Theatrical vs. Realistic Fighting...

Do you like your fictional fight scenes to represent a realistic feel or a dramatic feel? I was chatting with a friend, who happens to be a 3^rd degree Kenpo instructor, and we got to talking about practical fighting style compared to the theatrical type. Kenpo, according to him, is designed as a dominating fighting style where you literally start the action and do not stop until your opponent is disabled…or worse…no ebb and flow, just flow! I can concur with this as I have seen it in action and better yet: felt it in action!

This goes against the typical theatrical or dramatic fighting style seen in movies or read in books. I mean that there are some quick fights, most of the time against henchmen or lesser characters, but for the most part, the final battle or any relevant battle has to have give and take…in fiction. 

In movies and books (including comics, etc.) the combat scenes need to be drawn out, with ebb and flow to them, so that you can feel a sense of danger for the hero, etc. and it might put you on the edge of your seat. Especially as a reader!

I am not saying at all that a writer should put together a 'silly' fight scene. Rather, the knowledge of how to fight and/or what to expect while in a fight plays kind of a major role in the whole thing.

This is almost a continuation of the ‘Hero?’ blog from a few days ago, but with a slightly different twist. Instead of answering what type of hero do you like, you will be thinking about how fight scenes develop and how the combatants might interact with one another.

It got me to thinking about what if the hero was just 'that good'. No matter who the enemy or opponent was, the hero (or villain?) could defeat them simply and efficiently.

This is just my opinion and I am not trying to force it on anyone, but wouldn’t that be boring to see or read? How real do you want your combat? Dramatic or realistic?

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!


Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
 
All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted. 

Heroes?

If you were going to write a novel, story, short or novella, what would your ‘hero’ be like? Think about that for a moment.

I have read many fantasy novels, comic books, graphic novels and the like and I would have to say that most of them are made of powerful stuff—butt-kickers extraordinaire! That seems to be the way to attract the most followers, having a character that is skilled, capable and honorable. I echo these sentiments. 

I was talking with a few friends yesterday and the subject of heroes came up. We began discussing the subject and ultimately, it came down to discussing certain indestructible characters in comics and movies. My friends all admitted that these types of characters were kind of ‘boring’. Being able to defeat every villain without so much as breaking a sweat was not entertaining to them. Again, I concurred.

This got me to thinking in retrospect at what types of characters I had created for CotFK. In all honesty, not a one of them is omnipotent. As a matter of fact, the ‘main’ character is the polar opposite: a naïve, insecure elf who overcompensates for his shortcomings and lack of melee prowess with magical items and alchemical elixirs. Don’t get me wrong, he has the stuff of heroes, I would not write about farmers who have no skills at all picking up weapons and somehow knowing how to defeat monsters and skilled combatants! That would be silly, right?

On the contrary, most of my main characters are quite capable in combat (otherwise, it would be a short novel) and can handle themselves against all odds…but not without effort! I think that is the key here. I made a concerted effort to make the characters somewhat ‘real’ by allowing them to get hit and injured and at certain points, become severely wounded. They were not indestructible from word one. 

Where they go from here, however, is another story…literally.

I would ask the readers and subscribers here to answer this one question: who is your favorite hero/heroine and what is your favorite quality about them?

Until next post...

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers! 

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

 

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted

A Synopsis of Characters

I have been told on some forums and by some other folks that my teaser and blurbs do not give enough information about the characters, which is the story's focus. In response to that I have come up with a few minor descriptions that may demystify that position.

 

Elec is a high elf with very little self confidence when it comes to fighting, but has certain skills that continue to force him in that direction such as setting and disarming mechanical traps as a classic thief or rogue and he is a master alchemist. The alchemy provides him with artificial means of boosting his natural speed, strength, agility and healing among other things. Reluctantly, he accepts his ‘destiny’ and accompanies the heroes on their quest.

 

Saeunn is a human barbarian woman who is displaced from her home after it was overrun by orcs and goblins. She is struggling initially with a choice of keeping an eye on her mother and giving in to her natural instincts and love for battle!

 


Rose is a human female pick pocket and true rogue who had a rough childhood and is a member of the Thieves’ Guild. She realizes that she has missed the danger and excitement of her youth and now takes up a chance to rediscover that excitement on her own without informing her guild of this plan.

Garius is a former priest/warpriest to The Shimmering One (the sun god) and current Inquisitor with the Order of the Faceless Knights, a sect of religious zealots who have access to every divine power offered by each of the gods. These bountiful powers and spells are given in exchange for keeping all of their temples free of heresy and deceit. He is a natural leader and a quick study.

My overall storyline is an thickly layered web that has many overarching story-lines and would be extremely difficult to explain in short order. Suffice it to say that this particular novel focuses on an artifact that disappears from a temple right out from under the priests’ noses and is the key component that could represent a lich coming back into his former power.

