OBSERVATIONAL DECK – Is the world inherently lazy?

I have a fascination with escalators and why, when people step onto an escalator, they feel the need to stop walking. Granted, if you're old, disabled, or incapable of walking, escalators can ease your journey. However, for the rest of us able bodied chumps, why do we to stop? My answer, the world is inherently lazy. Before you take insult, you should know that this applies to the universe. It's known as the principle of minimum total potential energy, which comes from the second law of thermodynamics. Basically, the lowest state of potential energy for us humans on an escalator is the standing position (given that it's not safe to sit).

Not everyone, however, is happy to stand and let the escalator move for them. There are those who will keep walking. I find my characters can vary between walkers and standers. There are some who would rather sit at the pub and drink than save the world. Well who wouldn't? They don't want to do as they're told, or go where I need them to go. They are happy to let that escalator move for them, pretending that the world wasn't going to end. In short they're boring.

So why do some of my characters keep walking while others stopped? It was my mentor and friend, Louise Cusack, who answered this question for me. Louise pointed out to me that there are proactive characters and reactive characters. Proactive being the ones who walk and reactive the ones who stand. My boring characters were reactive, waiting for things to happen to nudge them along. I needed to make them proactive so they would do things for themselves.

So how can one keep their characters from being so damned lazy? Throw things at them, so they have to duck. Keep them locked up so they can't get to the pub and make them find their own way out. Put things/people in their way, so they have to swerve. Discriminate against them until they fight back. Unfairly judge them, until they stand up for themselves. Find a cause they can get riled up about, or an injustice they can't ignore. Kidnap their loved ones, or make their love interest appear unattainable, then drive them wild with desire. And so on. Anything to take them out of their comfort zone and forces them to act. Then, in the process of sorting out their lives, they may find themselves saving the world.

For great words of wisdom you can follow Louise's blog at: http://ifyoumustwrite.com

ADULT CONTENT – Part III Swearing

Before I dive into the subject of swearing I should warn those with sensitive ears that there will be swear words starting with the letters s, f, c and e mentioned in this post.

To be fair, swearing is not limited to adults alone, however, there are some who would have swearing corralled and shuffled off to the dregs, so that their children may never be befouled by such language. Which brings me to my first point.

I object to the suggestion that swear words are not part of mine or anyone's language. Statements such as, there is no need for that language; please refrain from using that language; if you continue to use that language you'll be charged, bother me. I didn't realise that swear words made up their own language. Since I only speak English what other language am I supposed to use? Would you prefer I swore in French? Ah, if only I could.

As a writer, I need access to all words so that I can explore all facets of my characters.

It is not the words themselves that matter, but the context in which you use them. Hey cunt, how's it going? can be a term of endearment to some. But to call someone a slobbering dog is generally an insult. The word scum may be considered mild in comparison to fuck, but put a negative edge to it – you dirty, filthy piece of scum – and it becomes extremely insulting, especially to those who have had to scrape their way out of the gutters to make something of themselves. The word fuck probably doesn't mean anything to those who use it every day.

When I write fantasy fiction I tend to use less of the s, f and c words in favour of more creative words. I do this because I find those harsh swear words have more impact when used sparingly (but that's just me). I do know others who like to use them more often to give their story a gritty feel. There are many different ways I like to come up with soft swears, as you might want to call them. Three of the mains ones are:

Religion

Many of our modern swear words come from taking the lord's name in vain. All of my fictional worlds have some form of religion that my characters follow or resist. I give my gods and religious leaders names and titles and then use them as swear words.

Animals and Body Parts and Bodily Function

We've all heard the term bullshit before, I'm sure. Animals, body parts and bodily functions are a great way to swear. Sometimes I make up animals, or use animals common to my story as a replacement for the word bull. Then, instead of using shit, I might use a bodily function similar to shit; poo, diarrhoea, crap, dung, farts, burps (all the fun toilet humour stuff). Or I might use body parts, which I won't elaborate on here, but dog's balls is a great example. Be creative. Of course these animals, body parts, bodily functions can all be used independently. I'm sure I don't need to explain that one.

