Category Archives: Guest Posts

A guest post by Sarah Golden.

The film StarDust has everything a story needs to thrive in the hearts of dreamers. There’s the hero- Tristan Thorn, the villains: the three witches and an evil Prince. A goal- to catch a falling star and a wonderful message that the process of growth can happen only when you decide to be yourself.

I fell in love with StarDust when I read the book by Neil Gaiman, and I was fascinated by the turn of events that lead Tristan on a path to adulthood. While the story is a little more serious in the book, the film uses elements of the fantastical to convey the same spirit and message as the original tale.

The story itself plays out like a fable. Tristan’s growth is the backbone of the tale, because it is a tale we can all relate to. The process of growing up and discovering what you are capable of. Tristan learns this as he journeys through the fantastic world of Stormhold, and along the way, he learns his own strengths- weaknesses and values.

Tristan begins the film as a boy desperately in love with a fickle lady named Victoria. Blind to her condescending behavior, he does the unthinkable, and he promises to retrieve something nearly impossible to prove his love for her: a fallen star. Once he meets the star, things change. The star has a name- Yvaine, and she has no desire to go with him as a prize for his girl.

As the two get to know each other, they discover that Tristan is not the only one after the star. Two villains: a witch and an evil selfish prince are following their trail.
It is only when Tristan and Yvaine face the brink of death that they discover each other’s company isn’t so bad.

They make friends with a sky pirate who teaches both of them how to be sophisticated and confident. This is the moment Tristan’s quest changes, and Yvaine’s desire to go home has changed into spending as much time as she can with Tristan. Tristan soon realizes that Yvaine has become more dear to him than Victoria, and he no longer wants to bring her back with him.

The characters’ motives change, but their greatest conflict appears when the witch catches up with them. Yvaine is taken, and Tristan goes after her as a hero. He wins her heart in the end, and becomes a king- finally learning his capabilities and discovering where he belongs.

The story of StarDust is a timeless tale about following life wherever it leads, and sometimes the path will take you on a journey that you never expected, but it could lead to an even better place. Tristan represents the hero in all of us.

Sarah Golden is a creative writer who draws inspiration from fairytales and folklore all over the world. She is a Kingdom Hearts addict and now owns her own keyblade! She is also a proud tour guide of Beast’s Castle at Magic Kingdom. With a Bachelor’s degree in English, Sarah hopes to share great stories through the written word and inspire others to be the heroes of their own story. She has written her first novel, and she is currently on a quest to publish it. Most of her other writing can be found on her blog Bara Lotus Garden: http://crystallizedheart.blogspot.com

The Devil is in the Details

May 5, 2016

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Character Karen Pellett Movies Science Fiction Setting and Milieu Storyline The Writing Life World-building No Comments

A Guest Post by Karen Pellett

What makes a great story? For me it is the details. A story is the sum of its parts. It is an amalgamation of plot, character, dialogue and imagination, but it all comes down to the little details of each segment as to whether or not a story is truly compelling or memorable for me.

What details do we remember most about Star Wars movie legacy? Is it how frustrating Jar Jar Binks is for some? Is it the loss of innocence when Anakin chooses the Dark Side of the Force? Is it the pivotal, “I am your Father!” moment between Luke and Vadar? For me it’s the relationship between memorable characters, the lack of consistency in plot, all twisted with its brilliant humor and dialogue. Perplexed?

So am I.

I LOVE Star Wars, and yet at the same time I am really frustrated by it. As a burgeoning author it frustrates me beyond Hades that plot gaps punctuate the story line left and right. For example, in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) we see the death of Padme Amidala Skywalker from heartbreak shortly after the birth of her babes, Luke & Leia.

Later, in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), as Luke is about to leave Leia with the Ewoks to go in search of Vadar he asks Leia is she remembers her mother, her real mother. Leia responds that her mother died when she was very young, but she was “very beautiful. Kind, but…sad.”

It is the little inconsistencies and plot gaps like this one that make Star Wars iffy in my book when it comes to great storytelling. However, the impeccable world creation, complex casts of characters, dialogue interplay and down-right humor and quotable quotes that act as a counterbalance, thus bringing me back time and time again to soak myself in its brilliance.

Now I adore Star Wars, but I am Doctor Who geek for life.

As I child I would sneak out of my bed at night to lie on the floor to peak around the living room couch to watch the classic episodes with my father. I wasn’t supposed to, but he never sent me back to bed until the episodes were over.

I have found memories of Tom Baker (#4) with his fabulous six foot scarf and Jelly Babies, Peter Davidson (#5) and his stalk of celery for identifying radiation leaks and his many, intriguing companions (most importantly, K-9, the sarcastic robot canine companion).

Sure the props seemed made of cardboard and dryer vent pipes, but the concept of the Daleks, the Cybermen and so many other villains, captured my young mind and wouldn’t let go. It was with eager anticipation that I watched the reinvention of Time & Space with Christopher Eccelston’s (#9) version of the Doctor in 2009.

With Eccleston, as well as with each regeneration since, I was hesitant at first to accept the new Doctor and their inherent catch phrase. I was also hesitant with the shift from more science fiction to science drama when it came to so many of the female companions falling in love with their Doctor.

Then I met Donna Noble. She is my penultimate idea of a Doctor Who companion—feisty, brilliant, empathetic, with a desperate need to believe more in herself, but willing to see the good in others, excited learn and to explore, and in it for the friendship of a lifetime. She was the modern-day equivalent of Elisabeth Sladen’s character, Mary Jane Smith. So once again, I find myself compelled, even drawn to a story/series that had its weaknesses, but the complexity of the details, the humor, and the interplay between characters made it come alive.

So what makes great storytelling? It may be different for each and everyone one of us. Our take on books is subjugated by our experiences, our emotions. For me, I am drawn back time and time again to those stories that show me who a character is as a person. It is the details of their lives—their sense of humor, their faults, how they choose to react with others and their world—that make them come alive. And if they are alive, then they are a part of me.

Yes, plot and character growth matter; there is no story without them. But what makes the story compelling is the details that make up who those people are. The devil or God (depending if you’re the antagonist or protagonist) is in the very details of their lives.

Karen Pellett:

Karen Pellett is a crazy woman with a computer, and she’s not afraid to use it. Most of her time is spent between raising three overly brilliant and stinkin’ cute children, playing video games with her stepsons, and the rare peaceful moment with her husband. When opportunity provides she escapes to the alternate dimension to write fantasy & magical realism novels, the occasional short story, and essays on raising special needs children. Karen lives, plots & writes in American Fork, Utah.

Summoning Character Development

April 28, 2016

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Character Guest Posts 1 Comment

A guest post by Sarah Golden.

I first saw Yuna when my friend introduced me to Final Fantasy X. I had heard of the game before, but as I watched the battle play out on the screen, Yuna’s character intrigued me.

She stepped forward on the battle field wearing a Japanese kimono-like outfit, holding a staff and looking the monsters directly in the eye. But what could she possibly do? She didn’t have a sword, or any other weapon that could hurt such a fierce creature. In the blink of an eye, my friend chose a name from the menu, and Yuna closed her eyes, summoning a powerful creature.

The creature emerged and in just one move, it killed the enemy. Yuna bowed to the battlefield as the victory music echoed in the air.

I had to play the game for myself after that.

Yuna’s journey from a summoner doing what the people want to a person with a vigor to live and appreciate life fascinated me.

In Final Fantasy X, Yuna is introduced as the daughter of a high summoner who defeated Sin, the evil monster that wreaks havoc on the world. But every ten years, Sin returns. In honor of her father, Yuna decides to follow in her father’s footsteps and bring joy to the people of Spira. She starts her journey by following the teachings, and her desire to help others inspires her to follow the path without question. But things change when she meets Tidus, and she begins to have her own thoughts and make her own decisions.