Synpopsis: "When a dangerous artifact goes missing from a temple, the elderly high priest in charge requests the aid of a one-time apprentice. Garius Forge, who is now an Inquisitor among the Order of the Faceless Knights, assembles a small team of heroes and sets out on his quest. He is aided by the wise-cracking Rose, a rogue among rogues, by the stoic and battle-hungry Saeunn, and by a naïve elf named Elec, who reluctantly agrees to accompany them at the behest of the persuasive Inquisitor. The eclectic group sets out to recover the artifact before it falls into the hands of the lich who once held it. Not only do the heroes have to overcome numerous foes, but they must also conquer their own shortcomings in order to ensure the safety of the Realm of Ashenclaw!"

The main villain behind the entire series is Zabalas Dimonia, an especially dark warlord with a mysterious past and a penchant for enticing others to do his bidding in the Realm of Ashenclaw!

The characters in the world refer to the continent as Wothlondia and refer to the world or the plane of existence that we call earth as Krotto. We, as the readers, call the world the Realm of Ashenclaw.

The rest of the characters can be found on my home page and in greater detail HERE.

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
 

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted. All Sketches of characters done by Justine Babcock.

Covenant of the Faceless Knights available...

My debut novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, is available now in hardcover, softcover and eBook HERE!

This also got me thinking. What exactly is it that draws you as the reader into epic fantasy? Is it the setting and the landscape? Is it the allure of the unexplainable such as magic? Is it the fantastic creatures and monsters that lurk in the recesses of the mind such as the vampires, ogres and dragons? Is it the idealistic code of conduct and honor of knights and warriors? Or is it the deceit or tactical strategy involved in overthrowing a kingdom, a castle or merely a king?

When I sat down to write CotFK, the prospect of having a completely blank space to work with was what excited me most. The idea of being able to weave tales within the world that I created was at first a daunting task, but also a very exciting one. The fact that I could literally do anything I wanted because there I was building the landscape from scratch made writing the story so much fun.

I recall writing specific happenings within the Realm of Ashenclaw with Nick Titano. We were literally adding things to an old map I had created many years ago that was the template for Wothlondia (the continent on Krotto, my world, where the action takes place) and moving the landscape to fit the story was quite empowering.

No matter what your draw for reading, I can say that we all need an escape from this world every once in a while to give ourselves a break and the high stakes of epic fantasy novels and the possibility of changing the landscape with the turning of a few pages is truly awe inspiring to me.

So I ask you: what draws you to the genre of fantasy?

Welcome to my world!

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
 

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted

Free Excerpt!

Rose Thorne by William Kenney

As my novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, makes its way through the causeways toward the nearest stores and on its way into your hands, onto your kindles and other reading devices, I feel that I want to share a bit more of the story with you. I have excerpts on my website which you may read at any point in time right here on my blog!

but I have one more I would like to share with my blog community.

Here is a small bit on Rose Thorne, a pick-pocket, rogue archetype and dagger-wielding wonder! Enjoy!

Rose swallowed hard, understanding that they would not leave. She also understood that she could simply walk through the shadows and they would never be able to follow her. She could escape right now and they would be none the wiser.

Perhaps it was the anticipation of a fight that she’d missed, or a personal test she must overcome. Maybe it was because they were not in league with the Thieves’ Guild, who at least had a code of ethics. Or maybe it was because she believed that they would also be doing this to countless others if left unchecked.

Something compelled her to stay.

Once more she let herself fall into that predatory state that allowed her to survive the horrors of her youth…the survival mode that kept her alive on the streets in her adolescence.

Yes, she thought as she approached her enemy. It was all coming back to her.

 “You were warned—remember that,” Rose stated angrily as she emerged from a shadow that engulfed her only a second ago. Otis’s surprise was evident and his blue eyes filled with dread as he felt the blades. He weakly moaned in pain as he felt the sharp edge of a pair of daggers slash across his throat. The lifeblood drained from his body quickly and he slumped to the ground in a lifeless heap.

The three men all spun as they heard the body of their now-fallen companion hit the cobblestones. One of them gasped in horror at seeing the lifeless body.

“Bah! I’ll kill you for what you did! That was my brother!” the scruffy one claimed as he shook with rage, wiping sweat from his unshaven, dirty face.

“That’s it,” Rose egged them on from the far end of the alley. “Come and get it.”

The shaggy haired one with the beard withdrew his dagger and club, one in either hand, and charged at her. The other two followed, although the chubby one was several paces behind. Rose took note of this fact.

She traversed the shadow realm again and stepped out just to the right of the plump one’s heavy frame. With unusual speed and agility for one his size, the mercenary saw her and scored a quick jab with the brass knuckles on his right fist, grazing her, but also hitting her hard enough to draw blood.

I underestimated this one, Rose chastised herself silently, recovering from the blow and concentrating once more through the pain.

