Tag Archives: Fantasy

Cheating – Part Four (of five)

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Part Three is here

As he opened it and began to flick it across the body and room, she realised that it wasn’t water. Moments later, he pulled matches from his pocket, lit one, then stuffed it back into the box, and as the packet went up, he tossed it onto the body. Bright yellow flames leapt toward the ceiling, and she stepped back, eyes narrowed.

She hesitated at the exit to the garden. What if they bumped into each other? She crouched down, staring at the front door, all-too-aware of the heat beginning to come from the house. She was about to step out when the front door opened and he came out, pulled his bike from where it stood, and pedalled speedily away, not once looking back.

She waited another minute, then ran to the car and drove away. She made it out of the housing estate, and to the nearby drive-through before she parked, and the shaking started. She sat staring up at the golden arches through a haze of tears. How could he? How could he after everything he had promised her? What else wasn’t he telling her? Should she get a Big Mac, or chicken burger?

 

That had been the start of it. They’d kept going out together, finding fat old businessmen to throw off bridges, and old ladies to tie up and torture, but she knew his heart wasn’t in it. She trailed him, more than once, and enough to know that his choices were always the same, young, attractive women. So she tried to make it work, finding equally hot girls for the two of them, but although he seemed to enjoy it more, still, he went out on his own.

Eventually, she confronted him.

“David, we need to talk.”

“’Kay, what’s up?”

She hesitated. Despite going over and over this in her head, she still didn’t believe she was actually saying it, still didn’t quite know how to.

“You’ve been killing, on your own, without me.”

He stared at her, mouth open and face reddening. She hadn’t needed proof, but at least he knew it was wrong.

“Why, David?”

She heard, and hated, the pleading in her voice.

“We had such fun. I’ve never made you kill in a particular way, I’ve never cramped your style, so why?”

He was looking at the floor now, his hands opening and closing. Her eyes were stinging, but there was no way she was going to cry, not now. Finally he looked up at her, and gave her that crooked grin, and she nearly threw her coffee at him.

“Don’t do that, don’t be an asshole.”

The grin went and he looked pissed all of a sudden. He sounded it too.

“We have to do everything together. I mean, everything. I go to watch the rugby, you have to come too. I go shopping, we have to make a day of it. I wanna chop someone up, suddenly it’s a road trip. I need my own space, sweetheart, I always have.”

Cheating – Part Two (of five)

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Part One is here

 

It had been good for a year, maybe eighteen months, actually, before she spotted it. Just the slightest trace of lipstick hiding on his shirt, where they tucked into his trousers. He wasn’t even kissing them. She didn’t say anything the first time, didn’t know what to say. But when it happened again, she resolved to solve it, and find some way to keep their love alive, because it was love now. She had fallen. Her day began and ended with him, and everything she was, he kept safe.

A week later, he said he was going out with the boys, for beers after work. He was smart in so many ways, but considering he had never done this, in the year or so they had been together, it was a particularly clumsy excuse. It was a lazy excuse and that was the first time she felt the anger.

She arrived at his work, a little before five, and sat in her car, parked opposite the industrial park. Just like clockwork, bang on five, he came walking out pushing his bike, his trousers held in at the ankles with those daft little things you weren’t allowed to wear until you were at least seventy. She had brought him some lycra shorts, what everyone who rode was wearing nowadays, but he’d insisted that only show-offs and desperate wannabes wore lycra to cycle to work.

Now he pushed the bike, and swung his leg over, pedalling hard as he joined the traffic. She pulled away and fell in behind him. He wasn’t going home.

A mile or so down the road, and deep in a housing estate, he pulled up and she stopped, parking then ducking down to peer over the steering wheel. He approached a house, pulling off his cycling helmet and smoothing his hair, and knocked on the door. It was opened by a nervous looking woman, young and undeniably pretty, with long dark hair, and they talked quietly for a moment. Then the woman smiled, and opened the door wider. David stepped through the door and into another woman’s house.

