Crash Course on Craft: Hero’s Journey Part 6

Before Thanksgiving and the November blog tour, we had been looking at the stages of the Hero’s Journey, a basic structure or pattern of events that most good plots follow.

We have seen the protagonists in their ordinary world and watched that same world be shaken. Characters make life-changing decisions, crossing the point of no return, and after a series of test, the heroes and heroines are forced straight into the heart of enemy territory.

This brings us to the second major turning point of the story, called the Cave in the Hero’s Journey. Usually three-quarters through the story (though occasionally it’s at the halfway point), the Cave forces a confrontation between the protagonist and antagonist—on the antagonist’s turf.

Before this point, such confrontations have occurred on more neutral ground. Either hero or villain might win, but whoever did, the other still has opportunity to triumph over the other. But the prize—the external thing that the hero has strived for and which has driven him to this point—is now sight and the antagonist has the upper hand.

Here the protagonist will have to call on every scrap of knowledge acquired, lesson learned, skill practiced, ally made. For the battle—whether physical, relational, or internal—will be fierce. This is the reason why the protagonist crossed that point of no return.

And when the smoke clears, the prize sought will often be obtained, at least temporarily. But at what cost? For war never goes as planned, and the price paid will be far dear than any hero ever imagined, leaving him to wonder—was it really worth it?

Curse of the Spider King

Title: Curse of the Spider King
Series: The Berinfell Prophecies #1
Authors: Wayne Thomas Batson & Christopher Hopper
Genre: Teen (13-16) Alternate Reality/Fantasy

Excerpt from “Eight-Hundred-Year Echoes,” Chapter 1 of Curse of the Spider King:

Concealed in a grove of alder trees, two cloaked figures waited; their whispered voices lost in the soft rustle of wind-stirred leaves.

“Commander, I had forgotten how brilliant the moon is.”

“I know, Brynn,” the burly warrior replied, absently rubbing a whitish furrow on his cheek, one of many scars on his face and neck. “Since we are allowed only rare views . . . I, too, drink it in.” He sighed.

“How many hundreds of years since we could gaze our fill?”

“Too many,” he said, more than a hint of bitterness in his tone.

The waited, not ten paces away from the flat side of a massive boulder. Beyond that, the silver moonlight shone down on a clearing framed by trees. It was a haunting view of their once glorious city, now in ruins.

Suddenly, the sheer face of stone radiated a dazzling blue light. The two crouched lower beneath the trees. Brynn raised her bow and drew the bowstring back to the feathery red sideburn near her right ear.

“Hold,” whispered the leader. “I it is the enemy, we are done.”
Seven Elven lords raised as human on earth discover new gifts, real identities, and an otherworldly war over their lives.

The Craft: Curse of the Spider King is one of the hardest types of books to review. Not because there is much wrong with the writing, but because there is so little wrong.

Oh, Curse of the Spider King has quite a bit of point-of-view shifting and hopping from head to head within a scene. But beyond that, the book is clean and error-free. It pulls off the difficult tasks of creating a huge but memorable cast of characters (there’s seven principles to start with) and implementing large chunks of backstory without breaking flow. The premise is intriguing, the tension builds nicely, and humor glues it altogether.

Yes, the craft is good. So why is it so hard to review? Because for all the things it does right, something is missing—the spark that turns a good story into a great one. So while there is nothing for me to criticize per se (always a good thing), a craving remains and the craft falls inexplicably short.

The Content: The content of Curse of the Spider King mirrors the craft. It is clean: The details of the violence are kept to a minimum as a whole; the supernatural is credited to non-human characters, and themes of courage, identity, and responsibility are threaded throughout with some minor references to God and spiritual warfare (something I expect to grow in prominence in the next book).

Yet at the same time, the content is unremarkable, lacking the fresh and often challenging perspective of the spiritual that makes Christian speculative works stand out. The result is that the content, like the craft, is good and yet in many way unremarkable.

