How to Become a Murderer

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

No, I’m not gonna tell you how to get away with the perfect crime. Not today, anyway. 😉 But I will show you how to become a murderer… and transfer …

How to Become a Murderer
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Poetry Day: If This Was My Last Day

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

(Guess I had a lot of downers in ‘I’ section.  Then again, is anyone surprised that I wonder about my own legacy?  I write stories with destined heroes and question if free will is stronger or weaker than destiny.  I have my heroes hope to create a legacy even if they die because they want to leave the world a better place.  So, I always wonder if there will be anything left a hundred years after I’m dead to tell people that I was here.  Not just that I lived, but that I did something.  I also wrote this when my son was really young, so the idea that I could die and he wouldn’t remember me was scary.)

If this day
Was my last day
What scar would I leave
Upon the world
Or would I fade
Into a set of photos
Collecting dust
In tear stained albums
Packed into a box

 

Would my stories live
Beyond my notes
Finding life
When I am gone
Or would they remain
Trapped
Within their tombs
Of lined paper and cheap binding
Crumbling on a shelf

 

Would my collections
Of blade and book
Become heirlooms
Passed to generations
With stories told
Or would they depart
Sold or donated
To make some space
For newer toys

 

Would the key to legacy
Be the son
Carrier of the bloodline
Living proof
That I was here
Or is he too young
To remember his old man
A memory not yet forged
Fading before I cool

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7 Tips to Writing Father and Son Relationships

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

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Being a single father, I think about the father/son relationship a lot.  Mostly because I’m always hoping I’m doing right by my own son.  This gets tougher when I see fiction maintaining the ‘stoic father’ ignoring the son’s issues until they explode or not having the father be in there at all.  It can get even worse with adventures because the father tends to die at some point.  Come to think of it, fathers are fairly common sacrificial characters if they’re in the picture at all.  Anyway, here’s some ideas on writing a father/son relationship in fiction.

  1. If the father comes from a generation where men don’t show emotion or parenting is the ‘woman’s job’ then establish that.  Fatherhood has changed over the years with more fathers taking on child-rearing responsibilities.  Many show emotions and talk about feelings with their sons too.  This isn’t seen as manly by some, but it is how many relationships are these days.  So, don’t be afraid to show that if it’s the type of story you want.
  2. The son doesn’t always have to be railing and battling against the father.  We know that children test their limits, but something about the father/son challenge turns into toxicity in writing.  Authors seem to want the father to be the villain or the son to be the young fool.  I rarely see these portrayed as a problem that gets solved by talking before somebody gets hurt.  Most times, I see it result in the total destruction of the relationship or at least the disappearance of it until the epilogue.
  3. Fathers aren’t always disappointed in their sons!  This is a common trope, which does play out in real life.  I’ve always wondered if it happens so often because it’s seen in every genre.  Our culture practically demands that fathers criticism and frown at whatever their son is doing unless it’s following in their footsteps.  This also tends to make the mother the more understanding and loving parent, which feeds into other clichés.
  4. As stated, fathers are more than able to talk about feelings.  An open and comfortable relationship between parent and child is fine.  You won’t get conflict between them, but you can challenge them in other ways.  The story doesn’t always have to involve the near destruction of the father/son relationship.
  5. Hugs.  Nothing wrong with a parent hugging their child.
  6. There should still be some boundaries between the father and son.  A child will not be comfortable talking about everything with their parent.  You also need to make sure the parent has a level of authority instead of coming off solely as a friend.  This can be delicate, but it doesn’t have to be something that causes conflict.  Boundaries can be established and respected by the characters.  They don’t always have to be pushed and broken.
  7. There’s a rule in society that parents shouldn’t cry in front of their children, especially fathers.  Apparently, doing so can be called manipulation, weakness, pathetic, and a long list of insults.  I disagree.  Having a father cry when one would normally cry makes them human in the story.  Otherwise, you end up blocking the emotional connection between parent and child.  As stated, fathers can have this too.  It isn’t only for mother/child stories.
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What Writers Should Know! Part Four: Research

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Hi SEers! Denise here to continue my discussion in part four of What Writers Should Know. This time we’ll be diving into research. Research is …

What Writers Should Know! Part Four: Research
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Questions 3 and Looking Back at ‘Tribe of the Snow Tiger’

Posted on April 23, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

Back to the temples in Tribe of the Snow Tiger.  This is the 10th volume of Legends of Windemere and started feeling like the homestretch.  At least, as far as the writing side goes.  Probably felt more like Act 4 of the overall story.  So, what can I say about this one?

I had hinted at Timoran Wrath having a secret for a while, but the guy was so low key that I don’t think the fact stuck for very long.  Going with barbarians being warrior philosophers who can control their incredible rage meant that he was mild tempered until triggered.  So, Timoran was the wise one of the group who did his best to not get pulled into the antics of the more impulsive heroes. Hence, it was a shock to some when it was revealed that he was an outcast of his tribe.  There was more to it than that, but it created a fun backdrop.

