Change in the Air

            During my last read-through of The Hobbit, at one point I turned to Colleen and said, “You know, if it’s really sad to think that the current publishing industry wouldn’t have published this book.” I went on to point out the many things deemed ‘wrong’ in it that I’ve learned about during my journey towards getting published. Use of adjectives, writing style, and the overall structure of the story are all things that would currently earn the book a rejection – which is a tragedy, because it is a wonderful book.

            Getting anything published has become difficult in modern times for two very big reasons. The first, and more major of the two, is that there are so many more people out there trying to get published. Between growing populations, increased education, and technology making it easier to contact the publishing companies (you no longer have to print off an entire book), literally anyone can try to get published – meaning there’s a lot more to sift through, making it a lot harder to get noticed.

            The other is that we have examined, studied, and refined what it is that makes a good story, and there are now expectations that specific patterns are followed. Yes, there are still plenty of variations available, but in order to get through submissions faster, publishing professionals look for these key points that have proven to make the most appealing stories – and without those proper plot arcs, it’s very difficult for a book to get published.

            It seems like that’s a good thing. In theory, it provides readers with the best stories possible. However, while this is true, it has also backfired a little. It has made stories far more predictable. When people who read a lot of books pick up something new, they always have a good idea of how things will turn out in the end.

            This isn’t just limited to books, either – it’s the same across all story-telling platforms. For years and years we’ve been refining the perfect story structure – and now we all know it extremely well. Sure, there are plot twists that we didn’t see coming, but by the time the end shows up we already know how it will turn out.

            That said, creators are becoming aware of this now. Some bold writers are looking at these patterns that we expect, and they are taking advantage of it to subvert our expectations. If you’ve seen some of the new Star Wars, or Avengers: Infinity War, you know what I’m talking about. It’s a risk for creators to leave the well-worn paths and to traipse away from the perfect story arc, but it’s paying off. People aren’t getting what they expected and, for the most part, they like it.

            You see, while there’s a lot of comfort in the familiar, we also have a craving for something new. After being fed the same story arcs for so long, we’re ready for something new. To me, this is an exciting time. It’s time for change, and there’s no telling what will come out of it. We may even get some stories that are truly surprising.

            We might even be moving into a time when a book like The Hobbit, were it not already published and famous, would get published again.

Check out my YouTube channel where I tell the stories of my D&D campaigns.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

Also, make sure you check out my wife's blog and her website.


If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Spoiler Free Black Panther Review

            So, I just got back from watching Black Panther and I’ve got to say I was blown away – and I don’t say that much. While I do enjoy the Marvel series, they often lack the deeper meanings and plots I most enjoy – not so this time.

            Since not everyone has seen it yet, I’ll keep this as spoiler free as possible. The plot, for the story lovers out there, was very enjoyable – the movie did a good job of keeping the audience guessing, with the perfect balance of foreshadowing. The jokes came at the right time, and none of them were overplayed.

            The characters were fantastic, with each and every one given a complex personality that drove their actions. I feel like I should say more than one sentence, but, honestly, that covers everything.

            However, what is truly great about this movie is the underlying messages – these are there throughout the story, yet they remain firmly in the subtext without preaching, exactly as they should. There was social commentary on sensitive subjects, yet they were presented so flawlessly that they came across as just another part of the entertainment. They even showed various perspectives, in a manner that made them all relatable.

            On the whole, the Marvel movies are action movies. While Black Panther did have that aspect to it, it didn’t take up nearly as much screen time as we’ve come to expect. Instead we were treated to a journey through myriad cultures, political struggles, and character growths that, while fictional, also have their roots in reality.

            If you haven’t seen this movie yet, you really should. Not only is it excellent entertainment; it’s a mind-opening experience.

Check out my YouTube channel where I tell the stories of my D&D campaigns.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

Also, make sure you check out my wife's blog and her website.


If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Building a Playable World

            This week, I managed to get my nose to the grindstone working on a big project I started back in June. This is a campaign setting for Dungeons and Dragons.

            Back when I was in the planning stages for the D&D marathon for Cystic Fibrosis, I was talking with the Dungeon Master of the weekly game I play in and the idea was floated that I could eventually start running a second game at the board game cafe. I liked the idea, but at the same time I prefer to be a player rather than a DM. At the same time, I knew that there was a waiting list and it would be great for the gaming community.

