The Three Villains in Every Relic Worlds Book

I'm usually not one for formulas.  I believe one can paint oneself into a corner that way, or make themselves stale with "good old fashioned storytelling."  I even bristle at the mention of act 1, act 2, act 3, even though that's the basic recipe in all storytelling.  However, some stories benefit from basic tropes; especially those that are supposed to be familiar and fun.  Relic Worlds has a lot of that flavor to it.

As such, in each book I purposely set out some basic formulaic outlines to follow.  One of these elements is the antagonists.  I became inspired when Red Letter Media was analyzing a film, and they brought up the basic villains in Indiana Jones movies.  There's the brains behind it, the muscle or fighter, and the one who represents the society in which they're living.  Beloq is the brains.  The Nazi commander is the muscle or fighter.  (He's sort of more of a leader, but he commands the soldiers who go after Indy.)  And then there's the guy wearing all black who represents what Nazis are all about.  Each of the Indy movies have this combination.

I may be copying a bit close by doing this, but I found that it works for my stories.  I try to keep the connection as widely varied in each book as possible, but having that familiar archetypes of the brains, the brawn, and the one who represents the world they're dealing with has been a great way to keep me focused on the familiar elements of this kind of story that make it work for the ones who want to see it.

Want a free copy of The American Game?

The American Game, the story about a series of baseball games between enemy soldiers during the Civil War, is now an audio book, and I have copies to give away for free.  The only thing I need in return from you is a review on Amazon or Audible.

You can check it out on Audible here: https://adbl.co/2HLs3yR

You can learn more about the book here: https://bit.ly/2J487GA

If you would like a free copy of this audio book, leave a comment below with a way for me to reach you.

My Visit to Shiloh and How Carrie Fisher Led Us to Jack Daniels

My girlfriend Jamie Ball put up a bunch of pictures of our trip to Tennessee. I thought I'd put up a few specifically about one incident that may interest some specific people who know my interest in the Civil War.

In the late '90s, I had the privilege of speaking with author Shelby Foote for a while. We spoke a bit about the craft of writing; about the importance of telling a story rather than just throwing out names and dates. I asked who his favorite general was, and interestingly he said Grant. He pointed out Grant's fascinating personality, and how he is misunderstood as a drunk and a butcher. He pointed out the Vicksburg Campaign as an example of his skills in leadership and strategy.

As we wrapped up, I asked him what battlefield I should visit. I like to joke that he told me to get lost, because he told me to go to Shiloh, to choose any path to walk into the woods. Then, he said I should leave the path and walk deeper into the woods until I don't know where I am. Then I'm exactly where I should be.

Ever since that conversation I have intended to go to Shiloh and follow his advice. I finally got that chance, but it began to rain. Jamie and I had driven across the entire state of Tennessee to get there, (from Chattanooga, another one of Grant's victories,) so we weren't about to give up. We had gotten lost along the way and wound up at the Jack Daniel's distillery, but that wasn't going to count.

We found a path, and waited for a break in the rain. As we wandered down the path, we heard distant roar of thunder in the clouds. We feared being hit by lightning, but yet it was somehow perfect as it resembled the rumbling of cannon. We got to a monument tucked away in some small clearing, and Jamie waited there while I walked into the woods.

I reached a point where I could no longer see a path, and wasn't exactly sure how to get back. So I figured that was it. The thunder was still rolling overhead, and besides that, it was silent, save for a few birds emerging after the rain. I listened for whatever it was I was supposed to gather out there.

I had come to Tennessee to see my dying uncle, but he had passed just before I got there. He was only 60 years old, 14 years older than I am. He was also one of my earliest influences in writing, being a nonfiction author himself. I wrote my very first script when coming back from his wedding in the 1970s. I felt like this had somehow come full circle.

The one thing I felt was the moisture of the air. In Tennessee, after a rainfall, the humidity remains giving a sensation to both body and smell. I closed my eyes and let that moment sink in. The booms continued overhead and I tried to shake the fear of being stricken until I one of the booms was a distant gunshot. Someone was probably hunting, and it added to the historical nostalgia, but I didn't want to be the subject of an accident, so I hurried back.

There was Jamie, wearing a hood whose sharp angles looked like she was hiding horns coming toward me. That's about as much meaning as I'm going to get out of that journey, but it's a journey I had to take, and am glad I did. It had been a perfect time to fulfill the advice I got from one of my literary heroes.

Finally Saw the Bad News Bears

When I was 5 years old I played in Little League and a movie came out about Little League called The Bad News Bears. I obviously wanted to see it, but my parents wisely said I could not until I was old enough.

At 46, I suppose I'm old enough, so I just watched it, and I found something particularly interesting. This was close to the same time of Rocky, and it had the same message which is lacking in so many sports movies. The lead team loses, and the point of the movie is that there are more important things than your petty little game.

My favorite part of the movie was the climax where they are losing the game as a direct result of decisions they made which were better for their lives, even if they caused them to lose the game. It is triumphant, because the characters have learned that what's happening here isn't really all that important.

I never had any interest in seeing Rocky 2 for this very reason. As I understand it, Rocky wins in a rematch against his opponent in the first. This takes away the entire point of the first movie. All these films which advertise themselves as "this boxer's one chance" or "this team's one chance to win" are huge turn-offs to me because, I'm sorry, what happens in a game just isn't as important as what happens in their lives.

It's interesting that several films of the '70s seemed to understand that.

The Audiobook of The American Game is a Dream Come True for Me

I spent nearly 20 years trying to get The American Game made into a movie.  It was a story about a series of baseball games that take place between enemy soldiers during the Civil War.  It seemed like a beautiful story, an with the way people got excited about it when I told them, it seemed like it was a sure thing.

When I finally gave up, I wrote it into a book.  Though I was most proud of the book, I always felt it was a pity that I didn't get to see these characters portrayed on screen.  I didn't ever get to hear their voices.

But that changed when I partnered with Steve White to create the audiobook.  White is an actor who does an amazing array of accents and voices.  I knew as soon as I heard his voice reel that he would be able to bring these characters to life.  And he did.

Over the course of a year, he worked on the audiobook, and now it's available on Audible.  It's so amazing to hear the characters come to life, and the story become a reality.  I love the written word, but this was always meant to be seen and heard.  At least I got one of the two.

You can find The American Game on audiobook now at: https://amzn.to/2IsawuJ

You can learn more about the book at: http://www.bandwagononline.com/The-American-Game.html