Events of the previous volume meant the heroes were divided to make up for lost time, so Delvin, Sari, and Fizzle were absent.  This left Nyx, Timoran, Luke, and Dariana to handle the trial that I had planned.  I learned really quickly that I lacked the mind and patience to write a lengthy trial storyline.  The courtroom scenes were fun at first, but I realized that I was going to get bored fast.  Maybe I sensed this, which is why I sent two of the more trouble-attracting champions on this adventure.  Luke and Nyx made sure that things moved along quickly and with plenty of explosions.  Not that the chaos they caused was always on purpose.

From the title of Tribe of the Snow Tiger, you can tell that this deals with barbarian tribes.  I had actually put some thought into this and had a file where various tribes were noted as well as their animal sign and associated deity.  That didn’t really come into play much being giving me a jumping point to explain more about barbarians.  Timoran was a good example of them too.  They are warriors who live in cities found in some of the harsher, more isolated environments.  Not uneducated berserkers who are always looking for a fight.  I figured every group has people like that, so why would an entire culture be based around it?  So, I thought taking the ‘warrior philosopher’ idea and having it be done by these large, powerful, rage-controlling people would be a nice twist.  Never regretted that and it opened the door for more.

There’s another event of Tribe of the Snow Tiger that I was looking forward to writing for years.  I kept having trouble rationalizing having two characters fight each other and not making it their final battle.  So, I kept throwing in interruptions and other obstacles to have their previous conflicts end without a clear winner.  Their first encounter is probably the only one that had one since it kicked off the feud.  This meant that I kept putting ideas for this event on a list that I had to indulge in.  Probably my favorite fight/battle/slugfest in the entire series.  I had a lot of trouble figuring out how to end it as well because my delaying it resulted in both characters being favorites.  Needed to appease everyone, including myself, and am proud about how it ended.

Would I change anything in this story?  The only thing I probably should have done is researched more on how to write court scenes.  It was supposed to be a bigger thing than I made it because I didn’t feel confident.  Not sure if that would have made the book better or worse, but I do feel like I didn’t step up to a potential challenge.  I’ve got other stories where characters are put on trial, so maybe I’ll make up for it.

Questions for fun:

  1. How would you help a friend who is in legal trouble?
  2. Is there any time where rage can be useful?
  3. What is your favorite final battle between rivals in fiction?
Posted in Legends of Windemere, Questions 3, Tribe of the Snow Tiger | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Happy Passover! Some Unleavened Memes, I Guess

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Well, Passover starts tonight.  At least my birthday doesn’t fall on it this time.  As per tradition that I just made up, I leave you with some funnies.  Enjoy!

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What Is Life in Space Really Like?

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Being fascinated by space travel since I was a child, I have enjoyed for years reading about it and watching space-travel-related TV shows and movies…

What Is Life in Space Really Like?
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The Most Vicious Weasel: The Wolverine

Posted on April 21, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Yes, the wolverine is part of the weasel family along with otters, badgers, ferrets, and a bunch of others.  You can kind of see it with the short, stocky body and the attitude of a honey badger.  At least if you see a picture since most people picture the comic book character first.  Many don’t even realize Wolverine is named after the wolverine.  Hugh Jackman apparently didn’t know until he played the character.  The reason for the connection is because the superhero, like the animal, is short  (5’3” in comics), has keen senses, and is very vicious.

Before I dive into some facts about this animal, what is its conversation status?  Well, it usually gets listed as least concern because we don’t know their exact population.  Wolverines are solitary and have huge home ranges with males covering 240 miles and females covering 50-100 miles.  Members of the same sex try not to overlap territory, so you would likely only see a male and female together for mating.  The low population density makes it difficult to get an exact count.

Note I said ‘usually’ since in November 2023, US Fish and Wildlife Society added the wolverine to the threatened list.  Being cold weather animals, climate change is reducing their range and population since the females make their dens out of snow.  Wolverines also get into human developments, which causes conflict.  They can be very ferocious and threatening, which leads to conflict.  Although, there have not been any reported wolverine attacks on people since we aren’t seen as food.

So, what are some facts?

  • Wolverines have claws that are similar to snow boot spikes and walk flat-footed, which allows them to climb difficult terrain easily.
  • Their fur is oily and resistant to water in order to prevent getting covered in frost.
  • A nickname of them is ‘skunk bear’ due to the potent odor from their anal gland territory markings.
  • Wolverines are mostly scavengers and will steal food from other predators such as wolves and lynx.
  • Their natural enemies are wolves, bears, cougars, and golden eagles with grey wolves being the biggest threat. Wolverines will challenge all of these for food.
  • They are induced ovulators, which means the females will only ovulate when stimulated.  Males will have lifetime relationships with 2-3 females, which means some males will never breed.
  • Mating season is in summer, but the female will go through delayed implantation until early winter.  Gestation is 30-50 days.
  • Fathers do visit their children for the first 10 weeks.
  • At 6 months old, some wolverine go with the father and travel for a bit.  Possibly to learn survival skills.
  • Even though they weigh around 50 pounds, they will challenge much larger animals such as bears and moose.
  • They live in the colder regions of North America, Europe, and Asia.