            So, naturally, I began thinking about the possibilities for games I could run. What did I want to see in a game? What would be fun for me to run, and fun for players to play? And that’s when a seed took root in my mind.

            One of the things that makes D&D such a great game is its versatility. You can do absolutely anything with it. Even in the most complex video game, there is a limit to the decisions a player can make – they can be given a great amount of freedom, and still be chained down by the limited options. In D&D, there are no limitations – yet the games frequently take on the same shape of “Here is your quest”, go to the dungeon, get the reward. There’s often plotlines and political situations woven in, but it doesn’t take advantage of D&D’s true ability to do anything. I feel that this is largely due to the players, having been trained by video games and society’s expectations, don’t necessarily understand how much freedom they have – and they don’t necessarily understand the depth of the world they’ve been thrown into.

            And so, I came up with an idea for a world that will (hopefully) open the players’ minds to all they can do: a world where the players are colonizing a “new world”. So, rather than being thrown into a world where there are kingdoms and empires and complex political structures that they know nothing about, the players will be put into a world that is as strange to the non-player-characters around them as it is to them. This puts the players at the centre of everything as a new society is established, and it gives them the freedom to do absolutely whatever they want. Do they want to help establish a settlement? Do they want to go off and explore the new world? The world is entirely open for them to choose what to do.

            Now, obviously, from a DM’s perspective, a world like that is a bit challenging to run. There needs to be plots to keep the players engaged, and in a world so free and open, it is hard to know what to prepare for the game. So, I started writing up the campaign setting – which is, essentially, a description of the world, everything in it, and guidelines for making the world easier for the DM to run. It is an immense task, but hey – I’m part of the Alliance of Worldbuilders; building worlds is what we do.

            So far, it is coming along well. I’ve outlined the world, its history, and the basics for how the game functions. The functions need a lot of work, but I’ll get them done eventually.

            This week, however, I was focusing on a very fun task: monsters. Even though this world lacks civilization (and, largely, because of that), this world is crawling with monsters. So, I combed through D&D’s monster manual and cherry picked monsters to have established societies in this world. Then I created those societies and figured out what politics they had, both within themselves and with all the others.

            It was so much fun and, let me tell you, I can’t wait until I’ve completed this setting and I get to see it in action. Who knows? I may even decide it’s good enough to publish through the Dungeon Masters’ Guild.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

Also, make sure you check out my wife's blog and her website.


If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Writers and their Characters

            Writers, by necessity, must have a very complicated relationship with their characters. It’s not as simple as creating them and then throwing them in the story. No, you have to care about them and hate them at the same time.

            You see, it’s essential for a writer to care about their characters. If the writer doesn’t care about the character, neither will the reader. It shows in the writing. Oh, there are ways to make it look like you care about a character when you don’t, but they are contrived and lessen the reader’s connection to the story. Actually caring is the only way to organically transfer the feeling into the writing.

            That said, if the writer cares too much, it creates another problem. It makes the plot fall short, because the writer isn’t willing to have (as) bad things happen to their characters. The character also tends to have less flaws. The result is that the character strolls through their trials with ease, never truly losing anything, never being forced to make a difficult decision.

            The solution is that the writer must hate their character with a fiery burning passion. Feeding on that hatred, the writer can throw obstacle after obstacle at their character, laughing maniacally all the way. The character will make mistakes and lose friends, precious possessions, limbs, or even their lives. And the story will be interesting.

            However, if the writer hates the character too much, then the character will lose their depth and the reader won’t be able to connect. If the character becomes nothing more than a bland punching bag, waiting for the next blow to fall, the reader will lose interest and likely walk away. So, the writer must care deeply about the character.

            It’s all about balance. You need to be able to care about the character so much that is shows through in the writing, while hating them so much that you can put them through the worst ordeals of their lives. You must be able to cry as their souls are crushed, even as you’re squeezing tighter.

            A writer must have a relationship with their characters worthy of writing a story about.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

Also, make sure you check out my wife's blog and her life coaching website.


If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Overuse of Suspense

            Lately I’ve been seeing a trend in a lot the shows I’ve been watching. It is the overuse of suspense.

