Hello. There is no truth to the rumor that "hello" is a shortened version of "Hell, no!" and altered from a negative to a positive. No truth at all.
This is going to be even shorter than usual. I have things to do. The Missus and I are going on vacation to someplace warm and we have various preparatory tasks to perform.
I have finally got through the tough part of the fantasy novel. When I first conceived this story, most of my ideas—hold for a moment. Let me explain something.
I jokingly refer to my writing creation by saying that I think up great fight scenes, and great love scenes, and then figure out a story to include them. That's not really accurate, but writing those scenes is a big part of what I enjoy about writing.
So, when I began thinking about this story, mostly what I thought about were the battles, skirmishes, conflicts, and weapons-based disagreements, all in the fantasy world.
But the story needed to be started with what occurs in this world. The end of this first volume will end there, too. But I had not conceived a lot of that part of the story, so telling it has been a struggle.
But now I've finished that part...at least, the first or second draft. Now my protagonists have made their way to the fantasy world and the action can begin.
Fight scenes will be plentiful. Love scenes, not so much. Three of my four published novels, plus the paranormal romance/thriller, Saving Atlantis, that may not be published for many months, have fairly intimate love scenes—erotica. Witchery had reference to sexual episodes, but no portrayal. This was primarily to keep it more appropriate for a larger audience. Although Witchery is written to be enjoyed by any fantasy fan of any age, I especially wanted it to appeal to girls thirteen years and up. Erotica wouldn't fit that goal. So, while love-making is referred to, it is not described.
The same will be true of Lying Swords. The romantic details have already been established for the two main characters.
I'm not planning to have a lot of graphic violence, either. Prophecy of Honor and Witchery have scenes where blood is spilled in copious amounts and other forms of violent death are described with loving detail. Not this time...probably. Something might happen that will call for that. But I'm not planning it right now. Stories tend to write themselves to some extent, and I never know for sure where the characters and their unique circumstances might take me.
But isn't it odd, in this country especially, that graphic violence can be doled out without concern for the effects upon children and young adults, but love-making and sex will be censored from the eyes of those same young people?
Maybe you could ask yourself, and others, why that is. Those of you that get any answers are more than welcome to provide them to us here, on the contact page or on the comments tag at the bottom of this blog.
Thank you all. Please drive and walk carefully on the snow and ice while keeping in mind that others may not.
Also, I've posted an excerpt from Prophecy of Honor on my Face Book page, F.G.Waiss, Author