Stranger in a Stranger Land: Guest Blogger: Anne Barwell

So this was supposed to go up yesterday. But due to my actual life getting thoroughly in the way the last week, it didn't. I'm a horrible person. Anne is a wonderful, patient kind person who never says a bad thing about me or any body else even when she ought to. Please read further to make up for me being an asshat. - Real Life Dean

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Thanks, Dean, for the opportunity to be here today J

One of the themes I enjoy reading and writing in fantasy and science fiction is that of a stranger in a strange land. I enjoy the 'fish out of water' scenario in which a character finds himself out his depth in either a land or situation in which he is totally unfamiliar. Half the fun of this scenario is him trying to work out what is going on, and the other half is him coming to the conclusion that what he thought was reality needs a healthy dose of adjustment.

The theme runs with the theory of suspension of disbelief, but with a twist. When viewing or reading science fiction/fantasy, the audience has to be prepared to ignore what they think is 'reality' and believe dragons, vampires or werewolves exist. That's why world building within the genre is so important, and why the 'science' or 'magic' within it needs to follow its own set of rules.

Continuity goes a long way in making something believable. For example if I make up a world in which dragons cannot fly, I can't have a dragon show up three chapters later that can fly. Not unless I have a very good reason as to why this particular dragon can break the rules. Readers tend to notice things like that, and if annoys me as a reader, I'm certainly not going to do it when I'm writing.

But, getting back to the idea of a stranger in a strange land... Suddenly our hero's conceptions of reality are pulled out from under him and it is a scary thing. Even someone who is very capable can flounder when faced with a situation in which none of the rules he's had instilled into him since he can remember still work. Or they might, but with a major adjustment. Arthur C. Clarke once said that 'any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic'. But if thrown in the deep end and with no clue as to how that advanced technology might work, what happens then, especially if the inhabitants of that world refer to their 'technology' as magic?

In order to survive the hero needs to 'go with the flow' and pick it up as he goes along. Opening his mind to possibilities is a good start, and the growing realisation that perhaps his favourite quote about magic and science isn't as simple as he thought.

This is the very situation Tomas from my Hidden Places series finds himself in. He quotes Clarke in a couple of places in the story but the reality of it is somewhat different. In the first book Cat's Quill he meets Cathal, a mysterious man who is a mix of 'old fashioned and other worldly'. Cathal does not know of many things Tomas takes for granted and speaks of the past as though it was only a short time ago. The truth of Cathal's origins is very much outside Tomas's perception of reality. After following Cathal into another world, Tomas is forced to accept the truth, but it's another matter trying to persuade other people that he isn't losing his mind. Telling a friend that a cat isn't really a cat but―sorry, that's a spoiler ;)...

And really for Tomas, that's just the tip of the iceberg. But, after floundering and struggling to get his mind around the existence of magic, and that things work differently in Cathal's home world of Naearu, Tomas decides to trust the man he loves, and go with the flow, relying on his new friends to guide him through their strange land. Even amongst all the weirdness and him being completely out of his depth there's still one thing that holds true and is more important... He loves Cathal and losing him is not an option so he will do whatever it takes to make sure they both survive. Some things are universal no matter what world you're in, and although this world might be unlike anything he's used to, it's part of who Cathal is and where he comes from, so Tomas is not about to turn his back on it and run back to the way things were. It's the right decision, and the only way he's going to survive his new outlook on life, even if it's fraught with danger and plenty of 'you can't be serious' moments.

But that's half the fun of being a stranger in a strange land isn't it? 

Blurb: Cat's Quill (Book 1 in Hidden Places series)

Tomas Kemp has two successful novels to his name and the true belief that a successful sequel is only a matter of a little inspiration. When Tomas meets a mysterious stranger under the branches of an old oak tree, he feels compelled to tell him about a book he holds dear and the sequel he wants to read. But Cathal doesn’t share that deep belief that the sequel Tomas seeks ends happily. Cathal has seen enough of a world where stories are real to know that happy ever after is sometimes the dream that won’t come true.

But stories have never let Tomas down, and as he follows Cathal across the reality shift between their worlds, he learns that Cathal is right: Happy ever after is never just given—but sometimes, it can be fought for and won.

Excerpt:

Cathal wiped his palms on his trousers and then turned the page of the journal back and forth, his eyes scanning the words again. “Maybe I could help?” he suggested. “Can you tell me what the story is about so I can get more of an idea of what this kiss should, er… involve?”

“Involve?” Tomas’s voice sounded strained to his own ears. He coughed, clearing his throat before speaking again. “Umm, it’s about a writer who meets someone he thinks might be a muse.”

“I see.” Cathal nodded slowly. “Why does he think that?” He edged closer to Tomas, the book still balanced carefully on his lap.