Her hands was gripping the steering wheel, the knuckles white, and she banged her forehead gently against it, each thump accompanied by a word.

“fucking, asshole, fucking, fucker, how, could, he.”

She got this far, through gritted teeth, then the tears came and she curled up on the seat, trying to wrap herself up. Perhaps if she was small, it wouldn’t hurt so much. She lay like that for a few minutes, until the tears began to slow, then she abruptly sat up, punching the steering wheel so her hand hurt. Screw this. He would answer, they would both answer.

Cheating – Part One (of five)

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It felt like standing in the snow as it fell to earth, wet, heavy drops raining down. She tipped her head back, revelling, then stuck her tongue out and caught some on her tongue. It tasted rich, and she gagged slightly, then swallowed it down and opened her mouth wider. She had tasted blood before, of course she had, but never like this, never as it sprayed from the dying body of her boyfriend.

Getting him up there had been the toughest thing, the pulleys and ropes so obvious, she couldn’t believe he hadn’t spotted them. Then again, the knife in her hand had done a pretty good job of distracting him. She was glad he’d spun at the last minute, it had meant she could stick the garden fork through his face, and stare into his eyes as the blood streamed out.

He was perforated now. She’d lost control for a moment, stabbing and stabbing until the weight of the fork had dragged her arms to the ground and she’d stood, panting, in the rain. She had recovered now, though, and looked up through the dwindling flood. His eyes were fluttering, he was close to an unconsciousness from which he would never wake up. She wanted to cheer, and wave the fork above her head, her heart racing. Her chest was heavy, and tears stung in her eyes, but she wouldn’t cry. She didn’t want his last thought to be that she was upset by his death, for the tears were of relief, and joy.

She stepped until she was underneath his dick, then rammed the fork up once more. She was rewarded with a faint moan, and his entire body jerked. When she looked back at his face, his eyes were sightless, face slack. He was gone.

With a sigh, she dropped the fork, the clatter loud in the silence of the house, and stripped. When her clothes lay in a pile beneath his body, she walked slowly to the shower, and enjoyed the scalding water, stripping away his blood, and the last six years.

They had started so well. He had been a gentleman, a real one, not like ‘twat-face’ before him. No one had found ‘twat-face’ yet, not that she’d spotted in the papers. That made her proud.

But David, the corpse now swinging gently from the lounge ceiling, had been decent. He held open doors, he listened when she spoke to him. He even wanted to help out when she had problems at work. He could be a bit suffocating, but it was worth it. She felt good about herself, and that alone was worth the entrance fee, not to mention the amazing sex, and he could cook! She should have known, really, when he put that first butternut squash and wet garlic risotto on the table with a flourish, that it was too good to be true.

Interview with Saffron Bryant, Fantasy Author…and Pirate

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PirateSaff

I am delighted to welcome to the blog fantasy author, blogger (and Pirate) Saffron Bryant.

Saffron has a fascinating background and is an incredibly driven author.

Today’s post is an interview to find out a little more about the lovely lady and her latest novel.

Get in touch with Saffron:

On Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, via her Website, or blog.

 

Tell us a bit about yourself and your books. 

Well, I’m a 22 year old Australian and a fantasy fanatic. I’ve been reading books such as Tolkien and Raymond E. Fiest since I was about 10 years old. I have a dragon collection which would put Daenerys to shame and of course a Lord of the Rings ring.

Along with reading came writing, I first started writing stories at about 5 years old and it’s grown on from there. There is of course more to me; a biomedical degree (which is going a long way to helping me write my new sci-fi series), a brain tumour (which you can read all about with a simple Google search) and much more, but I won’t bore you with that here!

In 2011 I finished The Fallen Star; a fantasy novel that I felt was ready to be released. So in 2012 I self-published and haven’t looked back. Last month saw the release of my second novel in The Lost Child Saga; The Herald of Darkness.

