change my mind, but they have to compete with archery and a dumpling tour.

Goals of the week:

  1. Edit more Darwin & the Halfling Hunt.
  2. Clean bathroom.
  3. Pokemon Go with son.
  4. Make lunches for the week.
  5. Rest when I can.
  6. Watch ‘Great Teacher Onizuka’ when it hits Netflix on April 1st.
  7. Cry if Netflix is pulling a prank on me.
  8. Sleep in tomorrow.
  9. Bike once I can feel my feet again.
  10. Maybe order the ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ 50th anniversary Lego set.  Might wait until after my birthday in case people pick up my hints of wanting Lego giftcards.
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Happy Mermaid Day!

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Figured it would be fun to cover manatees on Wednesday and then Mermaid Day.  Though, I didn’t expect it to be so difficult to find mermaid funnies that weren’t either about ‘The Little Mermaid’ or perverted.  So, enjoy what few I could find.  What do you think about mermaids?

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The Garden Party by Wendy Clarke

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

“The Garden Party” by Wendy Clarke is a novel that beautifully marries the essence of gothic mystery with a contemporary setting, making it an …

The Garden Party by Wendy Clarke
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The Last Guest House by Caroline Mitchell

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

“The Last Guest House” by Caroline Mitchell, set in the Isle of Skye, presents an intriguing premise and attempts to weave a complex narrative around…

The Last Guest House by Caroline Mitchell
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Poetry Day: Icarus Reborn

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Icarus

(Written about the constant reaching for hope, which is followed by an inevitable crushing of disappointment.)

I see a pattern

That I follow to perfection

Reaching for the ring

High above my head

Basking me

In a golden glow

Barely sensing the burn

I blindly soar to grab

Believing the ring my fate

So sure that it is mine

Only to begin my fall

As I fail to hug the sun

I plummet to the depths

Cursing my short sight

I am Icarus reborn

Falling to my doom

Never learning my own limits

Fated to fly too high again

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The Reality In Myths

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Manatee/Mermaid

It’s fairly well-known that many, if not most, creatures of mythology are born from a real animal or event.  For example, the concept of mermaids could have come from sailors seeing manatees or sealions.  Supposedly, Christopher Columbus saw ‘mermaids’ and said they weren’t as attractive as they were painted.  He was looking at manatees, but we know how he was with understanding what he was seeing.  So, what are some other possible explanations for myths?

Dragons

Let’s start with a big one.  Dragons have appeared in cultures across the globe and have done so fairly independently of one another.  So, saying the stemmed from crocodiles wouldn’t work when they weren’t found the areas.  What could ancient people have seen that would make them think giant creatures were around?  Two likely suspects are DINOSAUR BONES and WHALE BONES.  Without seeing these within the context of their living forms, a person could imagine that they stemmed from a monster.  If you haven’t seen such a big creature, you may think it has wings to stay in the air and hide among the clouds.

Bigfoot, Yeti, Etc.

Large ape-like creatures may have come from the same source.  The bones of Gigantopithecus, largest ape ever, would make a person think that there is a large, humanoid creature around.  Another likely suspect could be someone seeing a bear standing, but not get a clear look at them.  Fog and snow always seem to play a role here.

The Kraken and Sea Monsters

Well, the Kraken is obviously based on the giant squid.  I mean, it’s typically depicted with tentacles, beak, and simply being a humongous squid.  Sea monsters with the long, scaly bodies are different.  Many believe these were caused by encounters with a very rare creature called the giant oarfish.  They can reach 36 feet long and typically stay in the depths, but will rarely come near the surface.

Griffin

I’m a little disappointed in this one.  Coming from another fossil, it’s a possibility that the lion with the head an eagle was a dinosaur.  This would be the protoceratops, which had a bird-like beak.  Griffins aren’t always depicted with wings, but they always have the head of an eagle.

Cyclops

Another downer, which is harder to believe.  The Mediterranean Sea region was once home to the dwarf elephant.  You might wonder why anyone would think the skeleton of this extinct animal would lead to a giant with one eye.  Well, the skull has a large hole in the middle because of where the trunk came out.  It could easily look like a single, giant eye-socket.

Unicorn

This one is a tough challenge.  Some believe that the rare okapi is the origin since males have small horns.  From the side, it could look like they only have one, but they aren’t that long.  The oryx is another contender and we can’t forget rhinos.  A fourth possibility is that people found narwhal tusks washed ashore and came up with the unicorn.

Nessie

That’s a plesiosaur.  Nobody really can deny this one.

Phoenix

Found a few possibilities for this one too.  The one I think has the most merit are flamingos.  They have the fiery colors, but it’s more than that.  Africa had areas of volcanic lakes where you had a lot of steam and mist.  People would briefly see a bird with bright red feathers come out of the area, but then disappear.  Not knowing what it was, they came up with the phoenix legend.

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