Erica says..

I really should pay more attention to this blog, but I’ve been busy. That being said, I am going to change the theme, work on some of the behind the scenes issues, and try to get this going again. Keep watch! Good things are coming.

Bullies, Bastards and Bitche: How to Write the Bad Guys of Fiction isn’t just a book about antagonists. It is also a book on adding layers and depth to protagonists. The anti-hero is the one we love to read about. In modern day movies, Tony Stark the misogynist and narcissists makes good on his heroic promise and it sold millions. In books, Harry Potter only grew interesting when Voldemort made him confront his darker feelings. The nooks and crannies of personality are what make them interesting and worth reading about. And Jessica Morell gives the reader a great guide for finding that depth.

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I felt uncomfortable reading this book, and wanted to finish it. Actually, I wanted to put it down. It asked too many questions of me, made me think about things I didn’t want to contemplate.  What’s truth? What’s death? What’s evil? And how do you answer those questions while entertaining the reader? Are you supposed to entertain the reader or is the journey of the novel solely for the author?

What in the hell would I do if one of my tattoos came to life and sprung off my skin?

Let’s be frank, I didn’t like the book. And it says nothing of Carroll’s skill with the written word nor his ability to tell a very engaging, if strange story. But I think it’s like meeting people - the person is great, intelligent, full of interesting ideas and facts, but you just don’t mesh, for what ever reason. I didn’t trust this book, nor the story and I think my dislike for it is a matter of taste.

This is less a review of the book as it is a reaction to it, so if you want plot points, look elsewhere.

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I am an unapologetic fan of Charles DeLint. I credit his novels with bringing me back into the world of writing. He inspired me with his whimsical, colorful worlds, his lovable characters and his great magic. If I found a new book authored by him, I purchased it. I don’t read reviews. I don’t even read the back cover. But, with this one, I should have.

Let me preface this with - I am a total and complete scardey cat. I don’t watch horror movies (although one list I read rated Seven as one of the top 20 horror movies of all time - I don’t think gross = horror). I cannot play survivor horror games. When I was a kid, Michael Jackson’s Thriller video scared the piss out of me. And it hasn’t gotten any better since.

I selected Angel of Darkness hoping it would help guide me through some of the darker parts of my own writing. What it did was successfully scare the shit out of me, and bring up some really awful emotions. But I still loved it.

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I think that short story collections can either be brilliant or disjointed. Oftentimes, the collection lacks cohesion and focus. This is not the case with Houses without Doors. Through the entire books, I felt uncomfortable, like watching someone making out in a dark corner if that someone was a pedophile and his victim. But I have to admit that I couldn’t stop reading, nor could I stop watching the characters plod towards their inevitable uncomfortable conclusion. That’s not to say that I loved this book, because I didn’t, but I recognize skill when I see it.

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Part psychological analysis of the fantastical and part history lesson on the development of fantasy (the fantastical), this  book offers a tightly defined and clear analysis of the genre. Focusing primarily on classics (Dickens, Mary Shelly, Joseph Conrad, Kafka, Tolkien, etc), she digs deep into the psychology of fantasy storytelling, offering new insights to books I love.

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I am going to retitle this book “Sometimes screwing up your selections for school reading turns out to be a happy accident.” It’s a little long, but go with me. I’d intended on reading a book that dealt with the strategies of fantasy writing, but finding some books is like finding a writer who doesn’t have a breakdown at least once in their career. For now, I’m safe. I’m not a writer, just yet, but that’s for another blog post.

Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy has the best kind instruction for what I need, and some extra bits found in other instructional texts. But that’s how it is with learning to write, isn’t it?

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When I see the end coming, is that really a bad thing? I cruised through this book in a few days. Overall, I would say that I enjoyed it. The world-building and religious/magic systems were deftly written. I really connected with the characters, wanted them to win, felt their pain. So, what’s the rub? Pacing. And I’m trying to figure out if there’s something I missed or if the middle sections did get slightly muddy. Beyond the pacing, I think it’s a really good book. Read the rest of this entry »

If I could write a world like Emma Bull, I would be very, very, very fucking happy. There is no doubt that she thought about, loved, lived in, and wandered through every crevice of the world she built in Bone Dance. While I really liked Sparrow, her androgynous and strangely powerful main character, I didn’t fall in love with her/him as much as I did the world in which he/she lived. Her side characters…..loved them!

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Note: I’m going to contradict myself 100 times here…because. Well, just because I’m conflicted about Urban Shaman.

I think C.E. Murphy and I need to sit down and have a beer. As of this moment, I don’t know a damn thing about her, except that I really liked Urban Shaman. Her style is conversational, the plot is simple, but appealing, and the characters, while a little wooden, still engaged me. What I noticed most of all was that my writing style is somewhat similar, although her handle on character development far surpasses my own. And I liked the heroine, Joanne Walker. So, I don’t know if I would rather sit down and have a beer with Murphy, or her Walker That’s a good sign, right? Read the rest of this entry »