Another way to use animals is to pick ones we tend to think of as repulsive or dim-witted; maggot, slug, snake, cockroach, worm, mule, turkey. The list goes on.

Ordinary Words

The word fuck/fucking has been replaced with ordinary words such as freaking, fruit-tingles and flaming. Almost anything can become a swear word if you use it the right way. Just stick the word dirty in front of it; dirty mutton; dirty cheese hole, dirty wax stuffer, etc. I'm sure you can come up with better ones.

Making Words Up.

This one is my favourite. I love making up words. One trick I use is to take a real word and swap the letters about and play around with the way it sounds. For example, take the word shit. This can be changed to shet or shek or skick. Othere examples: you're such a smenk; keep your bleaming hands off my you cepidizoid; get the frugo outta here; you're such a eglitest.

These are pretty mild examples, but you can see where I'm going. How harsh you want to get with your swear words comes down to your characters. Where they grew up, how they were raised, culture constraints, friends and families can all attribute to how and when your character swears.

Tell me your creative swear words.

Coming up next Observation Deck – Is The Universe Inherently Lazy?; and Beauty in Fantasy (not necessarily in that order)

ADULT CONTENT – Part II Sex

In my last post I spoke of violence in adult fantasy fiction. Today I'm going to continue the discussion of adult content in adult fiction and talk about SEX. To me, sex in fiction means a number of things; sexual interests, the way people behave around the opposite sex (or same sex if that's your fancy) and of course the physical act of sex. In my opinion fantasy books should have a combination of all three. All adults think about sex, engage with the opposite sex and (if they're lucky) have sex. There's no avoiding it. So why should your characters.

Quick note:  I am generally talking heterosexual interactions, however, everything said can apply to any sexual orientation your characters may take, monsters and aliens included. Also, I am speaking from a woman's point of view, so guys if you have a difference of opinion, would love to hear about it.

Sexual Interests.

The sort of fantasy novel you're writing will dictate how deep you go when it comes to romance, but that doesn't mean you should ignore sexual interest. Your characters can still be attracted to others without falling in love. Obsession for the one you can't have can really drive a character's decisions.

You can't go through life without being attracted to someone and neither can your characters.

The way you behave.

The lack of sexual interaction is one of the most frustrating things for me when I read a book.

Men and women check each other out. Sometimes you get caught, sometimes you don't. To all the women writers, don't make your male characters overly sensitive. When there's cleavage in the room men are going to look. To all the male writers, women are looking too, it's just our wider peripheral vision makes it easier for us to be subtle.

We alter the way we behave around people of the opposite sex, especially if we are attracted to someone. We make excuses to be closer to them, or touch them. Or if we're shy, we desperately avoid eye contact. We have all flirted at one time or another with the opposite sex, even when there is no sexual pursuit involved. Flirting is a great way for your characters to  subtly manipulate, or be manipulated. We have all talked about sex – wish mine were/was bigger, what are they like in the sack. Whether we are comfortable, or embarrassed in sexual discussion can depend on who we are with.

There are always going to be people who push you out of your comfort zone and become crude and crass. Or maybe you are the one doing the pushing. Put your characters in awkward positions with the opposite sex. Don't make it easy for them.

The physical act of sex.

The fun part. I find it most unsatisfying when the main character, who I've invested my time in, spends the whole book eyeing off their love interest only to get a kiss at the end (or not even that in some of the books I've read). Not all of your characters are going to have sex in your book, but in real life people are having sex. Don't avoid it in your adult novel.

This doesn't mean you have to write graphic thrust by thrust descriptions. On the contrary, writing a sex scene can be an opportunity to bring out your literary side with metaphors and colourful imagery. If you're feeling bold then you may want to add some detail; give the reader something to remember. Don't be afraid to use the word penis. Just be careful your descriptions don't cross over into erotica if your aim is to write down-the-line fantasy.

It can be hard knowing the limit of how much or how little sex you put in. Too much and it becomes porn, too little and you have yourself a young adult novel instead. When you do find that balance it will add a whole other level of depth to your story.

Coming up: Swearing - the fun I have making up words.

ADULT CONTENT – Part I Violence.