“He’s drawn to this person he’s not long met.” The explanation sounded somewhat weak now that Tomas had to actually explain it to someone else. “It’s like they have a connection….”

“Like Alan and Roger in your other book?” Cathal frowned. “That doesn’t explain why—” He checked the name. “—Deimos might be a muse though, but then I haven’t read enough.”

Tomas opened his mouth to explain more, how Deimos seemed to appear and disappear out of thin air, how he seemed otherworldly, how Mark kept thinking about him all the time. Cathal placed one hand on Tomas’s knee, his breath warm against Tomas’s face. “Cat? What are you doing?”

“I’m getting into character.” Cathal reached over and brushed Tomas’s hair from his face. “You’re a writer, so you need to be Mark. That leaves me the role of the muse.” His voice was barely a whisper. “This scene is too good for it to be abandoned like the other one.” His eyes dropped to the page and back again. He licked his lips, his fingers tightening on Tomas’s knee. Tomas’s breath hitched.

“Yes, it is.”He swallowed again, reaching out his own hand to caress Cathal’s cheek, echoing Mark’s actions in his book. “I don’t want you to leave,” he whispered, his words following the script, his heart speeding up.

Cathal closed his eyes as he followed Tomas’s cue, slipping into a role that could have been written for him. “I think I’m in love with you,” he murmured.

Their lips brushed together, tentatively, awkwardly. Tomas pulled away, unsure, his breathing growing ragged, Cathal’s skin warm under his fingers, soft but for the slight stubble across his lower cheek, blond facial hair almost invisible. Tomas leaned in again, his lips parting this time in invitation as he pressed their mouths together. Cathal moaned softly, opening his own lips, leaning into it, his fingers threading through Tomas’s hair.

Wet skin, soft and inviting, tasting of coffee and something else Tomas could only describe as uniquely Cathal. It felt right, better than anything Tomas could have imagined. He whimpered, pulling Cathal to him, convincing himself for that moment they weren’t play acting, that this was real, that the man in his arms was someone who loved him.

The need to breathe drove them apart. Cathal’s eyes opened with a start, searching Tomas’s. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“Don’t be.” Tomas traced Cathal’s lips with his fingers, committing the scene to memory, allowing himself a photograph he realized he wanted frozen in his mind forever. “I’m not.”

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A little about Anne....

 

Anne Barwell lives in Wellington, New Zealand. She shares her home with two cats who are convinced that the house is run to suit them; this is an ongoing "discussion," and to date it appears as though the cats may be winning.

In 2008 she completed her conjoint BA in English Literature and Music/Bachelor of Teaching. She has worked as a music teacher, a primary school teacher, and now works in a library. She is a member of the Upper Hutt Science Fiction Club and plays violin for Hutt Valley Orchestra.

She is an avid reader across a wide range of genres and a watcher of far too many TV series and movies, although it can be argued that there is no such thing as "too many." These, of course, are best enjoyed with a decent cup of tea and further the continuing argument that the concept of "spare time" is really just a myth. Livejournal Link

 

Buy it HERE at Dreamspinner Press!

Guest Post: Grace R. Duncan

 Readers! Meet Grace R. Duncan, fellow author and sci-fi nerd. She decided to do a guest blog for me today, and in it she talks about some of her writing process, and how she goes about letting the readers know about the world's she creates. As a not-so-reformed Role Playing Dork I appreciate a good 'Verse. Sometimes I think I am more interested in building the world of my characters than actually writing a story, which was probably why role playing appealed (and still does, shhhh) to me so much. Be sure to check out her new book "CHOICES" in theaters--err...released by Dreamspinner Press. Also go cyberstalk her on the web, it's what all the cool kids are doing, and by that I mean; it's what I'm doing.

Please note I absolutely love having guest authors on this blog! (And not just because it means I don't have to do any work...) So if you want to write something for "Real Life Dean" send me an email ( real.life.dean@gmail.com ) and we'll make it happen. You can write about anything folks, I am not a fussy man. But onwards to Grace's brilliant work...

When I sat down to put together my post for today, I envisioned myself being nearly tormented when it came to deciding on the excerpt I would want to use for my post. Worldbuilding has definitely become one of my favorite parts of writing – creating the world, deciding the rules and laws, figuring out the history and politics and then coming up with a way to describe it is so fun to me.

But when I started to dig through my book to find the excerpt for this post, I ran into a bit of trouble.

See, I learned a long time ago that information dumps are bad. Like, the kind of bad that the reviewers and readers like to take an author out back and shoot you for. Of course, I’ve actually have a few people complain that I didn’t do an info dump in a couple of places, but those seem to be the exception.

