Tag: writing fantasy

Flash Fiction Fridays – Hear Him Thunder

Ariel Paiement1 Comment

This week’s flash fiction is from a universe that hasn’t shown up in any of my official work yet. It may or may not ever do so, but it is connected to Revelar’s Queen in an interesting way. The connection between this world and the occupants of the location being terrorized by the villain in this piece was the result of an exercise in Holly Lisle’s Build a World Clinic ebook. If you’re interested in learning how to world-build what you need as you go along in a sane, organized fashion, I highly recommend it!

~~~

ENLIL rose into the sky, the sparks dancing around him and the winds picking up. He opened his mouth in a soundless scream of triumph, spread his arms and unleashed the storm inside. They thought they could beat him down? They thought that because he was of a lower class than they were that they could treat him like scum? Well, they’d learn. Because this so-called slave was their downfall, the perfect storm to bring reform. She was his, and they had denied him to her simply because he didn’t look like the one they thought she was pledged to. 

Lightning arced out of his fingertips, and the thunderheads blew from his mouth as he howled his victory. Below, houses went up in flames, and torrents of rain washed away whatever the flames didn’t touch. Then the rain put out the flames in the other areas too, and everything was enveloped in a maelstrom of wind, rain, and lightning with the thunder booming over it to provide the final beat on the drum that announced that death had come. 

He stretched his arms out further, tipped his head back and laughed into the sky. This was power. This was freedom. They would learn, and they would suffer just as everyone they had touched with their corruption had. Just as he had. This storm, he himself, were only the beginning. The beginning of devastation.

Only his betrothed would escape. But if she scorned him? His fingers twitched, shooting off more sparks and another bolt of lightning. If she scorned him, he would make her suffer more than all of her subjects. She had no right to refuse destiny, no right to look down on him because fate hadn’t chosen a more worthy object for her affection. So, if she thought him unworthy, he would show her how wrong she was. The vessel that housed him might be a slave, but he was no slave. He was far more ancient and powerful than any of them. He was storm. He was thunder. And he was destruction incarnate. He would have his way.

They would hear him thunder, and they would regret awakening his wrath.

~~~

That’s it for this week! I hope you all enjoyed. Have something you’d like to see in this section of the blog? Leave me a comment or shoot me an email! I’m always open to suggestions.

Saturday Setup: Magic – Establishing Rules

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

This week’s discussion is about magic. What good would any discussion of fantasy do if you didn’t go over magic? Since most sub-genres of fantasy include magic to one degree or another, this is an important thing to cover. We’ll begin our discussion with a talk about establishing rules, and next week, we’ll go over different systems of magic.

Why Bother with Rules?

The first obvious reason for this is to avoid chaos. If a spell does one thing today and another tomorrow, you might have material for a hilarious comedy, but nothing would ever work out according to plan. Your characters could never really learn magic because nothing is ever the same on any given day. 

But there’s a larger reason. While it might be amusing to have a magic system that has no rules and where anything could happen at any time, readers expect stability. They expect writers to lay down the rules. Of course, you won’t just say right up front what those rules are, but gradually, as they see more and more use of magic in your story, they will figure out what is and is not possible. 

This, of course, means that you need to know the rules.

Establishing Rules

Now that we’ve covered the reason you need rules, let’s talk about establishing them. It pays to go through a little bit of planning before you start writing. Now, you don’t have to go crazy with it before you start writing. If you really love worldbuilding, then feel free to go through an extensive, in-depth process to create your magic system prior to writing, but if you’re the sort who isn’t keen on spending months or even weeks on this, don’t stress. You don’t have to. Don’t believe the lie that you need to put countless hours into this or any other aspect of world-buillding prior to writing. It simply isn’t the case.

However, you should take some time to think through the basic rules. How does the magic work? Is it a spell-based system? Do people inherently have an ability? Is it a combination of both? For example, on Alcardia where the Pathways series takes place, the system allows for both. Some people are born with magic inherently. These people can use on of a few areas of magic and only a very specific portion of it. Ie: a water mage might be able to manipulate water or he might be able to create it, not both. But there are also those who can’t use magic inherently at all, and these individuals use spells to remain competitive with those who can use magic. So you’re not locked into one way of doing things, but you do need to have a system, and you need to know what can and can’t happen in that system.

For example, if we take Alcardia’s system, I would need to have a very good reason for why someone would have an ability that isn’t related to earth, water, air, fire, mental, or physical magic. (As an aside, I do in fact have those who can wield darkness and light, so I had to have an explanation for it.) If I had a character who could do more than one thing with his element (such as create and manipulate water), I would have to have a really good explanation for it because that isn’t how the system works.

This will help to prevent you from going insane trying to remember all the things you’ve already done and trying to figure out where to go next in an unpredictable system. It gives you clear boundaries, and if you go outside of them, it forces you to have a good reason. As in, a very, very good reason because neither your story nor your reader can accept random breaks in the system rules just to accommodate what you think would be cool. That kind of addition is best saved for other magic systems based around that exception or for fiction pieces you wrote for your enjoyment with no intention of letting them see the light of day.