            Suspense is an incredible tool for any form of entertainment. It’s what keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, engaged, and coming back for more. However, like all tools, it must be used in moderation.

            Unfortunately, the TV world is run on ratings – to get those ratings, as many people as possible need to be watching the show. What’s the easiest way to get people watching? Suspense. Putting a cliff-hanger at the end of every episode is a sure-fire way to keep the audience interested – and talking about – the show until the following week or season.

            But then the suspense begins to lose its effectiveness. The audience starts to expect it and not only does it stop compelling them to come back as much, it becomes... well, boring. Predictable. The moment everything is seeming to work out, the audience already knows that something terrible is about to happen. The urgent desire to find out what happens next is replaced by an exhausted, “What, this again?”

            When I was learning about suspense for my writing, I picked up one very important tip: give the audience a break sometimes. It is essential when working with suspense, because otherwise the suspense has the opposite effect from what was intended. I good tip for making a plot interesting is to chase your character up a tree and then throw rocks at them, but there’s one very important thing to remember: sometimes, the character has to succeed. If there are no victories, there’s no hope – and hope in impossible situations is what really keeps the audience engaged.

            The other thing to remember is that suspense can be subtle. Everything can turn out well at the end of an episode or chapter and the audience will still come back for more if there are questions left unanswered. There doesn’t always have to be a cataclysmic, plot-wrenching disaster.

            So, use suspense, but use it in all of its forms. Apply it with a brush, not a roller.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

Also, make sure you check out my wife's blog and her life coaching website.


If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Difficult Decisions

            Lately I’ve been playing Skyrim – one of the best video games out there. There are a large number of factors that make this game so good, but one of them is the amount of choices you have in the game.

            At the beginning of the game, you go through a brief introduction to the main plotline accompanied by learning how to play the game, then you are sent out into a massive world. From that point on, you can do whatever you want. You can follow the main quest to get to the end of the game, or just go off exploring and doing minor side quests. If you want to go around stealing from all the residents of the world, you can (although you may find yourself in jail). If you want to ignore the quests and focus on skills, go right ahead.

            However, the brilliance of Bethesda (the company that made the game) shines through the most when it comes to the decisions you have to make as part of a quest. Some of them are black and white with a clear right and wrong, but some of them... some of them just have no good choice to make.

            There are a number of big quest lines alongside the main one, and one of these is a perfect example one of these challenging decisions. It’s a decision so hard to make that I have yet to make it once – even though this is my third time playing through the game and it is the second most important plotline.

            Basically, the nation of Skyrim is part of an Empire which recently signed a peace treaty that, among other things, outlawed the worship of one of the world’s gods. That particular god was particularly revered by the people of Skyrim and it has incited a rebellion against the Empire.

            It falls to you, the player, to choose the side of the war. Empire, or rebellion? Well, it may seem like a simple choice at first, but as you delve deeper into the plot, you discover more about each side of the war.

The rebels are in their homeland, being banned from worshipping one of their gods, thus their cause is just. Of course, the leader of the rebellion killed the High King of Skyrim – there is debate among the populace as to whether it was a legal challenge or outright murder.

            On the other hand, the Empire only banned the worship of this god because it was the only way to save the Empire from a more powerful enemy. That particular enemy is in the background watching and even fuelling the civil war as it weakens both sides. That means it would be better to side with the Empire because it consolidates power for the future when the lurking enemy takes to the offensive again – at which time, presumably, the god could be worshipped again. Yet, to take that side is to go against the freedom of the people.

            As you wander the world, you receive propaganda from both sides of the war. The Empire is weak and wants to rule Skyrim with a puppet queen. The rebel leader is a murderer and just wants power. When you enter one of the Empire controlled cities you witness a public execution. When you enter the city of the rebel leader you discover that the humans living there are extremely racist against the elves.

            The more information you receive, the harder the decision is to make. Because, there really is no good decision – either choice has negative consequences. Now, of course, this is only a game. It doesn’t really matter what choice you make.

            However, many real life decisions are just as complicated and convoluted. Choices are only rarely black and white – in spite of how we often treat everything as if it is. And that is what is so amazing about Skyrim.

            Fantasy reflects reality. It is a tool we can use to observe and reflect upon our lives and our world. In the end, it may give us better understanding. Or it could just infuriate us. It’s all up to how we choose to look at things.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

Also, make sure you check out my wife's blog and her life coaching website.


