Fantasy Stories: The Perfect Venue for Moral Questions

I recently read a quote by Paul S. Kemp, the New York Times bestselling novelist and creator of Erevis Cale:

Fantasy's ability to serve as a perfect venue for moral questions is (among a few other things) what gives the genre its enduring strength.

Some basic moral questions are at the heart of my Mall Demons Urban Fantasy Series.

In another bit of reading going back to 2001, I recall a foreword written by Anne Perry in "Writing the Breakout Novel," by Donald Maas:

Sometimes I am asked, "Is it true you should write what you know about?" I say, "No, write what you care about. If you don't know, you'll find out. But if you don't care, why should anyone else?"

The moral questions behind the Mall Demons Series are some I "care about." Questions, I dare say, I lose sleep over; questions I contemplate in the middle of the day, as well, leading me to stare into space for minutes at a time.

I begin the Prelude to Book One of the Mall Demons Series with a quote from "Paradise Lost."

Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth Unseen, both when we wake, and when we sleep.

I follow it with the line: "Your mind is your greatest enemy." And then with this: "WARNING: The spiritual battle is real."

The questions I ask all my characters (and possibly ones my readers may ask as they spend time with my stories) are these: Which side are you on? Who do you serve?

NaNoWriMo Day One

I'm in the middle of Day One of National Novel Writing Month. Although I was struck with illness hours before the competition started, I have managed to burst out of the gate with 1,781 words. 

Not too shabby.

The goal is to write at least 1,667 words a day. Do that for 30 days and it's party time which will include not touching a keyboard for at least a few days.

Before today is over, I'm actually hoping to reach 3,500. Why you ask? Because if you get the chance to run ahead during the month, then do it. All the excitement of Week One will eventually give way to the apathy of Week Two once writing your novel begins to resemble hard work. Trust me. I know.

So get ahead to weather Week Two. We'll deal with Week Three later.

Tactic Tip: Have one of your characters walk around with a book that he/she quotes from or refers to periodically.


This is a sneaky way of padding your word count. Extra bonus points for you if you're able to make it relevant to your plot. My protagonist has already employed this technique in Chapter One. He's reading John Milton's "Paradise Lost." It works for me because I am using Milton's work as a reference for my own. If I go crazy and over-quote, I can always cut that stuff out later, but not until after Nov. 30.

It's win-win. I meet word count and conduct valuable research pertinent to my story.

That's Day One so far...

How's your first day going?