Consequences

Another point here, when you’re establishing rules, is to avoid creating a system with no give and take. Nothing is free. If your hero could use magic to solve every problem with no fear of consequences, then why wouldn’t he? And when he does, you lose your story or risk making it entirely unbelievable. So, every action should have some sort of consequence to it. That could be that if they try to go beyond a certain amount of energy, they tap into their life force and may die. Or maybe it’s that if they use it, it could take something away from them, something that they’ll never be able to choice for themselves. This could be anything from losing memories to losing something or someone they care about very deeply. But there has to be some consequence or risk that keeps the individuals in the story (at least, the good guys) from using magic to surmount every obstacle with ease.

An Important Note

Please notice that I haven’t told you how you should build your rules or what rules you can and can’t have. This is fantasy. As long as the system remains true to itself, you can do just about anything. The point I want to get across here is that if you’re using magic in your fantasy novel, you absolutely must have established rules to govern it. 

Conclusion

Magic is often an integral part of fantasy, so making sure that you have a system that works and has clear structure is an important part of planning and world-building for any fantasy novel that includes it. Take some time to think about how you might be able to limit and structure your world’s ability to use magic. Make sure you write it down though because you don’t want to lose it or forget what you set out for the system, particularly if the book is the beginning of a series or an entire saga of books that requires the use that system.

Sunday Sub-Genres: Assassin Fantasy

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

Assassin fantasy is quite an interesting sub-genre of fantasy. This sub-genre is another one that can get quite dark, but this generally occurs more in the world or setting than anything, and the grey morality an assassin brings to the stage can be quite helpful. The genre itself is relatively easy to understand because the name says it all, but let’s go through some of the finer points.

Defining Assassin Fantasy

Like I said earlier, this one’s pretty straightforward. Assassin fantasy is about an assassin and is set in a fantasy world. The complicated parts of the story fall more in the characterization and the plotline than they do in what the genre is. Unlike weird and grimdark fantasy, this one is pretty easily defined, and no one debates the definition. The assassin archetype has been around in fiction for quite some time, though assassin fantasy itself has only become popular in the recent years. With that definition down, let’s look at writing the sub-genre.

Writing Assassin Fantasy

Focus

First of all, assassin fantasy varies widely in its focus. Some assassin fantasy focuses heavily on character development. These stories don’t focus on and really don’t care much about the politics and morality of what’s going on. It’s just about how the character grows and develops through the course of the story. If that happens to include some sort of moral ultimatum or debate, so be it. If not, no one’s losing any sleep. The other side of this, of course, is assassin fantasy that’s all about the politics and morality of the story and its characters. Authors writing this sort of assassin fantasy may go into great detail about the political system or what constitutes right and wrong and why.

Magic

Again, this is another area where the sub-genre doesn’t have one consistent rule. Some books may have a high level of magic while others may have none at all or very little. In some assassin fantasy, the assassin may wield the magic, while in others, he or she could be the one hunting those who use it. It all depends on the angle the author wishes to approach the sub-genre from.

Characterization

This one leaves no question whatsoever. Assassin fantasy is extremely character-driven. You must have this element. Without it, your story will fall short of readers’ expectations for the sub-genre. This means that knowing your character inside and out isn’t negotiable. It’s a must. That may mean that this sub-genre is more difficult for some writers who tend toward less characterization and more thematic or world-focused writing. But, whatever the case may be, this is one element where assassin fantasy won’t waver.

Plot

This one is another area where the lines are well-drawn. The level of complexity in the stories of this sub-genre are very high. These are the types of stories where anyone could stab you in the back, and no one is as they seem. Twists and turns with revelations that make the plot even more complicated are common within the genre. If you as a writer aren’t fond of writing stories with lots of surprises and unexpected situations that make things more complex, this probably isn’t the genre for you. 

Of course, chances are high that you already know whether or not this sub-genre is for you. Because it’s so well-defined, people are usually on one side of the fence or the other about it. It has a lot of violence and many grey areas, so most people have an opinion. If it isn’t something you like reading, it probably won’t be something you like writing. That’s fine, but you should acknowledge that and move on.

Conclusion

This genre can offer some very unique opportunities to explore the greyer and darker areas of life. However, it can also be a bit of a disturbing read or project for some readers and writers because the content is dark and usually violent. If you’re not comfortable with those things, this isn’t the genre for you. As usual, I’ve included a list of books in the genre for those looking to do some extra reading. Due to the nature of the sub-genre, I wouldn’t personally recommend these for anyone younger than 16 or 17.

Additional Resources and Books

Eve Forward’s Villains by Necessity

Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy

Brent Week’s Night Angel Trilogy (I have read the first one in the series and found that I did enjoy it immensely. It had some minor issues in the writing and grammar, but I liked the plot. Other readers’ reviews of it were mixed, but at some point, I hope to put my own review up on the review section of the blog to give another perspective on it.)

Kage Baker’s The Anvil of the World

Cornelia Funke’s Thief Lord (This one is actually intended for children and was a good read.)

