Goal Post: Rain . . . Friggin’ Rain

Posted on August 10, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

I’m writing this Friday night while we get another taste of Hurricane Debby.  That or this is her and everything else throughout the week was her entourage.  The rain did somewhat stop the heatwave, but it’s still muggy and gross.  I might be annoyed because of two incidents with one being scary and the other being sigh-inducing.  Guess the second is comical as long as you’re not me.

On Tuesday, we got a massive downpour and the timing couldn’t be worse.  I was the end of day bus matron, so I couldn’t get home before it hit.  Thankfully, most of our kids got home before it got really bad, but it hit hard when I was dropped off at my car.  Decided it was smarter to go to my son’s camp and wait for pick up time instead of going home and then driving back into the storm.  I was closer after all.  Saw the parkways were a mess, so I had to take side streets.  Made sure to avoid the ones that I knew were bad, but I didn’t realize the far end of one was in terrible shape.  With no way to turn around, I had to drive through a severely flooded road with a really slow person in front of me.  The guy kept hitting his breaks as if he was going to park and go fishing, which freaked me out.  We finally got out and I prayed my car could keep going, which it did.  Thankfully, the rain stopped when it was time to get my son, but it started up again soon after we got home.

Oh yeah, we went to the mall for Pokemon Go and dinner on Tuesday.  Heard an announcement 15 minutes in that things were closing up for the weather.  It wasn’t storming, but we saw it on the horizon while we drove home.  Had to stop at Wendy’s for dinner and discovered that EVERYONE was ordering Doordash.  Took us 30 minutes to get our order when we were in person and it was pouring by the time we got out.  They screwed up my order too.  It seems even you choose the two junior hamburgers at Wendy’s they still make cheeseburgers.  I salvaged one, but the other had the works and looked so bad that I lost my appetite.

Anyway, the second (now third) incident was at our trip to the Queens Zoo.  The weather report said light rain, but we had no rain when we arrived.  Now, this zoo is a circle with the entrance/exit at one end and the restrooms/outdoor eating area on the other.  We reached the eating area and some kids ordered food.  The light rain started, but quickly became harder rain.  Most of our kids had ponchos and the tables had umbrellas, but it still was messy.  Did our best before it was time to call it quits and head for the exit, which meant hurrying through the rest of the zoo.  Let’s just say there was a little bit of miscommunication among our ranks and I ended up alone at the wrong of the zoo from everyone else.  So, everyone got to rest on the bus while I trudged my way back there.  I will say that it’s better for a teacher to be missing than a student, so I’ll take that as a win.

A picture and video from the trip though:

First time I ever saw the Mountain Lion right there

Nothing else to really rave about.  My son had a bunch of appointments, which made Pokemon Go and typing in edits difficult.  I still got some of both done, so this weekend could see me finish Darwin & the Avenging Elf.  I’m still going to wait until I get back from Oswego before I tackle Darwin & the Demon Game.  Means I have less to carry and I really should do some notebook work.  Need to figure out what to do about food on that trip too.  Mostly, I wonder if I should buy a little from the grocery store up there or bring everything from home.  Curious to see what kinds of seltzer they have, but I should get a container of rocket apples for a healthy treat.  Lunch and dinner will probably be fast food since I don’t want to spend tons of money.

Speaking of the trip, I’m still kind of nervous.  Thought it was only about the long drive there and back, but there’s something else.  Can’t put my finger on it.  Maybe it’s because I’m going to the place I went to college and have so many memories.  There’s still a barrage of nostalgia, which triggers both creativity and makes me wonder about decisions made during that time.  Some great and terrible events happened up there, so memories bubble up to the surface.  Could be that two days doesn’t feel like enough as well as going up alone instead of sharing the experience with someone.  Being that I met my ex-wife there and the previous 2 returns were with my son, this would be the first time I’ve gone up to Oswego alone since I started my second semester in January of 1999.  We’ll see how the whole thing goes, but I’m definitely fixated a bit.

This coming week is the last one for summer school and camp.  That means, I’m going to be busy until the weekend, but I’m going to squeeze in whatever edits remain.  Can’t think of anything too strenuous this week.  It’s the one after where I have my son and there are 4 appointments that it’ll be crazy.  Trying to squeeze in fun stuff when there are so many other things going on is tough, but I think I carved out two day trips for us.  Not going to share those publicly until they’re locked in.  Let’s get to the goals:

  1. Finish summer school.
  2. Cook penne with vodka sauce tomorrow night.
  3. Catch Shadow Lugia in Pokemon Go.
  4. Finish the hand edits of Darwin & the Avenging Elf.  Probably should be higher on the list.
  5. Continue working on Bard-dur Lego set to relax.
  6. Tinker with ‘Phi Beta Files’.  I’m at another naming stage, so I get weird looks when I pull out the baby name book.  Need a new one of those though.
  7. Sleep more because I’m tired.
Posted in Goal Posts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Dual Protagonists: Friends Until The Story Says No

Posted on August 9, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Woody & Buzz

Protag 1–  Okay, we’ve agreed to go on this adventure together.