Both novels are high fantasy and would be enjoyed by any fan of Tolkien. To give you a bit of a taste, here is the blurb for The Herald of Darkness:
HalfHeraldCoverPostProofsml

“I am the one who walks the night,
I am the heart that sees no light,
I am the crow upon the carcass,
I am the bringer, the herald of darkness.

Like the calm before the storm the Draconum are thrust from their peaceful oasis into a vicious war. Refugees flood the shores in a desperate attempt to escape the coming darkness and the death it carries.

Allies become enemies and trust becomes a things of the past. Laila and Sarin must wrestle to maintain control as racial tensions and disputes threaten to tear apart their command.

The dragons struggle in a strange new land and no place is safe as the very shadows reach for their throats. What is it about their past which comes back to haunt them?

Astrocytes tries to contain an army which is bent on its own destruction. But how do you find the light in a world consumed by darkness?

The clouds are gathering and no-one can outrun them…”

 

What is it that draws you to writing fantasy?

Fantasy has always held a special place with me. I couldn’t say exactly what it is; perhaps that sense of being somewhere else, or perhaps glimpsing just for a second the possible.

The thing I love most about writing fantasy is letting my imagination run wild… one part of my brain will be like ‘wow wouldn’t that be cool,’ meanwhile the other part is already writing it down.

Who are your favourite fantasy authors and why?

Obviously Tolkien is a favourite- let’s face it, he’s pretty much the reason that fantasy as a genre is the way it is.

Stephen King- I just finished the Dark Tower series and I have to say, I’ve never had a book have such a significant impact on the way I look at the world. People who have read it will know what I mean when I say it made me question everything… that suddenly I started seeing nineteen everywhere… People who haven’t read it… go and read it.

James Clavell – Ok, not fantasy but I absolutely LOVE his books.

Where do you draw your inspiration from for your books?

Mostly it just comes from my imagination with chunks of reality thrown in. People who know me will recognise names or situations in my novels which are similar to real things although mostly it’s just my mind talking to itself.

Sometimes I throw little jokes in, which probably no one other than myself will get- but hey, it makes me laugh. For example, in Herald of Darkness one of the dragons is called Elsevier. So what? You say, it sounds like a perfectly good dragon name. Well it is, but it’s also the name of a major academic publisher, and a name I see EVERY day in my work… 😉

What would you say are the strong points/weak points of the fantasy genre when viewed as part of the larger literary world?

Ooo tough question. I think one of the strongest points is the sheer size and scope. Let’s face it, what is fantasy? It could include almost anything so in essence it could appeal to almost any person. The myriad of sub-genres attract a massive readership.

A weak point (which I personally don’t agree with), but which is commonly cited is its lack of ‘reality’. That people use it as a form of escapism. Personally I think that’s a pile of rubbish- like contemporary fiction literature is any more realistic? Ha! Don’t make me laugh.

If you could have written one fantasy book or saga, what would it be and why?

Lord of the Rings… then I could be cited as the mother of modern fantasy!! Jokes 🙂 in reality probably Raymond Fiests’ epic (1 million books long) saga. They are just something else and it would be awesome to lay claim to them.

What do you feel are the top 3 traits needed to be a successful author…and do you have them?

  1. Discipline. I think that goes for an author in any genre. If you don’t have the discipline to sit in your chair and finish a novel, well there’s your career gone straight away. Discipline is something I can proudly say I have.
  2. Adaptability. Look at it this way, when you’re starting out you have a day job, your writing job and then your friends and family and everything that makes up the rest of your life. Somehow you have to try and juggle all of these different roles. Then once you’ve written a book you need to be able to market it (whether that is to publishers or to your readers). If your only skill is writing then you probably won’t be successful, unless you pay other people to do the rest for you of course. 🙂 I’m learning to be adaptable, but it’s been tough!
  3. Social Skills. As with almost every profession or business, you need to be able to network. With agents, publishers, fellow authors, readers, whoever. If you can’t connect with people, people won’t want to connect with you. Personally I find this one of the hardest ones, like most people I thought being a writer was an excellent choice because I could lock myself in my study and never see another living soul… wrong!!

