The Sound of Battle...

I wrote this excerpt for a forum a little while ago and thought it might be a good idea to post here with some additions and editing. (Saves me from having to write a whole new one!)

On how to make large-scale fantasy battles interesting, especially how it relates to being told from one character's point of view:

"There are multiple factors to consider, many depending on the setting.

 The first thing to define is the ground. If there is any height involved, someone might have a good view of at least most of the battlefield (useful for getting a clear idea of what's going on). Ridges make good defensive locations, while valleys make for good ambushes. The rougher the ground, the harder it will be to root an enemy out. 

Perhaps next most important, what kind of technology is being used, and how will it effect the battle and the watcher's line of sight? Dragons, airplanes, gryphons or hot air balloons would get a literal bird's-eye view, thus helping troop movements on the ground below, while dragon's fire, cannons, muskets or explosions would create smoke dense enough to obscure everything. (Dust from the ground could also do this).

Technology directly effects how information is passed from man to man, and thus how the reader learns  what is going on. Aide-de-camps, radios, messenger pigeons, wig-wag signals, bugle calls, all are different methods for transmitting information quickly across large amounts of space. For mainstream fantasy, a tried and true method is to relay information by couriers, this wing calls for aid, this wing sends word it is advancing. This keeps the characters at the forefront, while maintaining a good overall picture of what is going on.
Tactics also play a major role: someone laying in ambush might only hear what is going on until his signal comes, an air strike would provide an excellent overview of what is happening, snipers would be in better positions to observe much of what is going on.
The last factor to consider is who your pov character is in relation to the battle. A general might be more aware of the battle as a whole, a simple foot soldier only of what's directly in front of him. A calvary/dragon rider would see more of the battle, but would be less in direct combat, whereas a archer/siege weapon worker might have more time to watch the battle as it progressed after their projectiles were exhausted or rendered useless by troop movements.
And finally, the most important thing to include is the feel of the battle. No matter how detailed the troop movements, the thoughts of the combatants or the originality of the tactics, it all comes down to what the reader comes away with afterward. Did they sense the chaos, smell the dust, see the price paid by those who gave their lives, hear the whine of arrows, the clash of swords, the roar of beasts? Did they cringe as the flights of arrows came whining down? Did they cheer with the embattled soldiers as the reinforcements came thundering in?

If they answer is a resounding "Yes!" from your readers, then you, the author, have succeeded.

A really good author for making large scale battles interesting is G.A. Henty. He wrote historical fiction during the late 1800's, retelling nearly all the great battles of history in over 120 novels. His method of choice was usually to tell the battles from a bird's eye view, detailing troop movements, then go back and tell what his main character saw of the battle and how it affected him. He was also a master strategist, (if you want any information on guerilla warfare throughout the ages, his books are the place to go). His battles, even told from a historian's pen, accurately convey the chaos, tactics, strategy, mistakes, heroism, and scale of many of history's greatest battles.

Now, I'm no expert in this field, and I haven't written a full-scale battle in some time, (so I'm not sure how my current writing style will affect the final product) but I hope my musings and experience gained from my own writing and reading help someone else.

Passing on what I have gained from others,

Farjag

Beautiful People

As I've made the rounds of a few fellow Christian writers' blogs, I discovered this little gem of an exercise in character development. I think it's a brilliant idea, and so I have decided to jump in headfirst (the way I normally do things), and challenge my self with this month's... challenge! At the same time, I thought four days away from November might be a good time to transition from Feather and Fang to Silver and Sable. Wouldn't you? :) So, for starters, Rogart, Fox-grey shall be the character whom I dig into first. In the end, I will probably have learned more about young Rogart (who, coincidentally, happens to be my oldest real character ever!) than you have! Enjoy!



What is his full name? Rogart, Fox-grey

Does his name have a special meaning? His title, 'grey', was given to him at birth because of his fur color

Does your character have a methodical or disorganized personality? Probably disorganized, he's pretty headstrong and brash, so he wouldn't have time to be methodical

Does he think inside himself more than he talks out loud to their friends? Well, he doesn't have any friends (See below), so I suppose he would talk to himself. I know I do. :P

Do they have friends? Not really. (leastwise not at the beginning of the story). His life is nomadic at best, so he never stays anywhere long enough to make friends.

Is there something he is afraid of? A cage. Being locked up to where he cannot decide for himself what he wants to do.