Later in the game, it is revealed that Yuna knew, from the moment she decided to become a summoner, that she had chosen a path toward death. Making a decision like that is not an easy task. The summoner must die in order to defeat Sin. By choosing this path, Yuna knows that she will meet the same fate. Every place that they visit, Yuna does all she can, and she tries to bring hope and happiness to the people. Although many summoners have faltered and given up the path, Yuna does not. Even when she learns that the teachings are lies, she does not stray from her path. She sees the ordeal through to the very end, but she changes the game.

By discovering a way to defeat Sin without causing the summoner to die, Yuna has a short lived victory. In the process of defeating sin, she has to say goodbye to two people that she cares about. One of which is Tidus, who she fell in love with.

At the end of Final Fantasy X, Yuna is between happiness and sorrow. She is a hero, but the heroic journey took its toll. She begins to search for a purpose in order to have a sense of accomplishment. This purpose begins her next chapter in the game Final Fantasy X 2.

When a sphere is found with the image of Tidus, Yuna decides to begin a new journey. She makes this decision at a very different chapter in her life, where she can make her own decisions and not have to do what the people expect her to. She decides to travel, and to collect pieces of history that are tied to the sphere with Tidus. She begins to hope again, and she takes that hope to a new level. She explores the world that she saved, and finds comfort in her new task and the new friends that she has made along the way. Her new purpose drives her to become more involved the world again. This world is torn between the believers of the temple, and the league that rebels against it. Yuna is asked to choose a side, and she is once again forced to make a decision. That decision echoes the risk of her first journey, but this time, Yuna refuses to have the same outcome. She discovers a way to save Spira without losing anyone else, and she finds a way to bring Tidus back.

Yuna’s character arc is an interesting and humanistic way to portray a hero. Her powers are not skills with the sword, but endurance and wisdom. In both games, Yuna is motivated through grief, but she uses that grief to achieve new goals.

It is possible that Final Fantasy X was more successful than Final Fantasy X2 because many people didn’t accept Yuna’s change of character. The story of the second game was lighter than the first, and Yuna was considered to be a drastically changed person. The second game a resolution to who Yuna actually was during both games. In the first game, she put most of her thoughts and dreams aside, but in the second game, she has the opportunity to actually discover who she was and what she was capable of. I see that as a successful story arc. She’s the same character in both games, because even when she followed the teachings, she did so in her own way. Her stubbornness is not obvious, because she only uses that stubbornness when she must make a very difficult decision.

From the kind and caring summoner to the bold and brave adventurer, Yuna is able to acknowledge her weaknesses and turn them into strengths. Throughout both games, Yuna’s resolve remains constant, and she stays true to her values. Her response to adversity makes her an admirable character with emotional and spiritual strength.

The Girl Who Changed EVERYTHING!

April 27, 2016

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Character Guest Posts No Comments

A guest post by Peter Clampton.

Every now and again there comes a landmark work so monumental that its influence and popularity transcends superlatives. “Genre defying, masterpiece, jaw-dropping…” all have been used to describe works that takes a business or line media and catapult that into mainstream success. For books in the early 21^st century, this was Harry Potter. For the once obscure and nerd riddled industry of Japanese anime of the late 1990’s, it was “Neon Genesis Evangelion.”

It is a hotly debated topic about where precisely this anime ranks in the top anime of all time, but there is no question that it belongs in the conversation. Its premise; children driving giant robots to save the world from an invading enemy. A deceptively simple, yet perfect backdrop to tell the story of the greatest battle of human existence; the battle with oneself.

Highlighting this battle is a vibrant and harrowingly disturbed cast of characters, one of which stands highest on the platform to not only display the competitive and glorious spirit that is human pride, but also the weakness found in its soft underbelly.

Enter Asuka Langley Soryu.

Rated by Newtype Magazine as the third most popular anime female of the 1990’s (Beaten only by her Evangelion counterpart, Rei Ayanami and Sailor Moon), it doesn’t take too long to see why Asuka is so memorable. Although she is introduced eight episodes into the twenty six episode series, she instantly makes a splash(literally) with astounding heroics defeating a giant sea creature in her giant robot, using battleships as stepping stones, which would become one of the most memorable anime action scenes of all time. Her red hair, and red themed attire is entirely indicative of her flamboyant personality, and her pride. Perfect material to add for a shake up!