Summary: Though somewhat less than inspiring or deeply memorable, Curse of the Spider King still remains an easy-to-read and very fun fantasy that will connect with many readers. A recommended light read for tweens, teens, and some adults.

Rating: Craft—4, Content—3, Overall—3.8 out of 5 stars

Interesting in hearing about book two, Venom and Song, as well? Click here.

Find Curse of the Spider King and other recommended teen books at my Amazon affliate bookstore, Words of Whimsy.

Starring Wayne Thomson Batson & Christopher Hopper

Another month means a new Christian Science-Fiction and Fantasy tour! This months we are chatting up Curse of the Spider King, the first book in a new series by Wayne Thomson Batson and Christopher Hopper. While neither Wayne Thomson Batson or Christopher Hopper are new the writing scene, this is their first collaborative work, and the result is--well, I'll leave that for my book review.

Meanwhile, stop in at Mr. Batson's blog, Mr. Hopper's website, or the site for the series. Then wander around and discover what others are saying:

Brandon Barr, Justin Boyer, Amy Browning
Valerie Comer, Amy Cruson, CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale, D. G. D. Davidson, Shane Deal, Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards, April Erwin
Karina Fabian, Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart, Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse, Cris Jesse, Jason Joyner, Julie
Carol Keen, Krystine Kercher, Tina Kulesa
Melissa Lockcuff
Rebecca LuElla Miller,Mirtika
Nissa, John W. Otte, Cara Powers
James Somers, Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Fred Warren, Jason Waguespac, Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson, KM Wilsher

Eight Questions for Rachel Starr Thomson

Last week, I did a review of Worlds Unseen, a YA fantasy by Rachel Starr Thomson. This week, Rachel has graciously agreed to answer a few questions about her work.

What is your favorite part of being an author?

Where to begin? The copious amounts of tea. The fact that I don't need fashion sense and can dress eccentrically because people think writers are eccentric. Being able to sit in coffee shops and take long walks and call that "work." But actually, I think the best thing about being a writer is the writing itself, in those moments when it really catches fire, when I can't type fast enough to keep up with the story or the message or whatever I happen to be writing.

What are some of the outside influences on Worlds Unseen or your writing in general?

Other writers, certainly; any writer I happen to read becomes an influence in some way. It's hard for me to pinpoint specifics; I read hundreds and hundreds of books as a kid and I know they're all still exercising influence on me. My faith is a huge influence. Its ideas and challenges and scripture itself inform everything I write.

What prompted you to write Worlds Unseen?

The Seventh World Trilogy, which starts with Worlds Unseen and Burning Light and wraps up in The Advent, which I'm currently writing, is a fantasy about young people who discover another side to their world--a spiritual war that has been covered up for centuries. A lot of influences came into it, but I think it was inspired by seeing the spiritual war we're all fighting every day. I looked at my family and my friends and saw their lives with this sort of epic vision. I transported that into another world so I could write about it in an open, imaginative way. Writing about God in our world intimidates me, but in a fantasy setting, I can write about yearning and faith and doubt and fear and courage and forgiveness and all those things without the same intimidation.

What is your favorite part of Worlds Unseen and why?

I'm not sure I could isolate a single scene as my favourite. Virginia's encounter with the Earth Brethren was one of my favorite scenes to write, and I love the conversations between Nicolas and Maggie. And of course, Maggie's gradual transformation of identity.

What impact did writing Worlds Unseen have on you?

Well, it proved I could write a book that was over 100 pages long, something I'd never accomplished before! More than any of my earlier work, I think Worlds made a writer out of me. It started the journey I'm on today, of making a living through words, and it opened up a world of possibilities as far as exploring truth through fiction.

What is one book you would recommend besides the Bible and your own work?

Off the top of my head? Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. It's all about seeing life anew. In fiction, some of my recent favourites are the Auralia Thread books by Jeffrey Overstreet and Blaggard's Moon by George Bryan Polivka.

What is one question you have never been asked but wished you had been, and what is the answer?