If you could have coffee with anyone, (living or dead) who would it be and what would you ask them?

Ooo another tough one. I think it would be George R. R. Martin… and I’d ask him two things:

a)     WHYYYYYYY??????

b)     How can I make my books so famous they make a HBO show based on them?

Where can people find out more about you and your work?

Saffron BryantI always like to talk to people, about almost anything but specifically; fantasy, sci-fi, science in general, the future of literature and books, art and marketing. So please, hit me up at any of the locations below!

On Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, via my Website, or blog.

Or head straight over to Amazon to get your copy of The Fallen Star or The Herald of Darkness.

 

Fantasy writing prompts – creating unique characters

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For this week’s fantasy writing prompt, we’re heading to the fundamental feature of every story, the characters. Each and every great story is based around one or more equally great protagonists.

characters

What is it that makes them great? Some are funny, others flawed and human. Some villains are dark, unpleasant people, but just as compelling as the hero. Others can be easy to relate to, whilst some embody the ideal that we ourselves aspire to. Any manner of things can make a character attractive. Whatever the particular traits, these people are often the reason we continue to read.
In this post, I mentioned my overwhelming dislike of fantasy stereotypes, particularly when attached to race.

So the challenge for today is twofold:
1.Create a character with the following things:

  • A physical appearance (well, duh).
  • A flaw, some failing that will influence how they think and act.
  • A past (not so much where they went to school, more where the scar on their neck came from).
  • At least 3 core values. These drive the fundamental beliefs that guide the way they approach every situation.
  • The basics of how they survive and live in a potentially hostile fantasy or sci-fi environment.

2. Create said character using a race/sex/religion/ethnic background not normally associated with the character archetype, thus breaking away from the usual stereotype.

Below are some classic fantasy character archetypes to either avoid entirely or use as a jumping-off point. I’ve put a couple of my own examples at the end.

  • The dark and mysterious warrior with a hidden past and apparently endless stamina.
  • The magician.
  • The fanatical priest.
  • The whore with a heart of gold.
  • The grumpy, world-weary adventurer.
  • The grizzled man-at-arms.
  • The deadly assassin.
  • The newbie. They can be new at anything, be it fighting, spell-casting, etc.
  • The ship’s captain.
  • The lithe and athletic archer.

e.g. My magician weighs in at 98kg, stands about 6’4″ and plays rugby in his spare time. e.g. The deadly assassin struggles with a dodgy heart that can drive her to her knees at the most inopportune time.
e.g. The whore with a heart of gold is a dude whose past lives include snake charmer and politician.

 

You can create your character using a character sheet, using my points above as headers, or maybe write a scene of two in which you introduce the characters, or even both.

Fantasy Writing Prompts – Battle Scenes

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Writing prompts are a great resource for any writer or creative for that matter. Since I began to write seriously I’ve found them endlessly stretching, both for taking me away from what I usually write and making me focus on a particular area of my writing.

It’s fair to say I’m far from an expert writer (though am working hard on my 10,000 hours) but I do know my genre and have been steeped in it for some 20 years or more. So despite being a relatively recent addition to the tribe of pro-writers I wanted to humbly add to the available inspiration by pitching in with some fantasy writing prompts.

As a genre, fantasy has the wonderful element of forcing the author to write things outside of their normal scope and realm of possibility. For example, battle scenes, spell casting, fictional creatures and so on.

Each week I will endeavor to provide writing prompts to get you focused on an area of fantasy writing. If you do write in this style already it will hopefully get you inspired and if you don’t then it will be the kind of stretch I get from writing in the real world.