Protag 2– We did?

P1– I mean, I assume we did since we’ve been traveling togethar all this time.

P2– Fought a lot of monsters and solved a lot of puzzles together.  Keep using the word ‘together’ too.  Guess we’re partners.

P1–  Let’s not go that far.  Clearly, one of us has to be the main hero.

P2– Why should it be you?

P1–  Because my name has turned into ‘P1’ and you’re ‘P2’.  Everyone knows that can stand for Players 1 and 2.  Second Players are always sidekicks.

P2–  Only if you can’t choose your character.  Besides, this isn’t a video game, so your logic doesn’t work.

P1–  Then what are we?

P2–  The term is dual protagonists, which means we share the spotlight.  We’ve been doing that all this time.

P1–  I’ve had more attention.  Remember that I tricked the guild leader into giving us the key to the safe.

P2– And I was the one who distracted the other thieves while you used that key.  You would have failed without me.

P1–  Distractions are for sidekicks.

P2–  What about when I killed the dragon blocking the road?  You were the one keeping him busy while I prepared my spell.

P1–  I . . . You see . . . I solved the griffin’s riddle.

P2–  I solved the witch’s puzzle.

P1–  Our enemy killed my father and I demand revenge.

P2– Our enemy stole my sister’s soul, so I want it back.

P1– Will it be a problem if I kill him?

P2– Not unless doing so will destroy or lose my sister’s soul.

P1–  Okay . . . Guess we’re partners until we can’t work together anymore.

P2–  Deal.  Now, who’s this third guy?

Protagonist 3–  I’m a third protagonist who might join in later with his own goals and throw off your established dynamic.  Probably be teetering on sidekick and only kept afloat due to my popularity.

P1–  I really don’t like him.

P2–  Me too.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

How to end a chapter

Posted on August 9, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Hi SEers, it’s Robbie here with you today and I’m going to talk about how to end a chapter in your book. As with all things writerly, there is a lot …

How to end a chapter
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Poetry Day: Lonely Lyrox

Posted on August 8, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Creature from the Black Lagoon

(Another simple one.  Just conjured a creature in my mind and wrote about it.)

A whimpering
From beneath our feet
Nearly audible
Amidst the city static
A sign that something lives
In the subway depths

A portly form
With matted scales
And tufts of knotted fur
Waddling in the gloom
Widest feet
Stepping with no sound

Narrow ears perk up
Absorbing the noises
Dripping from the grates
Gaining the attention
Of the silver orb
Rimmed with lonely tears

The chubby beast sits
Staring at the surface
Catching glimpses
Of the creatures up above
Until the dying rays of sun
Cause it too much pain

A thick arm raises
Rubbery talons clenched
In fear and nerves
Only to fall at its side
Empty and forlorn
The lonely Lyrox whimpers on

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

7 Tips to Writing Dual Protagonists

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Rush Hour

Outside of buddy comedies, you don’t see a lot of dual protagonists that are truly even.  A lot of times, you see one fall to the background at some point in the adventure.  This is because it’s really hard to juggle two characters on the same level, especially if you aren’t working with a long series.  An author might be able to redirect at some point, but lasting damage can be made.  So, what are some ways to make sure you don’t have the adventure slip to a single protagonist?