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #22

Ariel Paiement

This week’s WIP Wednesday is an excerpt from the latest chapter of Pathway of the Moon.

~~~

LEO tried to catch a glimpse of Foren as he and Amadeira were dragged from the cabin into the woods beyond. The moon shone down in silver-white on the ground and dappled the faces of the antagonizers who surrounded him. Not a friendly face in sight. Had Foren given up on helping now that their plans had been blown apart? Or had he too been discovered and locked away to await sentencing?

His mind drifted to Alrian for a minute. She’d be undergoing the preparations of an Equinox Bride right now. Hardly anything enjoyable. But he’d have to leave her safety to her now because he couldn’t do anything for her. He wasn’t even sure he could do anything for himself without risking Amadeira. That wasn’t an option, and fighting his way free would leave her vulnerable. He couldn’t protect her and himself while going on the offensive. Not against this many enemies.

So he let them drag him along without making a fuss. Beside him, Amadeira was silent, but when he looked over, he caught the glimmer of her tears on her cheeks. She glanced at him and tried to offer a smile, but it fell seconds later. He groaned. If his hands were free right now, he would take her in his arms and wipe those tears away. He’d comfort her until she no longer wept or felt fear. But his arms weren’t free, and he had no comfort to offer. Not when he didn’t have the first clue how they were supposed to survive this.

He’d have to make it up as he went along. There wasn’t exactly another option at the moment. He’d reevaluate their position when they reached the Pathway. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe Kiarhsu would only have him flogged instead of putting him to death. They needed his blood, but they didn’t need to kill him for that.

Which brought up another problem. He didn’t want them to open the Pathway at all. And his blood could open it. They weren’t likely to give him a say in what was done with the blood spilling from his veins later on when they bled him under the full moon. Shame, really. But what villain would give his hostage a chance to voice an opinion? It just didn’t work out well. Best to keep them quiet.

He swallowed back a laugh. What was he doing? He should be thinking of ways to escape, not letting his mind ramble to every absurd, obvious thing it could find to dwell upon. This wouldn’t help them out at all. He forced his mind back to the task at hand. Forming a plan with very little to go on.

Kiarhsu waved at his men, and Leo received a boot to the back. He stumbled forward, tripped over a dip in the path, and dropped to his knees. The men hauled him up roughly and lifted him onto a horse where he was promptly tied to the saddle. No escape there, it seemed. Not that it would do him much good to escape without Amadeira. And Kiarhsu knew it, Rith take him! He scowled down at the man who had ruined everything in just under a day. How much longer until he could be rid of the pest?

Right. Not until he actually had a plan. Well, that was frustrating, but it couldn’t be helped. He slouched down in the saddle with a grumpy growl, but he didn’t give the men eyeing him warily any cause to hit him or bring him back into line with brute force. Best to save the fighting for a moment when he could actually achieve freedom with Amadeira at his side. This was not such a time.

~~~

That’s it for this week! What have you guys been working on? Feel free to share it in the comments.

Sunday Sub-Genres: Grimdark Fantasy

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

While we’ve examined some very dark, gritty versions of fantasy, this sub-genre is one of the darkest. It is considered a sub-genre of fantasy that is notorious for its grittiness and darkness. However, whatever the views people have of it, the genre has become more popular since George R.R. Martin’s wildly successful book A Song of Ice and Fire. So let’s take a look.

Defining Grimdark Fantasy

Pinning down a definition for grimdark fantasy is difficult. For some, it is a byword for fantasy that is unnecessarily dark. For those who enjoy the genre, they would openly admit that grimdark fantasy is both grim and dark with a lot of grit, but not necessarily without reason. Many times, grimdark is meant to explore the psychology behind those sword-toting heroes and the dark, harsh reality of the world. As a result of showing the grittier side of life, the stories get a bad rap for being brutal, dark, and sometimes depraved. While that may be true of some grimdark, the genre does not require writers to include unnecessary gore or wickedness in order to be grimdark. For those of you who want to remain sensitive to the sensibilities of others while still being true to the reality of life, grimdark can still hold a place for you. The genre is more focused on showing the truth about reality in a fantasy setting and showing that real people don’t always do things for the right moral reason, even when their action may be good in the eyes of others. This is reality, and the fact that you’re writing fantasy doesn’t necessitate keeping everything fairy-tale sparkly (well, Disney version of the fairytales, anyway. The real ones can, themselves, be more grimdark in style than you’d expect.).

Writing Grimdark Fantasy

Since it’s a bit difficult to pin down what grimdark is, let’s take a look at what readers of the genre look for in grimdark.  These are elements commonly found in grimdark that you can use to give your book the sub-genre’s unique flavor for readers of the sub-genre.

Morally Ambiguous Characters

In real life, while there are some things that are morally clear as right or wrong, there are things that aren’t so clear. And even if some things are morally black and white, some people may not see them that way even if they should. Grimdark is all about characters who struggle to figure out what moral black and white are in their situations. This manifests in the question of “why” they did what they did. Why did the knight save the princess? Did he do it because it was the right thing to do or because he wanted something out of it? Was it struggle to decide what to do and whether or not it was worth risking life and limb for this woman? That’s just one example of how moral ambiguity can manifest itself, but the main point is that your characters are just like real people: they struggle to know what is morally right and wrong throughout the novel. Not on every issue, perhaps, but they’ll have their moments.