Does he write, dream, dance, sing, or photograph? He whittles, carving thumb-sized sculptures from bits of wood

Switching Dialogue

One of the things I find myself doing often in editing is switching lines of dialogue between characters. I write the conversation one way, come back a month later and add a few more lines, often greatly increasing the depth and reach. But when I've finished adding those poignant sentences, I find myself with one character replying to himself. And it won't be easy to add in a line for the other character without messing up the flow of thought. So I just switch the lines around. Redpaw says what Crestlen was saying, and vice versa. Of course, the way they talk has to change as well, Redpaw is more blunt and simple, Crestlen more refined and articulate. So I switch a few phrases around.
Then comes the sentiments. What if Redpaw doesn't agree with what Crestlen was saying earlier? But I have found that switching sentiments oftentimes helps in the end, as you dig deeper into what each believes and how each reacts to different things.
Now, this probably wouldn't work with an old geezer and a young upstart, but with two trained hunters, it works quite well. At the same time, as I've separated Redpaw and Crestlen's characters, making them two distinct individuals, it sometimes becomes necessary to give one's lines to the other. For instance, Redpaw is more willing to forgive and move on, while Crestlen tends to muse on things, and keep them in his mind for extended periods of time. So when I find a line by Crestlen which doesn't seem to fit his character anymore, sometimes the easiest thing to do is give it to Redpaw, and see how the rest of the conversation shapes up.

They surprise me sometimes with the direction they take things.

When Posts Appear...

To help all you readers, and me, I think I shall begin to post later in the day, probably after dinner when I'm doing my other writing, homework, etc. So to make things easier for you, when you check in the morning, there will a brand new post, all ready to read. So you'll basically be reading yesterday's post, but it'll be more like I got up really early in the morning and posted one I had written the night before (which is what I would be doing if I wanted to post the day of).
So, I'm posting this at 6:00 tonight, which means you probably won't read it until tomorrow morning. That night I will write my next post, which you will read the next morning. Make sense?

Hopefully it does, cause I ain't changing it! :P
Farjag

A Reason to Write

When I sent last year's novel to one of my dear writer friends for critiquing, this was part of his reply:

"With a future story, I would like to see a little more meaning. The reason I stopped writing [my last story] was because I saw that in light of eternity I was writing a book that neither challenged my view of the world and God or the reader’s worldview. For your next story, spend time in prayer asking God what he would have you focus on in your story."

He went on to give more specific likes and dislikes, all of them very helpful, but none so poignant and deep-cutting as the first. I thought long and hard about his encouragement, but couldn't quite wrap my mind around how to really accomplish this in the fantasy setting I had created. (Probably because I didn't take his advice and seriously pray for guidance).
However, recently I was freshly convicted of this lack in my writing through the musings of several other writer friends on their blogs. Each had different styles, genres and advice on how to write well, but all of them pointed back to God in a way that cut deep. I hadn't been seeking to include my Maker in my writing as much as I should have been.
Since that time, I have been thinking deeply about this problem, and praying, asking the Lord for the guidance I realized I needed. And he answered me, as he always will.
The main problem I was having in my current novel, Feather and Fang, was that neither of my main characters were the kind of men who would point to the Maker with their actions and words. And if tried to change one of them into such a man, it would render them unbelievable as a character (as far as how I had written them so far goes).
But I believe I have finally worked out a solution which will not only fix that problem, but add another layer to the story as a whole and the character development which had been lacking before (see previous posts on Redpaw and Crestlen).
Basically, I decided that while Crestlen is self-proclaimed atheist, Redpaw believes in the Maker. However, he struggles with matching his duty to this country and his wish to honor his Maker. He is sent to get rid of a dangerous assassin, but when does his enemy become his neighbor? When does killing a foe become the right thing to do? He knows what is right, but is often hard pressed to actually do it.
However, his actions catch Crestlen's eye, especially his courage against all odds, and refusal to despair. As the two mortal enemies are forced to work together to survive, Redpaw's moral dilemma comes to a head. How can he let an enemy of his country live? When does mercy replace justice?
Meanwhile, Crestlen is struggling with similar questions. How can you kill someone who has shown you mercy? How can any conscience, however seared, not be affected by slitting the throat of the man who fought at your back?
Halfway through their journey, they will meet someone who challenges both of their beliefs and mindsets.  The questions he asks will give them both fresh perspectives on each other, and what the Maker desires of them. Other themes I hope to thread throughout are the true meaning of honor, courage, and what makes a man a man. When they exit the Brightgorge, they will be changed men, and whatever trappings of old habits remain will speedily be burnt away in the fires that await them beyond. 

Dark and Light

If you haven't noticed yet, I tend to write a lot about the contrast of light and darkness. It shows up in many of my poems, in my stories, even in my movies. This particular poem highlights that ongoing battle I so often take up the pen to tell about. And here is also is the little quote I tell myself whenever things look black: "When Darkness begins to fall, soon, Light will rise."

Darkness Falling

Darkness is falling

Light is failing

Hope is dying

All seems lost

Despair is rising

Evil is stirring

Fires are burning

All seems lost

Storms are brewing

Lightning cracking

Thunder crashing

All seems lost

Rebellion boiling

Sparks igniting

Armies marching

All seems lost

War is advancing

Battle is approaching

Death is nearing

All seems lost

Shouts are crying

Weapons clashing

Men are dying

All seems lost

Victory is at hand!

Darkness has fallen

Crashing, burning

Light has risen again!