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Everyone Needs A Sam Gamgee

Life can be miserable, but having someone there for you makes a world of difference. Like Frodo, everyone needs a Sam in his or her life. · Zac Totah

What Was And What Might Be: The Fifteenth Article

Our guest this week is Linda Rondeau, author of the soon-to-be-released novel, The Fifteenth Article (Elk Publishing). – – – – – When we look back and then forward, we discover that the adage is true: The more things change […] · Linda Wood Rondeau

The Fantasy Itch: Gettin’ To Be THAT Time Of Year

Ah, yes, I’m definitely ready to settle down with a good fantasy. It’s that time of year! Last year I read Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn, first in the Mistborn Trilogy (which, I learned, is actually a five book series). I’m thinking this year I should finish out the rest, starting with The Well of Ascension. · Rebecca LuElla Miller

A Notable Lack

Holidays, and all the expressions of a whole and genuine religion, offer a wide and rich opportunity to speculative fiction authors. · Shannon McDermott

We’re All Mad Here

The latest movie from Wonderland, Alice Through the Looking Glass, just came out on DVD. I haven’t seen it yet, but I did see, and moderately enjoyed, the Tim Burton-directed first installment, Alice in Wonderland. Of course, nothing will ever […] · Mark Carver

Prattle

Speaking of true and powerful fiction, Enclave Publishing just released their fall lineup of books. · Rebecca LuElla Miller

Presidential Candidates From Fiction: Voting

Vote for your favorite character from fiction, and may the best man…or boy…or hobbit…or non-human win! · Zac Totah

The Characters We Love

I could go on and on listing characters I loved who appeared as the star of their books, but there’s another set of characters that aren’t front and center, yet they nearly steal the show. · Rebecca LuElla Miller

Who Vs. What

There is undoubtedly a cyclical and symbiotic relationship between character and plot. Who the character is determines what will happen in the story, and the events of the story shape who the character is, etc. They are both cogs that turn each other. From a writing craft perspective, this can be a very existential and convoluted discussion, so let’s take it to street level. · Mark Carver

The Once and Future Fan: Rediscovering My Love For Superheroes

I couldn’t keep up with the proliferation of tie-ins, comic books, the “expanded universe” and all the cartoons and fan fiction. What happened to the good old days, I wondered. A slow disenfranchisement set in, where I went from being a Star Wars expert to a true fan to a fan, and from a fan to a guy who liked some old movies. · Matt Mikalatos

Characters Matter, And Their Character Matters

What we see in Christian novel after Christian novel is a flawed character in need of a Savior. The impression this gives is that people without Christ aren’t likable, that their flawed character means they won’t do heroic deeds or stand up for right. · Rebecca LuElla Miller

Everything’s A Copy Of A Copy Of A Copy…

I like having no idea what’s coming next, but with retellings, I know that this or that villain is going to make an appearance, though they will undoubtedly be different than how Disney imagined, and if it’s a fictional biography, I know that this or that key event will take place in their life, because I already know some of the story. · Mark Carver

Realism And Twenty-first Century Storytelling

I think there’s something else not particularly real in twenty-first century stories, no matter how real the computer generated characters might appear. We could chalk this up to “that’s just movies” if it weren’t for the fact that screen writing is beginning to dominate the way we write novels, too. I’ll characterize this unrealistic phenomenon as too much conflict. · Rebecca LuElla Miller

Some Jokes Are Not Funny

The way I see it, the Joker is a very good allegory for the human soul and psyche stripped of God’s grace. Man’s fallen nature doesn’t just wallow in sin; it runs headlong into sin’s arms · Mark Carver

The Qualities Of A Hero

There are two sides of a hero. The external and the internal. Which is more important? Which traits contribute more to the person’s qualifications of hero? · Zac Totah

Should Heroes Be Good Role Models?

Should heroes act exclusively as positive role models, or can they display a darker, more disturbed side without turning people off or influencing the reader in a negative way? · Zac Totah

Unlocking The Theme Of A Cast Of Stones

Fantasy novelist Patrick Carr reveals the secret themes he discovered for “A Cast of Stones” and “The Shock of Night.” · Patrick W. Carr
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