Messed Up Characters

This one is not necessarily a must for grimdark, but it’s certainly common. Not to be confused with morally confused characters, the messed up characters are the ones who truly are on the side of immorality. They aren’t making mistakes, and they’re probably not confused about how evil what they’re doing is. They act in their own interests every time, and if they leads to a “good” act, great. But you can rest assured that, if they look like a saint, it’s only because it benefits them somehow. They’re wolves in sheep’s clothing. Be aware that if you have a main character like this, which isn’t unheard of in this sub-genre, readers may feel betrayed when they discover the MC isn’t who they assumed he was. This means that you have to be careful in how you reveal the character’s true nature. However, this has been done with great effect and without losing readers, so I wouldn’t say this should discourage you from trying.

Pure Naturalism

With this one, we go back to the motivations we were discussing. Many times, grimdark uses emotional drivers or goals of the characters to drive action. People do all sorts of the things in the name of emotion or a goal they want badly enough. The actions themselves can look good or bad, but the motivations underneath them may not match the appearance of the behavior. Most often, selfishness is a motivation in grimdark fantasy. In this style of grimdark, there is no right or wrong, good or evil. Only what gets the character closer to what they want. This isn’t a requirement to write grimdark. You could just as easily flip this around and have a character motivated by a good goal who does awful things trying to achieve it instead of a character motivated by pure selfishness. Either way, a character following this motto of grimdark will act purely on what will get him closer to the goal, not based on whether the action itself is good or bad.

Tight Narrative Voice

This is one aspect of grimdark that really is a must. A tight narrative voice allows the reader to experience the world through the eyes of the viewpoint character. They don’t get a broad view with an impartial narrator because grimdark is all about the character and his characterization, so naturally, the focus will be with the character. This means that using deep point-of-view, which we will discuss next week on Thursday Technicalities, is a really great writing technique to use for grimdark fantasy.

Plot Complexity and Characterization

These two generally go together in this sub-genre because the plot is moderately complex by itself, but highly complex when you start introducing morally ambiguous, manipulative characters. Grimdark is a sub-genre that is focused mostly on the characters. The plot may be action-oriented, but there will be many twists and turns that you wouldn’t find in other action-oriented plots simply because the characters are capable of anything, just as humans are in real life.

Which leads to another point on the characterization. Grimdark often gets a bad rap because anything goes, no matter how dark and depraved. But here’s the reason why that’s the case: grimdark writers know that humanity is capable of unspeakable evil, and they’re bent on making the reader face a flawed humanity. In some ways, they have a more realistic view of humanity in their writing than those writing high fantasy with sparkly clean characters do. While I don’t advocate gratuitous violence, grimdark definitely has an aspect to it that’s raw and real, which I do advocate in characterization. However, this sort of characterization that forces the reader to view humanity as inherently flawed, is not popular in the lighter sub-genres of fantasy. It has, instead, found its home in grimdark fantasy, which is the grittiest of the fantasy sub-genres. There are no knights in shining armor here, or if there are, they’ve got an unbelievable number of skeletons hidden away in their closets. There is no hero to sweep in and save the day because everyone is flawed, and no one is truly a hero.

Dystopian Setting

This one sort of speaks for itself. Most grimdark fantasy is written in a dystopian setting. The degree to which it is dystopian can vary, but the setting must be dystopian for the book to really fit in with grimdark fantasy. This is actually a fairly common thread through most of the darker sub-genres of fantasy. Not all, of course. But many of them feature dystopian settings because the settings work so well with the content.

Dark Endings

Finally, grimdark doesn’t have good or happy endings. If things work out in the favor of one character or another, you can bet that someone somewhere isn’t happy, and that’s the cue for more bloodshed and violence in most cases. So, really, the books are highly unpredictable. You never know what will happen, and the only thing you can guarantee is that everyone will end the story unhappy for one reason or another. Given this and the bleak sense of humor the sub-genre often employs, it isn’t for everyone. If you like happy endings more, this is not a genre you are going to enjoy reading, and since you have to read it to write it well, you should probably steer clear of it.

Conclusion

Grimdark fantasy is a tough sub-genre to write and to read. Its audience is smaller because of the gritty, violent, and depressing nature of the writing. However, for those looking for fiction that takes a real, hard look at what humanity is like underneath all of the various facades it puts up, grimdark is a great place to start. While it may have an overly cynical view of humanity sometimes, readers and writers will come away from it with an understand of just how flawed humanity is.