If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Fickle Crowds

Today I shall impart to you a pet peeve of a scenario I feel appears far too often in stories – be it books, movies or, as was the case with what inspired this post, video games.

            The scenario of which I speak is the one where the hero of our story has a secret that becomes public knowledge and, suddenly, everyone turns against them. Even their closest friends. This happens all the time and I find it to be completely unrealistic.

            Admittedly, it is a good ploy for garnering sympathy for the character and making their situation more desperate, but when it comes down to it, people aren't that fickle. If you were to take a sampling of the people in your life, you would always find at least a few who would stand by you no matter what your secret was. Some people would be driven away, some might think a little less of you, but there is no way everyone would turn against you.

            There are times when this technique does work, but it always involves the character not knowing anyone particularly well – because the better you know someone, the more likely you are to accept their flaws. I suppose if the character was disliked by everyone in the first place it might work, too.

            The specific situation in the game, Arc the Lad (an otherwise fantastic game), has a character who was raised in a small town where everyone knows everyone extremely well. More than that, he was the most popular person in town. Yet, the moment they find out he’s only half human, they turn on him and run him out of town. All I could think was “I know what my blog will be about today”.

            Now, I may be mistaken, but I find that when people know each other well and then a secret comes out, the judgement of the person will be heavily weighted towards their past actions. In the very worst case scenario, the closest friends will find out the truth before making a decision. Mob mentality is strong, but not that strong.

            Perhaps I'm just an idealist who takes laid-back approach to everything. I can’t believe enough people are that fickle. There will always be at least one friend left.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Review of The Warded Man

            Wow, it’s been forever since I've done a book review! It’s about time. But first, a story.

            I bought this book, The Warded Man, four years ago. Since then, it sat on a shelf. Why? Well, because I simply never got around to reading it until now. It happens sometimes.

            So, this past week I decided to pick it up and read it. Suddenly, a couple days later, I received an email from Amazon with a list of books they thought I’d like, including the sequel to The Warded Man. Spooky, right? I mean, I bought this book four years ago from a book store. Amazon had no way of knowing I even owned it (I made no mention of owning or reading it anywhere online). I start reading it and suddenly there’s a recommendation for the sequel. I feel watched. Either this was a remarkable coincidence (likely) or Amazon has a remarkable marketing setup probably involving satellites (unlikely, but fun to speculate about).

            Anyway, on to the actual book. The Warded Man, by Peter V. Brett, is the story of a world where every night, demons rise from the ground to prey on living things. The human race is dwindling. In ancient times, they used to have the magic to fight these demons, but all they know now are the defensive wards to keep the demons at bay. They huddle indoors at night, with the screeching demons outside, hoping that the demons won’t find a crack in their defences.

            The story itself follows the lives of three characters from three different villages, each of which survived a horrific demon attack. The reader is brought along on their journey as one strives to become a Messenger (the people who travel from town to town, braving being on the road at night with only their wards to protect them), another is apprenticed to be an Herb Gatherer (the women who function as the society’s doctors and midwives), and the third chases his dream to be a Jongleur (the entertainers who sometimes travel with Messengers, who spread news and legends as well as joy).

            As I read the book, I found myself wondering what it was that kept me reading. I felt that the overarching plot of the book was a little thin, yet for some reason I couldn't put the book down. It was the characters and their individual struggles that were so compelling, dragging me forward, wanting to know more – and above all else, wondering where the story was going that it would inevitably bring them all together.

            Along with that, the world building was excellent. The political structure of the various cities and settlements were very well developed, as were the cultural differences. I did find the overall culture to be a tad on the sexist side (relying heavily on gender stereotypes), however I believe this was intentional on Brett’s part – after all, in a world where humans are struggling to survive, repopulation is paramount and alters priorities in the society. One thing I absolutely loved was a character’s transition from a small community – where everyone banded together to help each other out – to the big city, where people were apt to strive for wealth and beggars roamed the streets. A wonderful commentary, I felt.

            Overall, I found The Warded Man to be a thoroughly enjoyable read. It was creative and well thought out – a wonderful debut for Peter V. Brett. I may even have to get the sequel which Amazon clearly wants me to buy.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.