Evangelion starts dour, subdued and builds a platform for reflective interactions and imaginative mecha battles. Early on, the main characters, Shinji and Rei, are emotionally scarred, quiet, and passive participants who pilot for the sake of others. We see the task of piloting an Evangelion as a hardship and sacrifice. Then enters Asuka who not only wants to pilot her Evangelion, but defines herself through her capacity and ability to do so.

This juxtaposition of Asuka compared with the rest of the cast and direction of the story serves up a smorgasbord of interesting scenes that not only illuminate Asuka’s intense personality, but the rest of the cast as well. This shake up of mood and tone for episodes 8 and 9 shifts the tone and direction of the series from dire and complex to comedic and outrageous, further highlighting the introduction of Asuka and her impact.

But Asuka is no cheap trope, used to simply spice things up, but is an intentional and deliberate presence bringing her own history, strengths and weaknesses to the story. She enhances the series, and better enables NGE to highlight the very thing at the core of its story; human interaction.

The scenes when she is alone with other characters-markedly Shinji the main character- we see her personality for what it is. A wall to protect a scarred and insecure teenage girl who in reality just wants to be loved. Yuko Miyamura the original Japanese voice actress of Asuka put it best in her quote:

Just to let you know, Asuka wasn’t the most open-hearted character I’ve met. When I act Asuka’s part, I try to synchronize myself with her 400%. But every time I tried to draw myself in closer synchronization, Asuka would never allow herself to synch with me. Even in the end, she would never step across the line and draw closer to me. One day, I figured out that there was a wall in Asuka’s heart.

A wall that comes crumbling down when events in battle leave Asuka psychologically wrecked and unable to pilot her Evangelion. It is now we see the powerful and prideful Asuka deal with her very real and profound problems like any child would. Self-medicating in isolation and video games, unable to cope with the loss of the one thing that gave her life meaning. Resulting in further alienating herself from the one thing she needs most; other people.

It is in this response I came to love Asuka. Because we are not shown just another anime character, or cookie cutter A-type, but a real person. A real and raw character whose pride and mental sickness come rushing to the forefront shattering all her self-deceptions, and her dreams. A girl who wants to be the best, but doesn’t want to be alone either. Asuka wasn’t made to be likable or hated, just a real teenage girl, who when honestly confronted with their shortcomings, was truly human. It was this slick and honest characterization and the psycho analysis of Asuka and others that would make Evangelion legendary.

Have you ever known a friend who was so complicated, and didn’t make any sense until you went into their home and saw how they lived? They might be angry or repressed, prideful and arrogant, but when you catch them in their vulnerability you begin to see parts of yourself in them? That’s what Asuka did for me. It was the first time I had ever watched anything that tackled the issues of the growing teenage mind in an honest and visual way, how could it not be memorable?

Even though she graduated college at thirteen, and could pilot a supremely powerful robot, we see that in Asuka the strengths of her personality and “confidence” and her weakness of emotional distance, were all a condition of her mind. The lessons I learned from Asuka and others from Evangelion are what endear me to them. My lesson from Asuka: that both victory and defeat can only be found within ourselves.

This is why I write. This is what makes great characters. Memorable characters are made from what they leave behind. In the end Asuka will always be memorable because underneath the red hair, and fiery personality beats a heart and soul of relentless complexity and truth.

Asuka Langley Soryu is as flawlessly flawed a human being ever portrayed in any medium and for that I, will always remember her as an iconic center to an iconic franchise that changed my life.

If you haven’t seen Evangelion, do yourself a favor and check it out. It won’t disappoint.

~Till next time
Stay Happy,
Stay Healthy
Peter Clampton

Peter Clampton is an author, a dreamer and most importantly a man with a vision. It’s a simple vision really. He is working to become a great story teller and hopes to share light through stories and enable others to do the same. He is Author of the Post-apocalyptic Western series THE GIRL AND THE BEAST which can be viewed, along with his other fiction, on his website www.Peterclampton.com