I'm am both a reader and writer of epic fantasy fiction, with an emphasis on adult fiction. In recent times I've read several novels that have claimed to be adult, and while I've enjoyed the plots liked the characters, I feel there has been something missing. Something that keeps it from being a truly adult novel.

At the risk of sounding sadistically perverse, for me, the missing pieces are sex and violence. In this post I shall talk of violence and save sex for my next post. Now I do not condone violence in every day society, nor do I want to read/write a gore fest for the sake of shock value. However, we are talking books and we are talking fantasy worlds. Authors do not always need to spell out every bloody detail. There are creative ways to show that someone is being killed, maimed, raped, or brutalised without having to make the reader physically ill (but that's a whole other post). That concept of less is more can be a powerful thing. My point is that violence is a part of nature, even today, and should not be avoided for fear of offending the readership.

I myself have cut of hands, slit throats, sacrificed deer (and humans alike) and thrust swords into the bellies of good men. Most of these acts of cruelty I've agonised over, while the rest I've licked my lips and taken great pleasure in. Did I say I was trying not to be sadistic?

Many fantasy writers base their stories on past or primitive cultures where violence and death were/are part of society. The Aztecs had their sacrificial altars, the Romans had their colosseum, the French had their guillotine, the Japanese are known for ritual suicide. In medieval times people were rarely sent to prison for crimes committed. Instead, they were tortured, or executed depending on the severity of the crime. The death penalty is still in existence today.

In my opinion, violence can be attributed to a number of things; a need for power/dominance over the individual, community, or both; territorial control; the right to mate (love); or just plain insanity. All of these things can add depth to your story, as long as it is appropriate and in line with the way your character(s) behaves, or the rules of the society you have created.

Violence can be a catalyst for change, or be an obstacle for your protagonist. It adds grit and realism to your world and creates a platform from which your protagonist can leap off of to discover themselves, or your antagonist to plummet in defeat (or vise versa). It doesn't have to consume your story, but remember that not all problems can be solved through negotiation; not everyone is content to be led away in shackles; not everyone has a conscience. In conclusion, don't be afraid to get a little dark at times.

My next post will be on Sex in fantasy fiction and how frustrating it is when there is none...

All comments welcome. Would love suggestion on other adult writing topics. The kind of issues that young adult books can't tackle.

PERSPECTIVE

If I was to say to you the sky isn't blue, you'd probably respond with, 'You crazy, bitch!' Or maybe you wouldn't, but you would think I had gone colour blind. But I say, it's a matter of perspective. Let's go into outer space for a moment and look down on the earth. Notice anything? We can see the blue of the water, the dark masses of land and white clouds. The sky (our atmosphere) has become as clear as glass. So whether the sky is blue or not is a matter of perception.

Who your characters are is also a matter of perception. All you see is a dangerous man stalking you. You don't realise he's actually trying to protect you from the terminator. A good way to show the many sides of your main characters is to have the reader view them through the eyes of other point of view characters. We all have a different opinion of who our friends and enemies are. You may think your protagonist is wise and kind, but is that what the other characters see?

For example, your mother thinks you're wonderful and doesn't mind you bringing over your washing, while your partner can't stand the way you leave dirty socks on the floor. Your co-workers think your strange because you like dragons, while your writing friends think... well they probably think your strange too, but not because you like dragons.

If you only have one point of view character this can be difficult to show, but not impossible. People adapt their behaviour depending on who they're with. You don't sware in front of your nana, but might curse like a sailor around your mates.

Ask yourself, how does your protagonist relate to different kinds of people? Do they treat the peasant on the street differently to the king? Do they say one thing and think another? How does their posture change around others? Do they stand tall in front of their friends, but shrink when their overbearing boss is around?

How do the other characters perceive your protagonist? Do women the women think he/she is rude, while the men find them hilarious? Is your protagonist misjudged by some and seen right through by others? Do others see the good/bad deeds of your protagonist? Do others wonder how your protagonist can be revered/loathed, while all they can see are the shortcomings/achievements?

Find the many facets of your protagonist and bring them out through the eyes of others, because from where others stand the sky might not be blue.