Additional Reading and Resources

**Because of the nature of grimdark fantasy and how few of these books I have actually looked at in any detail, I do not recommend any of this reading material for children under the age of 18. Please exercise discretion on the books for this. The articles are intended for writers of the genre, so those, with the exception of some language, should be safe enough for teens to read.**

Matt Larkin’s article on grimdark

Mythic Scribes’ article on grimdark fantasy for writers and readers

George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones

Steven Erikson’s Gardens of the Moon

Mark Lawrence’s Prince of Fools

Luke Scull’s The Grim Company

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #21

Ariel Paiement

This week’s WIP Wednesday excerpt is from In Darkness Lost. I’m still finishing up some last edits, which I was kind of hoping I wouldn’t be doing at this point, but hey… Plans don’t always work out quite according to our wishes. So, this week’s excerpt comes from some of the newer content that’s been added or rearranged.

~~~

RUNNING didn’t help. Dairdra collapsed onto her bed, gasping for breath. Her sides cramped, and she sucked in deep breaths. Closing her eyes, she ran her fingers along the velvety smoothness of her comforter and tried to focus on the gentle current of warm air wafting from the fireplace. The air blew the bed’s gauze curtains against her arms, and the touch pulled her back to the present. She opened her eyes and blinked, her head throbbing.

The warm light of the fire played over the ceiling and gave the room a pleasant, cozy atmosphere. But it didn’t bring any comfort to her. Her chest ached and she buried her face in the silk pillow. Even the release of crying was denied to her, and she lay there, motionless, in tense silence.

She didn’t understand. Why did it have to be her mother? She was too young to shoulder her mother’s load or to take her place. She still needed the one parent who took time for her. She sat up and fisted the comfort in her fingers with a shuddering breath. She suddenly had to move, couldn’t stand sitting on the bed like everything was as it usually was. She moved down onto the floor and sat down.

Still restless, she rocked back and forth on her heels. How was it that one thing had so much power to destroy? Just one minute was all it had taken, and now her life had become a disaster.

She tried to find some bright spot, some hope to cling to, but she couldn’t find anything. Her throat tightened, and the walls of her room suddenly seemed so much closer, the room darker than before. She huddled there on her floor, drew her knees up to her chest. But she couldn’t seem to shake that lost, empty feeling settling into the pit of her stomach. Could anyone fix this? Or would she feel lost and empty forever?

Tears welled up behind her closed lids, then broke free of her lashes and dripped down onto the blue silk of her dress. Stop. This is a time for action and duty, not for crying. She should get up and go speak to her father about what she needed to do with her mother out of commission. She lifted her head and dashed away the tears. Sucking in a deep breath, she rested her forehead against her knees.

Work offered a course of action and a way to escape the growing darkness. She could throw herself into her duties, numb herself to the pain with work. But what were her duties? Her mother spoke of only the organization aspects of the job and the finer points of interacting with the court. She had no idea what else was required because what was required changed based upon what the King demanded of his consort.

Once again, she was reminded of how alone she was. That only added to the yawning void centering in her chest. Since she’d reached adolescence, she’d been dreaming of the man she’d marry. She’d had her hopes too, though she’d only spoken of it once or twice with her mother.

Those hopes had been encouraged, but nothing had come of them because she wasn’t allowed to wed until her eighteenth, a rite of passage she’d reached just a few months back. Besides, the man of her dreams and her secret fantasies had been nothing but a best friend and attentive servant since she’d met him on the day he’d entered the palace as her mother’s protegee. And she’d never felt the disappointment more keenly than she did now when nothing seemed certain anymore.

She rubbed her aching temples. Well, of that was a bridge she’d have to cross when it came to it. For now, it was pointless to add any other worries to the already insurmountable pile. She pushed herself to her feet and dragged her aching body to the bathroom. She hadn’t expected to be this sore from the day’s activities.

Maybe it was her body’s response to the shock. She hadn’t really processed everything that had happened until now, and suddenly she felt tired. Too tired to bother with anything. But going to bed and sleeping away the hours until this was over wasn’t an option.

She splashed cold water from the wash basin over her face and dried it. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed that it hadn’t done much to hide the red-rimmed eyes that were evidence of her pain. But at least she didn’t have tear stains streaking her face.

She turned away from the mirror and shuffled out of her room. Might as well get the things she needed to do accomplished. Maybe then she could collapse and give her body and heart a chance to accept what had happened today. She drifted down the empty colonnaded halls.

The halls were so pristine, and their white, splendid beauty made her heart ache. How could anything be so put-together while she was falling to pieces? It didn’t seem fair. The silver plants that gave Argent her name had always made her smile before, but now they didn’t inspire any emotion at all. They stood in their pots along the rows of columns, but their glittering beauty was distant now, not close and personal.

Everything was cold and distant, and Dairdra’s stomach dropped. She’d never felt loneliness so sharply. Would anything ever feel right again?

That question had no answer. The realization was almost enough to send her running back to her room again. At least there she could close the drapes and hide in darkness. At least her bedroom was a place she could let her control slip. Here, she couldn’t, and she had to bear the pain stoically. She had to be cold and distant just like the plants she used to love so much.

~~~

That’s it for this week! I hope you all enjoyed it. What have you all been working on? Feel free to share in the comments!