But because of hearing this kind of thing over and over, I’d taken it to heart so much, that… there are very few passages that talk about my world. Not at length. So, instead, I thought I’d pick up a few of the individual bits from the book and show examples of how I set up the world in small bits and pieces.

Choices has three distinct countries in it, as I’ve mentioned in other blog posts. There is Saol (essentially medieval Europe), Neyem (the Middle East) and Tiantang (China). As my characters didn’t really venture into Saol in the text, I didn’t have to describe it. Instead, I focused on the two countries they did travel through: Neyem and Tiantang.

Neyem, an Arabic desert nation is the main location for the story. Most of it takes place inside the royal palace, so the vast majority of description is of it. The opening chapter, in fact, has very little description about the world. I wanted the reader to get a basic idea, but in truth, exactly where they were wasn’t important. I included a few bits like this:

THE cold night air bit at his nose and he yanked the thin black cotton of his face covering higher. Nighttime in the desert, even in summer, even in the city, had a sting to it that made these types of jobs miserable.

And:

The wind kicked up a bit and sand blew in small dervishes that danced across his tiny hiding space.

I thought that, though it might give a bit of flavor, it wouldn’t distract from what was really going on. It wasn’t until after they’re caught, taken to the palace and sentenced that I got into it. Here, I thought, would be where Teman might be able to pay more attention, would want to since he’d never been there and, thus, give me a better opportunity to build my world a bit. The following is probably the longest bout of description I have in the book, from chapter two:

Finally, several levels up, they emerged in a hallway much smaller and less open than those of the first floor. Doors lined either side, all closed. The hallway itself, lit by low-burning oil lamps, was dim and long, and Teman’s trepidation grew as they walked. He found himself wondering what they’d gotten themselves into this time, because he wasn’t sure he could see them getting out of it.

Teman saw that the hallway ended by opening into a large, round room. Before they got to that room, however, the captain opened a door to their left and waved a hand for them to precede him. Sheer fabric fell in long streams from the ceiling in reds and oranges. There were large, intricately woven rugs covering the cool marble floors, and two big windows opened out into the cold night air, silk fluttering in the light breeze. Along one wall, a fire burned to ward off the chill of the desert night.

There was a desk off to one side covered in papers, inkpots, and a host of other indications of business, a comfortable-looking chair at an odd angle behind it. Opposite the desk was a long lounger covered in plump pillows, and on small tables here and there burned incense, giving a spicy scent to the air.

There is one other description that is part of Neyem that I really like. Without giving too much away, they are out and on their way to Tiantang. As they are, I included this bit that is one of my favorites:

THE desert was an unfriendly, brutal place. Teman’s early life out in the miles and miles of empty terrain full of sand and heat had taught him well how to deal with it.

He’d learned early on how to ration water to make sure he would have enough. He’d learned to take care of his animal first because, while he could pass out on its back, if it gave out, he would be dead. He’d learned to travel early and late in the day, and leave the heat of the afternoon for hiding in tents and other shelter.

This is not to say that the above descriptions are all I did of Neyem, just two of them. However, I tried to weave it in with action or other goings-on so I didn’t have Tolkien-esque blocks of text.

I have decided that I thoroughly love worldbuiding. I hope in the not too distant future to make up even newer worlds with a longer history, perhaps its own religion, among other things. For now, Neyem, Tiantang and the rest will have to do.

What parts of another world do you like to read about? What are your favorite things to find see?

Do remember to leave a comment for a chance to win a swag bag full of goodies from Choices! Each commenter will be entered and one person will be chosen by random number to win.

Thanks to Dean for hosting me today and thanks for stopping by to read!

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Choices blurb:

Born and raised a gypsy in the late eleventh century, Teman values freedom over everything. He and his best friend, Jasim, are thieves for hire—until one night they're caught and their precious freedom is revoked. Given the choice between the dungeons or palace pleasure slavery, they become slaves, but Teman vows to escape someday. 

Bathasar doesn’t want the throne. He supports his brother instead, which suits their sadistic father, Mukesh. When Teman, the handsome slave Bathasar has secretly been watching, saves his life, Bathasar requests a slave for the first time. Before long, Bathasar and Teman fall in love. But all is not well. One day Mukesh brutalizes Teman before the court, angering the empress of a neighboring nation. To appease her, he then offers her Jasim as a gift, and Teman decides to stay with Bathasar for now—despite the abuse he may suffer. 

The peace doesn’t last. Mukesh plans to invade Jasim's new country, and Bathasar must find a way to stop the destruction. But if he succeeds, he'll ascend to the throne and have the power to grant Teman his liberty. Then Teman will surely leave him. What other choice could a gypsy make?

Website: http://www.grace-duncan.com/
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E-mail: duncan.grace.r@gmail.com

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