Now for some pics and video:

Yes. I figured I had to include him.

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Goal Post: Let Spring Break Begin

Posted on April 20, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

I made it!

Spring break starts today and work returns on May 1st.  Going to get some editing done this weekend as well as pack for a father/son trip.  Passover is on Monday, so I’ll get some family time in too.  So much is going to happen this coming week, which I’m really hoping to share next Saturday with a very late goal post.  Seriously, we’re talking maybe 9 PM Eastern Standard Time.  Depends on how long it takes to get home.  I’ll schedule something in the morning just to keep the post streak going.

This week definitely had me wondering if I was going to make it to the break.  Work and home life were crazy with so much going on.  Kids are always getting antsy leading into a break, so you can imagine how that went.  We started with a field trip too, which threw everyone off their schedule.  Several coworkers and I kept thinking it was later in the week than it really was because so much happened on Monday.  Life didn’t slow down at all after that with my son having a music solo performance, several appointments, and general prep work for the trip.

My progress on Darwin & the Halfling Hunt wasn’t as good as I wanted.  I came one chapter short, which doesn’t sound like much.  In the end, it is because I really want to finish the editing before I leave on the trip.  Be ridiculous to bring a single chapter with me and try to carve out time to do it.  The alternative would be having a long period of time between the final battle and wrap up.  My hope is that I can get all of this done this weekend and use a little of Monday morning too.  I won’t be able to print out Darwin & the Avenging Elf for the trip, but I’ll have ‘Phi Beta Files’ to work on when my son wants to work on his video game ideas.

The little free time I had this week was spent with a few simple things.  I finished the May blog posts and started the June ones.  I usually like to get June/July/August set up before summer to give me more editing or writing time.  Still trying to figure out what to do with Tuesdays once I finish the ‘looking back’ posts.  Only have War of Nytefall and Do I Need to Use a Dragon? left to schedule.  That covers the summer.  Can I start doing Darwin teasers when I haven’t figured out when I’ll publish it?  Tuesday is my only remaining book promo day, so I don’t want to drop or change it.

I also watched ‘Fallout’ on Amazon Prime.  It was fun, but I wonder if I’d like it more if I knew of the lore.  It’s based on a video game series, so it probably had Easter eggs that I missed.  Overall, I like the story and setting.  Took me a few episodes to get into the innocent Lucy character, but she grew on me.  My favorite character was Maximus because he had pretty bad luck at times, but kept on trying.  I would recommend this to anyone who likes post-apocalyptic stories with some comedy, drama, and bloody action.  The violence never detracted from the story though.

Only other thing on my mind is that I’m trying to think of more topics I can blog about in regards to writing.  Not being able to read and watch TV as much as I used to is preventing me from getting ideas.  Still mulling over ‘Fallout’ to find a few.  I’m hoping to start ‘Great Teacher Onizuka’ this weekend while editing.  Maybe a non-fantasy/sci-fi story will give me some character-based topics.  Fingers crossed.

Goals of the week:

  1. Relax
  2. Finish editing Darwin & the Halfling Hunt
  3. Father/son trip
  4. Passover
  5. Laundry
  6. Packing
  7. Relax
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Loneliness vs Toxic Relationships

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Wilson!

This stems from another comment on a forum where somebody talked about how they stayed in a toxic relationship because they feared loneliness.  Other people joined in by saying that they came out too broken to be anything other than lonely.  Really made me think about how much a single relationship can damage a person.  It can result in them never having a 100% healthy relationship again.  It’s a known fear, which is why some people will stay in agony because they think loneliness is worse.

I definitely don’t fall on the ‘stay in agony’ camp, but I do feel loneliness a lot.  Many of my friends have families or are too far away to get together so often.  Made new friends since the divorce with several fizzling out due to me not being into the same stuff.  At least, that’s what I thought, but it’s really just residual pain and me being afraid to open up to other people.  This results in loneliness being what I get, which comes with its own type of suffering.  Makes me wonder about the psychological fragility of humans, which is an entirely different topic.

Still, I can see the temptation to stay in a bad relationship because you’re afraid that the alternative is a lifetime of loneliness.  Humans are social animals, so the threat of isolation is terrifying to most.  We can bullshit ourselves by believing things will get better if we hang in there even if the other person is clearly not changing.  We start to accept blame for everything in the hopes of appeasing the other person and getting our lifeline of human connection to improve or last.  People can lose their sense of self-worth and identity because of this ‘versus’.  The end is usually total psychological collapse and/or the relationship ends because they are no longer seen as useful.  The loneliness strikes no matter what in both situations.

Cleary, this post is sad and dark with no real connection to writing.  We can make characters in these situations to help others recognize their plights and find a way out, but that’s it.  Maybe that’s enough though.

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