Flash Fiction Friday: Nimewe’s Recruitment

Ariel Paiement

This week’s flash fiction is about Nimewe, a character who will appear in the sequel to Pathway of the Moon. This is her graduation/recruitment day as one of the initiates into the Guard, an elite force that protects her planet’s holy sites and life source from the demons that live beneath the surface of the world.

~~~

She stared at the chromium stage where Middles would take the Oaths of the Guard. For a moment, she simply stared at the blinding sun glaring off the white metal. Was it really the day? Was she really going to walk across the stage with the other Middles to graduate from being between two worlds to being a full-fledged Guard with all of the privileges and weaponry that came with it?

Her gaze wandered out over the crowd as she waited in line, tried not to bounce in excitement. The look on her aunt’s face splashed over her in a cold wave, and her excitement snuffed out. She was really doing this, and no one in her family supported her. Well, not what remained of the family, anyway. Her parents would approve of her choice if they were still around to do so. They had fought valiantly against the Cursed when they first surged up to wreak havoc on all of the Sites of Light and those who kept them. And it had cost them their lives just as it might cost her life. 

She looked back at the stage and watched as Aura Mychaiel strode to the podium. Their Aura met her gaze for a moment with a knowing smile, and Nimewe shivered. The older woman’s gaze saw everything. Just like hers did. And she knew then that there was no other place for her. If she walked away, if she didn’t finish the last part of their initiation today, she would have nothing.

No one wanted someone like her, a half-breed between the Aurethel, Chaerel’s oldest people, and the Betweens, a small group of people who had fled Sedra, Mistress of Darkness, after she created them and visited untold horrors upon them. They claimed she wanted to build an army, that she was in fact doing so. No one knew quite what to make of them, but the common consensus had been that they, and eventually their descendants, were liars and entirely insane. That was, until the Cursed poured from the caverns and chased both Between and Aurethel to the skies where they now dwelt.

No one knew why the Cursed hadn’t come sooner, but nothing seemed to restrain them, so it was left to the Guard to protect the holy sites and the planet’s very life force from the daemons who sought to destroy it. That was why she was here. Why her parents had died. It was her heritage, after all. Her mother had been a descendant of one of the Betweens who had come to warn her father’s people. She had grown up despised simply because of her origin and her people, and that hatred had intensified tenfold when Nimewe was born. A freak, people had called her. And when her ability to perceive emotions and thoughts became stronger than that of most other Aurethel, she’d really become an outcast.

But the past was the past, she reminded herself. Enough thinking about it on a day when she was supposed to rejoice. Her enthusiasm returned. She would become a Guard today, and that was the one place where Between and Aurethel alike could coexist with no prejudice or hatred. There wasn’t room when they all faced death every day.

Really, that was what this graduation meant to her. Not a new position. Not prestige in society. No, it meant family. It meant acceptance from her peers and a real chance at friendship for the first time in her life. The loneliness was at an end, and her hard work would finally pay off. This really was it.

She strode across the stage behind the Middle in front of her, a broad smile slipping onto her face. Coming to a stop, she stood with feet spread and planted firmly on the chromium surface of the stage. From there, she stared out across the vast sea of heads to the glass walls that pulsated gently with the energy that kept their sky city aloft. Soon, she would leave this place to begin her new life back on the surface of the planet, fighting to protect a world she dearly loved for its beauty and vivacity.

Aura Mychaiel smiled at her and looped a rainbow-colored chord around her wrist with a soft laugh. “Head out of the clouds, girl. It’s your time. Do you accept the responsibility as one of the Guard of Chaerel and her Fountain of Spectrums to protect both the holy sites and the Fountain as well as the people of Chaerel?”

The words of the Oath sank deep, rooting into her soul, and her smile faded as the seriousness of the situation sank in with the Oath. She nodded, a lump in her throat. “I take responsibility for protecting Chaerel’s holy sites, Fountain, and her people. I swear to put my needs and desires, and even my life, down for this people and this planet we all call home so long as I live or so long as I am able to serve.”

“Welcome to the ranks of the Guard, Nim.” She squeezed her shoulder and pressed her forehead to Nimewe’s before moving down the line.

Nimewe’s smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Finally. It was done. She was one of the Guard.

~~~

That’s it for this week! I hope you all enjoyed. If you have something you’d like to see in future flash fictions, leave me a comment or shoot me an email! I’m always glad for the suggestions.

Sunday Sub-Genres: Dark and Gothic Fantasy

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

This week’s study of fantasy sub-genres is all about gothic or dark fantasy. This genre can be quite interesting since the definitions of it vary depending on who is defining it. However, there are some common points in the definitions, so we’ll go over how it can be commonly defined and what elements you need in the writing to make it gothic or dark fantasy.

Defining Gothic/Dark Fantasy

To start off with, gothic or dark fantasy is not horror. It may contain some elements that are reminiscent of or common to the genre of horror, but horror is written with the intent to scare while gothic and dark fantasy is written with more of an intent to explore a topic that looks at the darker side of life. To that end, then, gothic and dark fantasy aren’t horror.

They do, however, typically deal with the darker side of life and human nature. Commonly, the stories may be written from the monster’s perspective or from a villain’s point-of-view. This isn’t a necessity, however. Just one popular option. Whoever the lead character is, the books classified as dark or gothic fantasy will deal with darker themes. They aren’t horror, but they also won’t shy away from gritty, gory topics.