  1. Make it clear from the beginning or even the blurb that this is a story with two protagonists.  If you don’t, readers will immediately latch onto one and think that’s the main character.  They might get annoyed when the other hero gets attention because they won’t realize the situation.  It becomes really tough when you have to introduce your protagonists separately.  The first one introduced tends to be seen as the main hero if you aren’t clear about your intentions.
  2. Each of your protagonists needs their own goal. They might share a common goal that unites them, but they have another plot that is all their own.  These goals also won’t immediatley trip over each other.  For example, they might be going after the same enemy for different reasons.  One wants to reclaim a stolen item while the other wants revenge.  Both goals are unique to each hero and they don’t have a high risk of interfering with each other.
  3. In terms of pacing and page time, try to give the protagonists as close to equal as possible without harming the story.  It might not be a constant back-and-forth, but keep an eye out for when you have spent too much time with one.  Then, jump back to the other for a time.  By the end of the adventure, the audience must feel like the dual protagonists shared the spotlight instead of one getting more attention than the other, so hopping might be necessary.
  4. If you find that one hero is taking up most of the adventure, you might have to resort to tension and jealousy.  While protagonists don’t realize they are main characters in a story, they can note when they are being left behind.  Part of this is becuase dual protagonists tend to have an agreement to help each other in their individual goals.  It might not be said, but it is there.  So, one seeing that the other is making headway while they are not can allow you to use jealousy to redirect the story for a bit.
  5. When you feel like they are stepping on each others toes, you can have the protagonists split up for a time.  Maybe they need time apart to pursue leads.  It can also be a forced separation by the villain.  This allows you to jump between them and have them grow as individuals.  Otherwise, you might have them turn into the same type of character because they are always doing stuff together.
  6. Dual protagonists of opposite genders don’t have to become lovers . . . That’s it.
  7. Always try to keep the core of the characters’ skill sets unique.  They might both be great warriors, but maybe one is an archer and the other uses a spear.  If they are matched in combat, one could be stealthy and the other intimidating.  Both of them need to bring something unique to the table and keep that as their own to retain their individuality.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

What Writers Should Know! Part Eight: Time Management & Setting Goals

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Hi SEers! Denise here to talk about What Writers Should Know. In part eight, we’ll be discussing time management and goal-setting. I admit, that time…

What Writers Should Know! Part Eight: Time Management & Setting Goals
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Guest Post – Liz Gauffreau – #newbook – Simple Pleasures: Haiku from the Place Just Right!

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

I am so happy to have Liz Gauffreau here on Fiction Favorites. Liz is a very creative writer and poet. She is here to talk about her new book, which …

Guest Post – Liz Gauffreau – #newbook – Simple Pleasures: Haiku from the Place Just Right!
Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Questions 3 and Looking Back at War of Nytefall: Savagery

Posted on August 6, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Cover Art by Alison Hunt

There were two versions of Savagery when I was outlining.  One had the big villain showing up once per book before it being 18-19 chapters of brutal battling.  The other was what I used instead, which turned into a deviation from Clyde’s usual adventures.  Overall, I can never really tell how I did with this book.

This is the book where Clyde was meant to feel true fear and face an enemy he couldn’t easily brutalize into an early grave.  Alastyre was a terrifying monster who was once human and determined to destroy all of the Dawn Fangs since Clyde nearly killed him in Loyalty.  Created by Desirae and meant to be a toy, but he broke his bonds and has been lurking in the shadows until now.  So, he ends up beating Clyde and taking over Nytefall where he casually beheads the rest of the cast when bored until our hero can return from his training.  The training is on a magical island used by vampires of the past where he must face a series of trials and his only allies are a corpse-eating pixie and good old Lost.

Savagery was originally going to be closer to a Kaiju movie.  Clyde and Alastyre would be doing their thing while events were going on until they clashed in the finale.  I fell out of love with the idea when I realized it would only let me give them a single fight where Clyde would have to win.  Giving them an initial encounter that Clyde loses meant I could finally give him a solo development arc.  He was growing a bit, but his story was about how he didn’t want to lose control, which was hindering him for good reason.  Now, I gave him a quest and a final enemy who he could unleash his full monstrous power on.

This had to be one of the hardest books to write in the series.  It jumped around three stories, which were Alastyre on Nytefall with his prisoners, Mab trying to save them without getting caught, and Clyde going through his vampire tests.  The first two were fairly straightforward and done to create breaks in the main story of Clyde learning his lesson.  That’s where I started having trouble because I put a blunt, aggressive character into a situation that needs patience.  His impulsivity for violence when stressed does create a problem and he learns some self-control, but that didn’t make guiding him through these adventures any easier.

Creating Mestra was a lot of fun.  These were the vampire training grounds that could be accessed through a magical door.  It crafts itself to the need of the vampire visiting, which I did to explain why those of different power levels could be challenged.  So, the place was designed to push Clyde and make him learn a lesson.  I did this also because he couldn’t grow physically stronger.  It had to be a riddle that would enhance either his mind, personality, or senses.  Didn’t really have a clear answer in mind when I started writing, which is why Clyde comes up with several wrong answers.  Those were actually me throwing stuff out, having him think about it for a bit, and realizing that didn’t work either.  Took a few edits to get things to work after I finally settled on what I wanted him to learn in order to beat Alastyre.