So this week our focus, to get the blood boiling, is battle scenes, the cornerstone of many a good work of epic fantasy. You’ll find below scene descriptions that vary in complexity. Take 30 minutes and your pick of any or all of these and feel free to post your scribe-ings in the comments.

Battle Scenes:

Creating an effective battle scene isn’t far removed from creating an entire book. There are multiple lines of action featuring a number of different characters. They may or may not interact at different points, they may well change through the course of the battle and there has to be resolution by the end.

Tying everything together, keeping it moving and interesting whilst creating strong enough images to bring the whole thing to life is your challenge.

1. The Melee:

The king has called together his knights to hold a tournament in honour of his youngest daughter. Despite her protestations, he has insisted that all present must take part in the melee, an old-fashioned tradition where everyone is equal-ish.

Whilst the royal family, princess included watch on, Ser Riven, Ser Larallan and Ser Varcent all take to the field, all with the intention of winning the princess’ heart. There are 20 or 30 combatants in all, all on foot, armed with a variety of weapons. The aim is to be the last man standing.

Your mission is to create the ebb and flow of combat whilst tracking the three knights and the princess, adding emotional weight to the hack and slash.

 2. The Siege:

Castle Brackenfast has stood for hundreds of years, a colossal 3-walled bastion of defense. It sits against a mountain, the semi-circular walls abutting it and facing down a long valley. Within is the last hope of the realm, the small but determined army of Bracken. With them are a group of children, the remaining survivors from the host’s destruction of the surrounding areas. The host is a colossal army of assorted scum and tyranny, bolstered by a core of battle-hardened soldiers.

As with all sieges, it’s all or nothing, but time is running out and the host will attack at first light.

Your mission is to create POV for both sides, using whoever you want. Try to include one of the children inside the castle and a non-combatant from outside as well. Begin as the sun breaks above the horizon and the screams of the host fill the air.

3.    Magical combat:

Open warfare, two armies facing one another. The setting is simple, a flood plain just outside a city. The day is overcast, dark clouds whipping across the sky. The crackle of magic comes from both sides and it’s clear that despite the number of soldiers, it won’t be them that decide the outcome of the battle.

Your mission is to tell the story of the battle from one POV, someone non-magical. Whether they are fighting or watching is up to you, but you need to bring the viscera and the magic. Bringing magic into battle without it over-powering, or making the physical action seem insignificant is the real challenge here.

4.    A Storm at sea:

The navy has been called out of port, following sightings of an approaching armada. As the dark ships get closer, it becomes apparent that this is no ordinary army. Strange creatures, tall, thin and clutching iridescent swords line the rails. Unbowed by the lashing rain, they stare endlessly towards the stout ships of the port of Mayline as the ships grow ever nearer.

Your mission is to bring the atmosphere. This is a creepy scene, the creatures entirely alien to the soldiers, but the fighting will still be hand-to-hand, sword-to-sword. You can decide whether to get some cannon action in there or go straight to boarding, but make it fierce and frightening.

5.    The epic battle:

It comes down to this. The armies of two great nations spread across battle lines miles long. Everything has been building up to this and as much as Nathan wishes he were somewhere else, he can’t deny the butterflies in his stomach as he grips his sword. More than a mile away, Nathan’s brother Taaran also waits, his horse restless beneath him. The two haven’t seen each other in years, aren’t even aware that they fight on opposite sides. Back on Nathan’s side, General Haylan paces his tent, all-too aware of the fatal flaw in the battle plans, but knowing that it’s too late to change them.

Your mission is to create a bird’s-eye view and tell the story of the entire battle, but at the same time bring the human elements using the characters above. You can of course create more, but the emotional core of the story is wrapped up with these two and they must have some form of resolution. There’s also the small matter of the flawed battle plans…

 

Do feel free to share the fruits of your labours in the comments or if you’re feeling bold, post them on your own site with a link in the comments.