This usually means that dark and gothic fantasy is not where you’re going to find your knights in shining armor being pristine, upstanding citizens or your villains being pure evil with no good quality to them. While dark and gothic fantasy may not blur the lines between right and wrong, necessarily, it certainly examines the fact that our nature is not one-sided. Those who do what we would say is good may not do it for good reasons, and those who do what we term evil may do it with the best intentions. It doesn’t change what is right or wrong, of course, but it means that the novel may be more subtle in its presentation of good versus evil compared to novels of other sub-genres.

Writing Gothic and Dark Fantasy

When it comes to writing Gothic or dark fantasy, the rules are similar to writing weird fantasy. This is because, often, Gothic and dark fantasy are similar to the weird fantasy genre. However, the two aren’t exactly the same, so let’s look at some elements of Gothic and dark fantasy that you can use to make that distinction in your writing.

The Dark Side

First off, weird fantasy’s focus in on what is weird and unusual. Gothic and dark fantasy may look at that too, but it isn’t the focus. Instead, your focus in writing Gothic and dark fantasy is on the darker side of life. This could include exploring the darker aspects of human nature, human psychology, or the world as a whole. Really, anything that is a darker aspect of the world could be your focus, but the stories in the Gothic and dark fantasy sub-genre must focus on the dark side.

Complicated Characters

I’m not saying that characters in other sub-genres aren’t complex. They are. But in dark and Gothic fantasy, these characters are a little bit more complex in another way. For example, you might have a character who is an assassin but only kills those who have displayed behavior that warrants their death. Or, you may have the knight who is supposedly very altruistic but is really only doing the right things because he wants power and control or he wants to be in a position to force a girl to marry him. Any number of things could be a part of why the character is complex, but dark and Gothic fantasy usually involve characters who look all good or all evil on the surface when in fact the truth is something quite different. This is part of exploring the darker nature of humanity and our psychology, and it manifests itself most clearly in the characters and their complex psychological side.

The World

It’s a given that any fantasy sub-genre is going to have aspects of the fantastical or supernatural involved. It wouldn’t be fantasy without it. But with dark and Gothic fantasy, these elements are blended with horror-like elements to produce something truly dark and uncanny. Now, this is done, again, with the intent of exploring some darker theme or reflection, not with the intent to horrify. But the key here is that the world and setting used for dark and Gothic fantasy isn’t going to be pretty. It will reflect the same darkness and, in many cases, straight up twisted wickedness of the people whose hearts will be explored or exposed in the exploration of the dark side we discussed earlier. This doesn’t mean everything has to be shown or has to be allowable or approved. While some authors may choose to blur lines, that isn’t a requirement. It just means that the author can’t create a perfect fairy-tale world where everything dark is swept under the rug out of the readers’ sight. No. It will be visible in varying levels of darkness and uncannyness, depending on the author’s preference. Whether or not that darkness is shown as being wrong, right, or grey area-material is dependent entirely on the author’s worldview and preferences.

Conclusion

Hopefully this has given you a strong starting point for writing Gothic and dark fantasy. If you’ve already been writing it but haven’t been sure what your work would actually be considered, I hope this has helped to clarify the issue for you.

You can find the further reading and resources below as always. A note of caution here is that I wouldn’t recommend any of these books for children, whether I’ve read them or not, because usually the subject matter of dark and Gothic fantasy makes it too mature for younger teens and children. Doesn’t mean the books are bad. It just means the intended audience is rarely children.

Have questions or more suggestions for writing Gothic and dark fantasy? Feel free to leave a comment, and I’ll do my best to get back to any questions promptly. Have a great week, everyone!

Further Reading and Resources

Neil Gaiman’s Coraline

Gothic Fantasy’s Short Story Compilations

Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Jewel of Seven Stars (This is an exception to my general recommendation not to give these books to children. Teens can read these books without a problem, but they likely need a strong constitution and shouldn’t read them before bed unless they’re not easily scared.)

Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat

Elizabeth Gaskell’s The Grey Woman and Other Tales

Saturday Setup: Building Societies – Rank and Gender Factors

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

Last week, we discussed how language factors into your society. Now we’re going to talk about how rank and gender can play a role. There are many different ways societies deal with these two things. Just look around at the cultures around the world, and you’ll see that. So let’s take a look at some options you have.

Rank-based Societies

Rank based societies can be set up in a lot of different ways. It could be that the society is similar to Asian societies where elders and family authority figures are to be highly respected and obeyed (as a general rule of thumb). Or, perhaps, it is more a caste system like India has. The options vary and can result in a multitude of arrangements.

Once this is decided, of course, it affects all kinds of things about relationships with people. Since we talked about it last week, languages can be affected by rank. Some languages, like Japanese, use honorifics or have more formal versions of the same word to indicate great respect for those high above you in rank. This also can be done in a variety of ways, such as using prefixes or suffixes on names or using polite tenses. These are just a few options.