Well, I've never been asked this question before! I've never been asked what career I would have pursued if I wasn't pursuing this one. And there are many possible answers. I love the idea of being a folk singer. Or I might have gone into missions. But as it is, I'm doing quite a lot of ministry, both through writing and through other things, and I get lots of opportunities to sing too. Life is pretty wonderful.

Anything else you would like to add?

If you'd like to read my books, you can buy them at www.rachelstarrthomson.com or from any online retailers. You can also download Worlds Unseen for free, read the stand-alone novel Taerith, and read some of my nonfiction writing at www.rachelstarrthomson.com .

Each Day’s Task

Sometimes as I face a day of work, the list of things needing to be done feels overwhelming.

For while I consider myself a novelist first, writing fiction is hardly the only task on my itinerary. Books wait for reading, my shelf almost always stacked ten deep. I compose book reviews and blog posts. I vendor at homeschool conferences, which takes far more time and brainpower than most would imagine. Critique groups, writing meetings, and conferences need attending to sharpen my skills. And right now, I am preparing from scratch a weekly two-hour lesson on discernment in fiction.

And these are only my writing-related activities.

So how do I survive? It’s very discouraging to look back at a week and realize fiction writing accounts for less than a quarter of my writing work. Time feels so scrunched.

I don’t have all the answers. I wish I did. I struggle with whether I’m wasting time, and no is a word I’m sure needs employment more often.

Yet, I wonder if my solution might be simpler: Just focus on the task at hand.

Instead of worrying about the lack of progress on my novel, for which there is no immediate deadline, I should concentrate on the class I’m teaching. And maybe I need to take off a day here or there more often from blogging to address a pressing project.

Perhaps tasks come in seasons too.

Crash Course on Craft: Hero’s Journey, Part 5

“Smile. Things could be worse.”

So sure enough, the hero smiles—usually with gritted teeth—and things get worse. Much worse.

Welcome to the second act of story.

Often the First Threshold decision is a protagonist’s desperate attempt to right his world. But often it does anything but right the world. In fact, it usually throws the characters head long into deeper trouble—and now they can’t go back for they’ve crossed the Point of No Return.

Instead they find themselves in the throes of circumstances that chip away at their confidence and erode their competence (the stage of Tests), often in a set of three. Then another Y in the road will emerge, forcing the character to make another life-changing—and plot-driving—decision.

Will he give up, turn back, losing everything he has worked so hard to attain and all hope of fulfilling the desire that drove him here? Or will he plunge ahead to confront what stands in his way?

To the reader, the choice is obvious—no plunge, no story. But the characters must be given the chance to decide. They must have no one to blame but themselves. They must have the chance, now knowing the cost, to walk away. But if the author has done his job, the desire—and the cost of forever losing that desire—must override the cost of going on, thrusting the characters straight into the heart of enemy territory (Approach to the Cave).

Worlds Unseen

Title: Worlds Unseen

Series: The Seventh World Trilogy

Author: Rachel Starr Thomson

Genre: YA (13-16) Fantasy

Excerpt from “Prologue” of Worlds Unseen:

The house was full of the little noises of life. A bright fire crackled in the hearth, and over it the contents of a small iron pot hissed and bubbled. Mary’s rocking chair creaked as her deft fingers wove a world in cross-stitch, visions of sunset and starlight. A mourning dove, tucked away in a nest in the corner of the stone window ledge, cooed softly.

Mary did not look up when a shadow fell across the picture in her hand. Through her eyelashes she saw a tall, dark-cloaked form with a gleaming knife in its hand. For a tenth of a second Mary’s fingers faltered; she regained herself, and continued to sew. She bent her head closer to the cross-stitch and her chestnut hair fell over her shoulder.

“So you’ve come,” she said, her voice perfectly level.

The cloaked figure’s voice dripped with venom. “You expected me?”

The creak of the rocking chair filled the momentary silence, and the fire crackled. The pot was near to boiling over.

“I knew you would keep your promise,” Mary said. “Though you have been much longer than I expected. And even now you are waiting.”