Speaking of Alastyre, he was an interesting character to write.  Originally, he was going to be a vampire hunter who would show up in every volume with enhancements and always get defeated.  He would inevitably become this monster and cause some trouble, but I thought it might work better to give him a single appearance and then have people forget about him.  After all, Clyde didn’t remember him either.  Alastyre is also the first purely physical enemy that the group has faced with everyone else being more about powers, speed, and cunning.  The guy is smart, but he’s able to take a direct hit from Clyde who can shatter a mountain.  Hence, why I was always thinking about fights between Godzilla and other Kaiju when these two clashed.

The part of Savagery that always irked me was the series of challenges.  Don’t get me wrong.  I loved writing them and I had fun figuring out how Clyde could solve each situation without resorting to punching only.  The whole thing was to get his mind working and flexible again.  It was simply strange to take a character who had been more about single mission stories and toss him into one where he has a gauntlet of challenges across an island.  It was fairly quest adventure-like, which I hadn’t tried with this series, so it didn’t play to Clyde’s strengths.  I mean, that was kind of the overall point with him needing to be out of his comfort zone.  So, I might be overthinking this situation in thinking I would change the method of testing.  Probably just alter a few of the challenges to make them more to his liking now that I have newer ideas.

Question time!

  1. What is a benefit to stepping out of your comfort zone?
  2. Is retreating from a superior enemy cowardly or smart?
  3. What should a fighting hero have besides his physical abilities and courage?
Posted in Questions 3, War of Nytefall | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Using Two Protagonists: Is It Viable?

Posted on August 5, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Liko and Roy from ‘Pokemon: Horizons’

The above characters are what prompted this week’s topic.  THey are Liko and Roy from the new Pokemon series.  For 25 years, we followed Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, but their story ended.  Now, we have a dual protagonist system.  Going by forums, it doesn’t seem to be going smoothly.

The arguments I saw at first was the Roy took a lot of screen time when promos made it appear as if Liko would be the focal point.  As the series progressed, Liko ended up claiming most, some said all, of the plotlines.  This pushed Roy into the background for some people and turned him into a sidekick instead of a fellow protagonist.  After seeing the first 24 episodes, I can see how Roy’s high energy and confidence made him a scene stealer at the start.  I can also see how Liko is being pushed ahead by being connected even to the subplot that I thought was going to be Roy’s purpose.  Kind of a shame since they both are good characters.

This shows the difficulty in working with more than one protagonist.  Once you lean to one side, the other one suffers and fans of that character will complain.  An adjustment can make it look like it’s going in the opposite direction instead of the middle.  So, you end up getting ping-ponged between your protagonists with nobody being happy because every attempt to make them even is misunderstood.  A fairly easy trap to fall into if you decide to temporarily focus on one person’s story for a time.  Actually, it’s inevitable because you can’t narratively run both plots at the same time unless they are intertwined to the point where they are inseparable.

I think a dual protagonist story is easier to do in a book though.  With a show or movie, your time is limited to 30 minutes to 1.5-4 hours.  It isn’t as much time as one would think since you have so much to do.  With a book, you can use chapters to bounce between plots if you split the characters up.  If they stay together, you can reveal more in narration that shows they are on the same level.  As long as the reader notices there’s plenty of pages left and you’ve already avoided showing favorites, you have a lower chance of losing them.  It works even better if you look at chapters as episodes to help you swap the spotlight and share the attention.

Personally, I enjoy stories with multiple heroes, but not as much when I have to write them.  Legends of Windemere had 6 champions who I managed to portray as a group, which made it feel like multiple protagonists.  Yet, that required 15 books with a staggering of introductions to give each one a moment to shine.  This is why I think it’s easier to do this with books than shows or movies.  Even with what I did, people would claim a champion as their own and think that was the main character.  This was usually Luke Callindor or Nyx with a few thinking it was Sari or Timoran.  Poor Delvin and Dariana never got out of the pack.  Anyway, I felt like no matter how much I tried to make them equals, a few readers will still think one is the main character.

Guess that’s the real challenge though.  You have to make it clear that this is a dual protagonist story from the beginning.  It won’t prevent =favoritism, but it will reduce the chances of people getting upset when their chosen hero isn’t in the spotlight for a time.  A declaration makes it clear that you are following two heroes, so patience is needed to get back to the other at times.  Not a perfect solution, but it’s the best I can think up since reader reactions aren’t very predictable.

So, what do you think of dual protagonists?

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Self-Censoring–Writers, Be Aware!

Posted on August 5, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

By Stephen Geez One of the great ironies of story-writing is that we write because we have something to say, yet nearly all of us self-censor our own…

Self-Censoring–Writers, Be Aware!
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments