Ty Johnston's 2011 Blog Tour

Fantasy author Ty Johnston’s blog tour 2011 is running from November 1 through November 30. His novels include City of Rogues, Bayne’s Climb and More than Kin, all of which are available for the Kindle (http://www.amazon.com/Ty-Johnston/e/B002MCBQRU/ ), the Nook (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/ty-johnston ) and online at Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/darkbow ). His latest novel, Ghosts of the Asylum, will be available for e-books on November 21. To find out more, follow him at his blog tyjohnston.blogspot.com.

Too often I’ve run across readers who seem to believe fantasy literature is easy to write because the author can just make up anything. Almost always this type of opinion comes from someone mostly unfamiliar with the genre.

The truth is, there are a lot of details in fantasy literature which can’t be taken for granted. And readers knowledgeable in fantasy and history will call out authors who get those details wrong.

As I write mostly epic fantasy, I’ll stick to that sub-genre for my examples.

Epic fantasy takes place in a pseudo-historical world, commonly a pseudo-medieval world. That alone means writers of this genre need to have at least basic knowledge of history as related to the worlds they themselves create.

Practical knowledge also comes into play. If your hero is wielding a sword, what type of sword? How heavy is the sword? Why did he or she pick that particular type of sword?

Some might be asking, does it really matter? It will to a lot of readers, and writers need to be able to answer those questions. For example, my protagonist Kron Darkbow generally carries a hand-and-a-half, also known as a bastard sword. That’s a rather large weapon, though not the largest. He prefers such a heavy blade for several reasons, not the least of which are its heavier weight and length. He also likes the fact he can use the weapon in one hand, but can also utilize it in two hands, putting a little extra power behind his blows. Actually, in Kron’s world, such a large sword is on the verge of becoming anachronistic, a weapon of an earlier age, mainly because the growing use of magic is changing his world.

Kron also carries his sword on his back. Some might scoff, believing I have Kron do this because it is “cool.” The truth is, the easiest way to carry such a long and heavy weapon is to do so over one’s shoulder or on one’s back. Believe me, I know. I own a handful of battle-ready swords of a variety of types and sizes, and more than once I’ve had to carry one of them around for a day or more at a time. You don’t want some great big, expensive piece of steel hanging at your feet, scrapping along the ground.

But weapons are just one detail of which fantasy writers need to be aware. What about horses? Too often I’ve read a fantasy story in which horses are treated like cars. The hero rides his trusty steed across a continent or three, and the poor horse is lucky if it ever gets a break or a meal. Horses are actually relatively fragile creatures, despite their strength. They cannot travel long distances without needing regular rest and grooming. It was common for long-distance travelers during earlier historical periods to have several horses when on the road, one which they rode while the others were tethered behind; it was also not uncommon to have stopping points every so often, usually about every 30 miles, where a rider could purchase, borrow or trade for a fresh riding animal.

Also, writers of fantasy need to be aware of the politics and the religions within the worlds they create. Do such systems make sense within the framework of the world? What about that world’s history? What historical path was followed for a particular type of government and a particular religion to exist at a given time? These are not always easy questions to answer, but readers will expect answers. Oh, a reader might not directly confront an author about a particular point, but in this day and age, a reader might just do that. E-mail, anyone?

And then there are castles. Why are some towers round and others square? There are real, practical reasons for this, and writers need to know them. What about crossbows? Gunpowder? How does magic affect your world?

I could go on. I won’t. I don’t want to bore you. If I haven’t already.

Let’s just say, fantasy writers need to know their stuff. Writing fantasy is not just making it up as you go along, nor is it just jotting down whatever pops into your head. It takes time to put together a story, and hopefully the writer will do his or her job well and will get the facts correct.

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Thank's Ty; this is a subject close to my own heart and I appreciate your comments. One of the things that brought the whole subject home to me, and made me begin to think about how much the details matter, was an abandoned project. I had a story sketch that involved a number of sacred items - and immediately thought of the 13 treasures of England from Celtic mythology. I had in mind powerful artifacts wrought by the gods in the hands of thirteen immortal heroes whose power waxed and waned according to the needs of their native land. I thought the 13 treasures would be a great start, each giving a unique power to the given hero. So, I did a little research and found, to my surprise, that the vast majority of the 13 treasured of England from ancient mythology granted.... food.

We forget, in this time and place, just how little food security there was in the pre-industrial world. Everyone was a little nervous of being hungry, all the time. Everyone worried about food. A storm, a cold snap, a blight, a drought, a flood, a disease that thins the herds, any one of a number of things that happened with frightening regularity could make life suddenly becomes harder than it already was for the majority. There are endless social consequences to this that might well effect your story and will certainly effect the attitudes of the inhabitants of the story. Of course, some of the details that crop up when you begin to investigate food for an ancient or medieval setting are simply window dressing to add verisimilitude, but they are none the worse for that; just for example, if you live in a city and want fresh milk... then there are cows in the city. And right there, as your character is being hunted through a city, there's the opportunity for a scene that has the ring of truth to it. And that makes it a detail worth knowing.

Prison of Power - Map

Well, I struggled with it mightily and was eventually defeated - only in the sense that I ran out of time to struggle on, though. Prison of Power should come with a map, and it doesn't, so here it is.

Even at this size, as big as I can make it here, it loses a little detail. I can only imagine how lacking it would be in an ebook, or the printed page for that matter. This is a detail of a larger map, which sadly loses even more when posted here, so I've left it out for now. At some point, when time and financed allow, I'll spend some time on it and somehow make it available to those who would like a copy.

The cover art issues are being dealt with and there should be no problem making The Invisible Hand available on Amazon the first week of December. It's lousy timing for me - the Christmas publishing rush from the big players tend to flood the market and TIH will be all but invisible to those who are not looking for it; but I know there are a good many readers who are waiting and prefer not to buy from other locations, so I won't delay the release - it'll be available the same day I receive the cover art.

Prison of Power is selling a few copies - not sure how I feel about that, all-in-all. I know what I think of the book, but then I'm looking at it with a  writers eye  and am perhaps judging it a little more harshly than it deserves. I know there are some great scenes and some characters I'm very fond of, but I can't help seeing what I think of as flaws in the structure. But I have released it into the wild now and what I think of it no longer counts. As I think I may have said before; until release, mine is the only opinion that counts, and after release mine is the only opinion that doesn't count.

Anything else? Well, it makes rain here and is a dimly-lit overcast day all in all; it feels to me like purpetual twilight. I could use more sun to fill my head and blow away the growing shadows. The leaves were fun to walk through for a while but are wet and sodden now, so that fun is pretty much over for another year. For someone who moves regularly, I seem to have been here an awful long time. Looks like January is the soonest I can realistically move on. January seems like a long time off from here. Sooner would be better. My feet itch all the time and nothing here seems good. It really is time to move. If I don't count this month or January then it really is only a month to wait. I can wait a month. I can do that.

Stuff Going On

Might be a bit of an uninspiring title, but that's about the size of it for this post. Stuff going on.

Stuff one, and possibly most important, is that the release on Amazon of The Invisible Hand has been delayed. I'd intended that the book go live there early October and arranged everything accordingly. But my cover isn't done yet, and though I don't mind so much THI appearing elsewhere (B&N, Apple, Sony & Smashwords) with second-rate covers, I don't feel I can release into the biggest market without good work on the cover. Why isn't the cover ready? Well, it seems as simple as this - the artist has more important work to do, so I'm suddenly relegated to tail end charlie and we all have to wait.

Related to the above, there is my change of heart regarding Prison of Power. If you have read TLKA you may remember my own harsh words on that book at the end of it - in short, I don't recommend it. Well, I recently noticed that on the Smashwords page there are a few 'Facebook likes' and I realize that I have been guilty of hubris; the truth is, it doesn't matter what I think. If readers like it - and it seems that many do - then I should make it available, and if there is demand, I should also support it with another book. So, I also decided to release Prison of Power to Amazon in December, for which I would need another cover. Told you this was related to the above...

So... covers. What to do? Luckily I know an artist (which begs the question, why didn't I use him in the first place? but I'm not going to get into that right now) who has stepped into the breech and is working on covers (yes, two) for Prison of Power. The first is a quick interim cover so that I can release Prison of Power now - a month after I should have release The Invisible Hand; then a maybe better cover to replace it (though I may change my mind about that if this cover is well received): here's the cover as it is being worked on... maybe you could let me know what you think? I'll put it on the sidebar for a while...

Where was I? Oh, yes. Meeting deadlines - very important if you are a cover designer. Whatever happens next, my relationship with the cover designer for TLKA and TKTTG is compromised. Just like any other supplier in any other business, artists must deliver their goods on time. There are consequences to failing to do so - the consequences to me are clear; sales have tanked because the series isn't supported properly by the release of book three in the series, which would have appeared in New Releases for a month and been visible to attract new readers to the series.

Fortunately, as I said, I know another artist. I'll keep you posted.

Other stuff going on: well, I'm being nagged (gently and kindly, I should say) about book four in the series. That work is progressing; I have the shape of it and the first chunk is good. I don't want to say too much about it but, as usual, it is unlikely to be what is expected. Should be good, though.

At the same time - and this just happens sometimes - another story idea has reached its saturation point in my mind and has taken off. A Science Fiction novel that has been kicking around in the back of my mind for a while. I'm trying not to work on it too much but the characters are insistent. Other stories are also lurking - and it's times like this I think about publishers, whose sole function as far as I can see is to take care of the details so I can concentrate on the writing.

And that's about it for news.

It's Just A Ride

I did not mean to forget - and who could? - Bill Hicks. Remember: it's just a ride.

Sometimes I forget. It happens. This is what I forget: I am responsible only for what I do. I am in control only of what I do. My perceptions and understandings belong only to me; no one else can have them because no one else can have the perspective from which they were viewed, the context in which they were created. I am  no more or less unique than you. We are built that way, each similar but each perfectly unique.

And that is both very cool and utterly amazing. "Here's Tom with the weather."

It's just a ride.

Sometimes I get sucked in, by context or circumstance, hope or desire; drawn into the belief that any of it  matters. It does not matter that I put words in sequence; it does not matter that they are read, enjoyed, disdained, misunderstood, misinterpreted, understood, re-interpreted, marked up, marked down, starred thusly or thatly, sold, stolen, given, received, read or discarded. They are words on an electron and nothing more; as transient and ephemeral as your or I or those who we have loved or not had the chance to love and are now gone. Life is what it is; it isn't some other thing.

It's just a ride.

We are made of earth and dead stars, and if that understanding is seen as a curse or a blessing is no less or more our choice individually than any other choice of perception or understanding that we make. That. We. make.

It's just a ride.

I've been rich and I've been poor and I would love to say that rich is better. But the truth is that the deepest and most profound settlements with existence have come to me when I had nothing, and I don't mean less than nothing because to be able to sustain less than nothing means there is a chance of having something again and that is known. Having nothing is the worst - and yet when I had nothing I found the most profound and deepest contact with Life. Having nothing will give you gifts you can't imagine if you are unlucky enough never to have experienced it. Joy of a breath sucked into your lungs, a scent on a breeze, a memory of a loved one perceived in a new context, knowing that the tree you touch is as alive as you and exactly as meaningful in it's existence - not more or less, but kin, and if you are lucky enough to feel the acknowledgement of that kinship in that moment then there is no greater gift or understanding to be had.

It's just a ride.

Of course the rebuttal to the 'it's just a ride' philosophy is clear to those who have seen or experienced how deeply ugly life can be. I have, but have no wish here to trade scars; there are always worse scars to see. I've heard someone say to me 'of course it's easy for you' and looked askance at another and thought the same. I know how it is. I've heard stories that made my toes curl and my soul wither; made me roll down my sleeves to hide my scars as being neither deep nor wide enough to count for anything. I've seen a life cut short, looked into the personal hell of a friends eyes and counted my own pain as nothing in comparison. Context is everything.

It's Just A Ride

Objective, subjective, and personal truths come and go, wax and wane, neap and the other thing. And sometimes you catch yourself giving a damn about something so deeply trivial that it shames the hell out of you if you notice. So. I noticed. For a second there, or maybe longer than a second and I'm just being generous to myself, I gave a damn about something that means nothing. I spent the precious, finite moments of my life considering trivia as though it mattered in any way shape or form to anything that ever lived or will live. Well, it's okay now. I remembered. It's life, and only that. It comes unbidden and goes unwelcome, means everything and nothing, and no single aspect of it is more worthy of attention than any other. I remembered:

It's just a ride.

Answers... Sort Of

For some reason, and I think it's a software issue with my own machine, I've lost the ability to comment. No idea what that is, but it's pretty much everywhere. Some kind of software issue that will get dealt with as soon as that happens. So, if you look at the 'Yes' entry you will find a comment by The Deposed King, which is the one I'm responding to here, because the points made are interesting to me and I can't do it any other way right now. But I'll start with something else, because I'm like that.

Will Sumto ever catch a break?

It's a good question but the answer, the real answer, is complicated. I answered that question by saying that Sumto is suffering from a well understood problem - he has knowledge but lacks experience. There is a saying that the difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference, but in practice there is. And that's true, as far as it goes. It's also true that I'm breaking rules, playing games with story structure, because its fun and I think I can just about pull it off. It is also true that he does, in some ways, gain from his exploits; he is gaining experience. There is something else he is gaining that I can't talk about but should become apparent as the series progresses.

Speaking of the story progressing... I originally intended to dip in and out of Sumto's life at roughly two year intervals until I was done with a specific story arc. That hasn't happened. I now intend to do blocks of five books and skip larger numbers of years in between. That may not happen either.

Everything that happens is filtered through Sumto's senses and perceptions; so, when someone is off-stage for a while, Sumto has no idea what they are doing. He can assume, suppose, or guess, or think that he knows... but he really doesn't until their actions once more impact on him directly, or he hears word of them. Some of those events, motives, actions and consequences are going to have to wait until Sumto gets back to the city.

There will doubtless be a few surprises... and some of those surprises will involve the trials, which is about all I can say about that. Oh, and Jocasta, yeah - that's pretty much the way it was going to go, but someone off stage surprised me with a better idea. And yes, you were 100% correct; truth spells can be circumvented by subtle phrasing of answers, and what the speaker believes to be truth. And other things.

I'm hoping to have All The... book IV, I mean, ready by the end of the year. It's looking good for that but no promises.

Yes

Yes is my favorite word in the language. I like the way it sounds and I like to say it and hear it said. it's a nice word, is yes.

This particular yes is in response to a question that was raised on kindleboards. I had to think about it a bit, and my first response was no. But I don't like no, so I changed it.

The question was, more or less, has your writing process changes since you published. And my first, knee jerk reaction was: No. It can't. It's like an internal combustion engine, it functions because all the parts have a purpose and work together and if you change bits it stops working - like the car made out of confectionery in an advert I saw once; that car won't run, guaranteed.

But, here's the thing. I noticed a review for The Key To The Grave that raised the question of Sheo and other characters who were important to Sumto in The Last King's Amulet. What happened to them? Well, I know what they are doing and where they are and how their actions will effect Sumto later. Especially one of them. But, as this is a first person story and everything gets filtered through Sumto' direct experience, we don't know anything about that yet. He doesn't, we can't. Then I turned back to thinking about book 4 in the series, and I know what happens and how it ends and what happens next. Book 5 is vague in my mind but well enough shaped that I'm pretty sure Sheo (and the others) won't appear there. They won't turn up again until book 6... and that's too long a time to leave it. So, thanks to the reviewer, I found a way to re-connect that situation sooner, in book 4, so that the Readers don't wonder 'who the heck are these guys' when things start to happen because of them.

So, I get to use my favorite word in the language. Yes. My writing (or at least my thinking) process has been effected since I published. Readers leaving comments has changed that process somewhat, and I'm glad of it, and thank you for it.

Comedy Heroes

I'm sure I mentioned, at some time or another, that I have a soft spot for stand up comedians.

With that in mind, I'd like to say that I'm very happy to see Dave Chappelle back on duty. Should appear right below here if I have this thing working right. If you don;t know who Dave Chapelle is, treat yourself. It's all good.