The tall figure sneered. “Where is your fool of a husband?”

Mary said faintly, “He is coming.”

Outside, the cooing of the dove had ceased.

The Craft: Worlds Unseen is definitely a mixed bag when it comes to the craft.

At the macro level, the world is unique without overwhelming detail, while colorful and likeable characters fill the stage. The pacing overall builds and releases at all the right places. The premise mixes allegory, mythology, and fairy-tale elements in a style reminiscent of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, without trying to duplicate his work.

However, at the scene level, trouble brews. Long sections of character monologues and the tendency to tell rather than show diffuse the tension the plot works so hard to build. Point of view jumps and short scenes (or longer scenes largely padded with backstory and internal monologues) chop up the rhythm. Certain subplots and actions with Maggie (the protagonist) felt out-of-place, especially for the force for motivation given them, from a failure of proper set up.

The result is a story that I long to dig into, but where traction is hard to find.

The Content: The content of Worlds Unseen is the greater strength. While there are allegorical elements, this is not an allegory and those elements never overwhelm the story. Rather, they give us a glimpse into the unseen of this world and a fresh view of the relationship between God and man, while intertwining themes of courage, God’s Sovereignty, identity, and risk-taking against terrible odds.

Other content notes—There is the typical violence level for this type of story, such as in sword fights and other combat. They are described, but with minimum detail. No language problems, and the romance elements are kept very chaste. Minimal amounts of magical elements, most on the side of evil; the supernatural on good’s side are seen as gifts and are not controllable by the ones who have them, like those supernaturally gifted by God in the Bible.

Summary: If Mrs. Thomson could have mastered the craft at scene level, this story would have improved three times over. As it is, Worlds Unseen is a gem in the rough. Though not worth everyone’s time, avid readers of Christian fantasy may find this a delightful tale to indulge in.

Rating: Craft—2, Content—4, Overall—3.4 out of 5 stars

Find Worlds Unseen and other safe fantasy & science-fiction at my Amazon affilate bookstore, Words of Whimsy.

5 Unexpected Things Characters Do to the Author

1. They lie. Despite what readers might think, I do not know everything there is to know about a character. That means they sometimes have secrets I don’t know about, secrets they are willing to lie about to protect. After all, I am an author. They tell me, and it’ll probably end up on the page for the world to see.

2. They insist on their own way. For some odd reason, the characters believe they know the outcome better than I do. Never mind that they haven’t seen the story’s end yet.

3. They don’t listen. Like in #2, they claim to know more than me. So I can tell them Route A is better, but they will take Route B (sometimes just because I said Route A, I think). However, to my amusement, they often circle back to my way sooner or later in the story.

4. They interrupt. I can be engaged in a serious conversation with a real person, and they’ll poke their head through the backdoor of my mind to toss out some unrelated comment or oddball observation. So if I start to laugh for no apparent reason, now you know why.

5. They act like real people. Yes, that’s shocking, I know. But they quarrel and throw tantrums, tease and pout, tickle my funny bone and surprise me with their insights into life. It is one of the greatest frustrations and the best joys of being a novelist.

Crash Course on Craft: The Hero’s Journey Part 4

Decisions: The axis upon which story turns.

Sure things can happen to the protagonists, but their decisions (preferably the kind that makes things worse) are ultimately what drive a story. After all, we were created with a will. We want the freedom to choose. Characters need the same, or they won’t seem real.

That’s where the First Threshold comes in. If the storyteller has done his job properly, the disturbance to the character’s world (the Call) has grown so major that, by the end of the first quarter of the story, the character must deal with the problem. He cannot go with the flow any longer or simply be acted upon. He must choose and act.

Ideally, whatever he chooses must forever alter his life, which is why this stage is also known as the Point of No Return. There will be no going back to what was before without devastating consequences and shattered dreams—if he can go back at all.

So what will the hero choose? Is he in or out? Will she tackle the problem head-on or run? Who cares? Just as long as the hero makes the choice! Then things really start hopping.