In the end, rank-based societies will focus entirely on whatever hierarchy has been set into place, and their rules will tend to center on it too. Many things end up being affected, so you have to consider how rank might affect your society if you choose this option.

Gender-Based Societies

On this one, it isn’t so much rank as it is which gender one is that determines honor, privilege, and part in society. This might manifest in a manner both patriarchal or matriarchal. Or, perhaps there is no organized patriarch or matriarch structure, but perhaps instead women and men have gender-specific roles and don’t step out of them.

This really doesn’t even have to be applied solely to those societies where one of the sexes is suppressed or mistreated, though it certainly could be the case. It may also apply to societies where men and women are equal but simply have different roles to play and things that their counterpart is able to do that they cannot, not because they aren’t capable but because it simply isn’t their place or concern. In this way, gender can be a basis for the society without degrading one gender or another.

Mixed Societies

Some societies may work off a system that mixes gender and rank. These societies may place the two genders into a class of jobs or roles they can play based on gender, give the genders rankings in relation to each other (ie: men outranking women or vice versa), and rank each gender against others of their own gender within the class of jobs and roles they’re filling (ie: one man outranks another within the government or a woman outranks another woman in a midwife practice.

Conclusion

Rank and gender typically do play some role in society. Even in a society that doesn’t focus on gender, rank does usually come into play because some sort of authority structure must be set up, and that necessitates having some people who have higher rank or authority than others. Taking the time to consider this aspect of your growing society will help to round everything out and give you a concrete idea of how the people in your story will interact with others around them.

Arguably, this is one of the most important things to figure out for your society because it affects your characters directly in how they will relate to people of the opposite sex, superiors, colleagues, and subordinates.

Have another way rank or gender can affect a society in world-building? Feel free to share it in the comments! If you have a question, feel free to leave that in the comments too. I hope this helps you and offers a sound place to start in determining these aspects of your society and culture.

Work-In-Progress Wednesdays #18

Ariel Paiement

We’re back this week for a sneak peek at some of the newest content for In Darkness Lost, which releases in paperback sometime in September (if I can manage to get it formatted in a way Amazon won’t mess up by then. Lol.) and in Kindle as soon as I’ve done one last comb-through for spelling and grammar.

~~~

CRYPT was in his room stretched out in his usual spot on his black-clothed bed reading a book. He looked up when Dairdra came in, his exquisite, ageless hazel eyes shifting colors as the sunlight filtered across them. His long, black lashes seemed to glitter in the sun. Dairdra paused in the doorway and observed him for a long moment. How long had she known him? It seemed like ages. But the feelings that welled up at seeing him now were unlike any she’d experienced before. Relief mingled with longing, but longing for what? For his comfort and support? Or for something more?

She’d liked him for years now, so the strange pang of wistfulness was nothing new. But the keenness of that longing had never been quite like this. She bit her lip and looked away. Her entire body felt too hot, and she tugged at her collar. What had she come here for, again?

“Dairdra?” His soft voice brushed over her like a caress. “Did you need something?”

Did she? Yes. But she wasn’t entirely sure what she needed. “I…I, uh, came to ask you to take a walk with me.”

“Really?” He flipped onto his back and sat up.

“My father told me to ask.”

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood. “And you wouldn’t have asked if he hadn’t told you?”

“Well…I guess I would’ve.” She wrapped her arms around herself and stepped back. Her back struck the door, and she stopped. She had no reason to run from him. But she suddenly felt bare in front of him, as if his searching gaze could see everything she didn’t want the rest of the world to see. She couldn’t decide if that made her feel uncomfortable or safe. Her mind seemed to think it was uncomfortable because she’d moved without thinking.

He stepped closer, a smile playing on his lips. “So, what’s the real reason you’re here?”

“I don’t know.”

“You do.”

“I…” She bit her lip and pressed her palms to the door behind her. “I’m not sure.”

He smiled, and his hand rose before dropping back to his side. Even in private, he was careful not to push her or break limits. His smile took on a sadder note. “Your father wasn’t much comfort, I take it?”

She ducked her head and sighed. He’d already figured out what she didn’t want to admit to herself. She wanted comfort, and since she hadn’t gotten it from the one person she’d hoped to receive it from, she’d come to the only person she knew she could trust. At least he wouldn’t turn the cold shoulder. She loved her father, but the relationship was too distant. She still wanted his attention, but for as much as she hoped for it, she knew better than to expect it. So, she’d come to Crypt, knowing he was the only person whom she could trust to comfort her. She probably should’ve come straight to him instead of bothering to look for it from her father first.

She’d already known that he would take her grief and pain, and he would shoulder it with her instead of leaving her to drown in darkness and fear. Hadn’t he always been the one she went to when things weren’t going well and her mother was too busy? He’d been her support and confidante since she was thirteen years old and they first became friends. Now it seemed as natural to take it to him as it was to talk to her mother about it. And as usual, he might as well be a mind reader because he knew what she was thinking before she understood it herself. She truly didn’t appreciate him enough. “No, he wasn’t.”

~~~

That’s it for this week. What are you guys working on? Share with us all in the comments below! I’d love to hear about it.