He thrust his dagger and stabbed at where she had been only a heartbeat ago to find that she had vanished again. Appearing behind him, she put him between herself and the other two assailants. She reached her left hand around and grabbed the man’s chin, pulling it to her left while plunging the dagger in her right hand through the base of his throat, killing him instantly. She winced at the ferocity of her own attack. She was well-versed in the art of killing, but took no pleasure in it.

“Leave now or suffer the same fate,” Rose cautioned the remaining two, as she stepped once more into the shadow plane, disappearing from sight.

Rose reappeared and struck the back of the shaggy one’s thigh with a thrust of her dagger, causing him to stumble forward in pain, clutching his hamstring. The bald one, who was now behind Rose, kicked out solidly, connecting with the small of her back. Her head jerked back violently from the force of the blow and the kick knocked the wind out of her. She clutched her stomach and throat and needed time to recover.

Once more, she traversed the plane of shadow, disappearing and reappearing behind that one, who stood within the shadows.

He spun as soon as she stepped from the darkness, as if anticipating her move, and grabbed her firmly by the neck. He smacked her once with his free right hand and then wrapped both hands around her throat, depriving her of oxygen and quickly choking her.  After several seconds, he managed to get Rose to the ground and sat atop her, maintaining his death grip on her neck. He’d dropped his dagger somewhere in the dark alleyway and could not find it. He did, however, have a pair of brass knuckles.

He swung a wild punch at Rose’s face, but she managed to block his arm and the brass knuckles with the hilt of Zaedra. She was barely conscious now and was working on instinct as the breath escaped her lungs and would not return.

She removed her hands from his and stopped trying to prevent the choke, realizing his grip was too tight. Instead, she desperately changed tactics, handling the daggers in a reverse-grip. She launched her attack with a pair of symmetrical inward strikes, using the pommels of the weapons to strike the bald man’s ears. He released his chokehold on her throat, reflexively covering his ears with his palms as his eardrums registered a thundering cacophony of unbridled pain. With that, Rose finally gasped for air.

Still on her back and with the bald one atop her clutching his injured ears, Rose began a second inward motion with her daggers, still held in the reverse-grip, continuing until her wrists crossed over one another. As she did so, the edges of the daggers slashed the front of his neck, directly under the jaw, severing major arteries. He fell backward, clutching his wounds in a futile attempt to halt his quickly approaching demise.

He was dead before he hit the ground.

Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

All Artwork and covers by William J. Kenney

Visit my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Also, please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

IAN & Supporting Independent Artists

I have recently joined the Independent Author Network (IAN) who are a group of independent and self published authors networked together to help one another and share experiences, ideas and the like. 

My home page can be found here: Gary Vanucci IAN Author Page

They are very kind and the fee to join is nominal. I would highly recommend any independent authors to look them up and join. You will not get more bang for your buck anywhere else! You can sign up for their monthly newsletter and if you do, you are automatically entered in a drawing where you could win a kindle or even an IPAD2!

You can sign up for their newsletter here: IAN Newsletter

I would do it just for that. Ultimately, I am blogging to petition a support for the independent author, artists, writers, musicians and anyone else that feels that their work is worth the attention.

The past week or so, I have been finding that there is great support as well as a fantastic community that supports independent authors. As one of them mentioned when I bought her book, “I agree that authors are not in competition with one another,” (I am paraphrasing) and it is true. As a matter of fact, I would go so far as to say that each of us wants the other to succeed. The ultimate goal, at least for me, is to get more people reading….

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!


All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted.

Beginnings

I am proud to announce that ‘COVENANT OF THE FACELESS KNIGHTS’, my first full length fantasy novel, should be hitting the bookshelves sometime in late July/early August….

It will be available as an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover in a 6” x 9” format! With the sales of e-books climbing and the sales of printed books declining, I had a tough decision to make. Ultimately, I wanted to have my first novel released in both e-book and print form. 

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders and especially AUTHORHOUSE.COM (where I encourage you to purchase the book) will be providing an avenue for you to purchase the novel and give it a read! I would encourage anyone who enjoys epic fantasy tales to peruse it and to experience firsthand the world as well as the characters interacting within it. I am extremely proud of breathing life into this world and the main characters that I have grown so fond of so quickly. 

I am hoping that each and every reader can connect on some level with the characters, understanding that they all have problems and personal baggage to bring along with them as they blossom into ‘heroes’.

Oh, and there are drawings, too!

I’d love to know what the readers think about including artwork inside the book. I know I used to read novels years ago, (Terry Brooks’ novels if I recall correctly), that had drawings that made me want to read more and find out who the characters were! I am hoping to instill that same type of emotion when people see the art for the first time.

I would especially like to thank Nicholas Titano of www.infernaltitans.com for having generously given me so much of his time in helping me with the many details related to the Realm of Ashenclaw! 

And to any and all that gave me the inspiration and the encouragement to keep going: I thank you!  

                               

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted.