“All I want is to go home and plant grain and make beer and read books. Is that so hard to understand?”

-Patricia A. McKillip, The Riddle-Master of Hed

     Sometimes you have to re-focus on what you really care about. Others will try to impose expectations on you, or you may impose unreasonable expectations on yourself. But what do you actually want? What will make you (not others) happy? 

        Try writing them down (with a pen and paper).  You’re more likely to be honest if you’re putting your desires out into the world in some physical form. Once you have your list, work to minimize those other things in your life that distract from what you want.

        I find this advice particularly important to keep in mind when things get stressful. Hopefully this helps out a few of you, too.

Each week I share a quote from a fantasy novel and write a short essay to accompany it. Have a favorite fantasy quote you’d like to see featured? Email me: dtkane@dtkane.com. 

“Truth needs no apology.”

Patricia McKillip, Riddle-Master of Hed

As I was preparing for the upcoming show where we’ll discuss McKillip’s Riddle-Master of Hed, this quote jumped off the page at me. There’s a lot packed into these four words. 

        On the one hand, it is an absolute statement that ought to be indisputable. One needn’t look further than the free speech laws in the United States and many other countries (or the lack of such laws in others) to understand why–if people aren’t at liberty to both learn and speak their minds, it becomes much easier for those in power to abuse their positions. When you can only say what Big Brother approves, freedom becomes an illusion. This is a theme in my own Spoken Books series, too, where the wealthy few maintain power by withholding the ability to read from the rest of society.

        But while hiding the truth or twisting it to one’s advantage are obvious abuses, what actually constitutes “the truth” is not always clear. In civil and criminal trials, a jury is tasked with determining what happened in any given case. But viewpoints (of both witnesses and jurors) differ, memories are fickle, and humans have innate biases. Two honest people may tell entirely different versions of the same event, each of which is genuine in their own minds. This is why so many lawsuits settle before trial–the truth may be absolute, but determining it is difficult, and predicting what a randomly selected group of people will decide nearly impossible. 

        I’ll leave you with this to consider: Should one always tell the truth? As an isolated question, I think few would disagree. But what about when the truth is hurtful, or even harmful, to another? Consider a slightly different question: Should one always speak with tact? Again, at first I think few would disagree. But one can’t always speak both tactfully and truthfully. So, riddle me this: Is it true that truth needs no apology?

        Another reminder that we’ll be discussing the book this quote came from–Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia McKillip–on the July 10 podcast episode. It raises many more interesting questions like the ones above, so if you like this sort of thing, be sure to tune in! If you need a copy of the book, pick up your copy of Riddle-Master today.

“Size defeats us. For the fish, the lake in which he lives is the universe. What does the fish think when he is jerked up by the mouth through the silver limits of existence and into a new universe where the air drowns him and the light is blue madness?”

― Stephen King, The Gunslinger

I’ve been reviewing some of my favorite writing advice lately as I deal with the ups and downs of drafting my next novel. Some days I feel great about it, others the self-doubt rears its ugly head. If you’ve been following along with my recent updates–including today’s–you’ll know that my current work-in-progress is turning out to be a bit of a behemoth. There are times when I feel like I’ll never finish it.

        So when I stumbled on this quote from The Gunslinger yesterday, it reminded me of some excellent advice I took to heart when working on my first novel. It also applies to many other types of work, not just writing. 

        When embarking on an extended project, you can’t constantly zoom out and review how far you are from the finish line. That only makes it feel like an insurmountable task. You need to develop tunnel vision. Writing a whole novel might seem impossible, but writing a hundred words is doable (or a thousand, or fifty–whatever daily goal works for you).* 

        In other words, you break the enormous task into small, easily achieved chunks, build momentum, then repeat until completion. Each day you’ll feel better having accomplished your micro goal and won’t feel the existential dread over the impossibility of climbing a mountain in a single day.

        Related to this is the somewhat clichéd principle that you need to enjoy the journey. Finishing a project is great, but the sense of accomplishment, or praise, or reward, or whatever it is that awaits at the project’s end is fleeting. A reporter once asked tennis star Chris Evert how long the thrill of winning Wimbledon lasted. She responded, “About an hour.” 

        Now, there’s nothing wrong with achievement, but just keep in mind that the high of reaching that goal will be fleeting. Most of your time will be spent working toward it, and what sort of life are you living if you only enjoy yourself during those ephemeral moments of accomplishment? So stop being anxious about reaching the finish line, and start enjoying the process of putting one foot in front of the other. 

*If you write just 250 words/day, that’s over 90,000 words in a year. There’s the first draft of your novel!

Do you have a favorite fantasy quote? Email it to me and I may feature it in a future installment of Fantasy Quote of the Week?

“Shall I describe it to you, or would you like me to find you a box?”

― Legolas to Gimli in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Movie)

I copped out a little this week. This isn’t actually the quote I wanted to discuss, but the one I do isn’t a fantasy quote, so I figured the above classic would do as a lead-in.

The following came up in my Facebook feed yesterday:

“When reading, we don’t fall in love with the characters’ appearance. We fall in love with their words, their thoughts, and their hearts. We fall in love with their souls.” -Anonymous

This caught my eye because it matches up pretty well with my philosophy on description in my own writing. I think it’s important for a character to have a salient feature or two so they can be easily identified: Baz has his hat and brand, Rox is giant and has a nasty weapon, Leanna has purple eyes, etc.

But beyond that, I tend to go light on description, not just for characters, but setting as well. As a reader, I tend to gloss over extended descriptions and let my imagination paint a scene, using the words on the page as vague guidelines rather than strict rules.

As an author, a find writing descriptions tedious, which partially explains my writing’s general lack of fine details. But the larger reason is that I believe appearances should be left largely to the reader’s imagination, or at least the text should leave open that possibility.

It’s easy to forget that the images we subconsciously conjure in our own minds are based largely on our own life experiences, biases, and what we’re generally most comfortable with. I’m not saying that’s a problem (at least not in the context of exercising your imagination as you read a novel). But as an author writing for a large audience, I don’t want to alienate others by forcing my imagined appearances onto others except when it’s necessary to the story I’m telling.

For instance, it’s important that Baz has a dragon branded to his forehead, as it identifies him as a Speaker/slave and also serves as a constant reminder of the cruelty he’s fighting against. However, the exact color of Baz’s hair, or the shape of his nose, or even the shade of his skin doesn’t matter to the story, so I see no need to dwell on those details. You–the reader–can fill them in however you like.

At the end of the day, I don’t necessarily write to create specific images in my readers’ minds. Rather, what most interests me are the interactions between characters; the complex, and often difficult, questions and conflicts that arise when people who don’t like one another are forced together, or when those who care for each other are driven apart by circumstance. I write to create emotions, both on the page and in the hearts and minds of my readers, and I leave it to my readers to imagine the characters experiencing those feelings in whatever manner works best for them.

What do you think? Do you like my way of doing things, or do you prefer intricate descriptions of every character and setting? I don’t think there’s a write or wrong answer, but I am curious what others think. Email me, dtkane@dtkane.com.

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.”

― J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan

At the risk of coming off as arrogant by quoting myself, this week’s quote brought to mind something I intend to have one of the characters in Fire and Ink say: “Doubt is the greatest enemy of inspiration.”

        It’s easy to get down on yourself when life gets hard. Or, maybe we don’t even need to speak so broadly. It’s easy to be frustrated when anything gets hard. But remember, the closer we get to achieving something worthwhile, the harder it often seems to reach the goal.

        This is why discipline is so important in virtually any endeavor. Inevitably at some point that self-doubting voice is going to start whispering at the back of your mind to give up, and if you don’t have your discipline to fall back on–your day-in, day-out routine of getting down to work–then you’re much more likely to succumb. But when you show up and do your work each day, success is almost inevitable. 

        So don’t listen to that voice, put your head down, and get to it! Before you know it, you’ll find yourself soaring over your obstacles and toward the horizon of your aspirations.

Note to readers: Each week (or, most weeks, anyway), I share an inspiring quote from a fantasy book or author and wax poetic about it, indulging my inner philosopher. If you have a favorite fantasy quote, email it to me and I may share it in a future newsletter: dtkane@dtkane.com.

“Life would be unbearably dull if we had answers to all our questions.”

―Jim Butcher, Death Masks

 As I was browsing Goodreads for this week’s quote (sorry if that spoils the fantasy some of you may have had of me sitting in an easy chair, thumbing through physical books each Thursday night for the quote of the week), I stopped on this one because it made me think of a couple valuable lessons. 

       (Also, I’ve been continuing my read through of the Dresden Files, so it caught my eye (I’m listening to Cold Days, Book 14 in the series). If you’ve never listened to the Dresden audiobooks, do yourself a favor and go download Storm Front (Dresden Files #1)now. They’re narrated by James Marsters (who played Spike in the Buffy TV show), and he is excellent. Right up there with Tim Curry and the husband-wife duo of Michael Kramer and Kate Reading.)

        Anyway, back to the quote. First, I think we all sometimes get too preoccupied with answers: 

• I’m not sure I know how, so I just won’t try. 
• Why did he do that? 
• What will happen if I make this change? 

        The search for answers can become paralyzing, and the fact is, sometimes an answer isn’t readily available. Or, there isn’t just one answer. Should you change your job? There are pros and cons. Is it wise to tackle a new project at work even though you aren’t sure you can do it? It’s a risk, but you could impress your boss. Why did that guy snap at you yesterday? Maybe his mom just died. Or maybe he’s just an asshole. 

        I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t think critically and weigh what we know, but we must also accept that there will always be more information to gather, always more time to think. Consider carefully, then act with conviction. Will things always go right? Of course not. But a life of action is better than a life of regretting your inaction. 

        A related thing this made me think of is the news. Ugh. There’s a lot of bad that goes on in the world, and the news shoves it into our faces because it’s the ugly and shocking that sells papers (or online advertisements), not the pleasant and heart-warming. 

        I know people who agonize over all the tragic headlines. But ask yourself–how much value do you actually get from the news you consume? There’s little you can do about most of it, and for the truly evil things that are so often reported, there’s no use obsessing over how someone could do such a thing because there’s often no good answer (see above).

        Now, I don’t advocate ignoring the news completely. But as with most things, it’s best consumed in moderation. Read the headlines, scan a few articles if you must, but when your blood pressure begins to rise, put down the paper or your smart phone and go read a novel instead. It will make both you and authors everywhere happier.

Note to readers: Each week (or, most weeks, anyway), I share an inspiring quote from a fantasy book or author and wax poetic about it, indulging my inner philosopher. If you have a favorite fantasy quote, email it to me and I may share it in a future newsletter: dtkane@dtkane.com.

“Fear was an artificial condition. It’s imposed from the outside. So it’s possible to fight it. You should do the things you’re afraid of.”

― Martha Wells, Artificial Condition

If you’re interested in any sort of creative pursuit, you should read Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art. In it, he identifies what he calls “resistance,” that nagging voice of self doubt that somehow always seems to pop into our heads when we’re on the verge of doing anything meaningful. It’s evolution trying to sabotage us–the status quo is safe, so there’s a part of us that wants us to stay there permanently. 

        But here’s a powerful idea: whenever something makes you feel uncomfortable or afraid or like giving up, that might mean it’s something you absolutely must do or explore or ask. Often, fear is just our body’s reaction to uncertainty, and while fear of the unknown is completely natural, if you never take the plunge into it, you’ll miss out on a whole lot.

        So, the next time you feel resistance, embrace it like an old friend and carry on. Something extraordinary is right around the corner.

        Incidentally, I just finished listening to the audiobook of All Systems Red, which is the first novella in Martha Wells’s Murderbot Diaries series (the above quote is from #2 in the series). It’s about an assassin robot that hacks its governor module so that it doesn’t have to follow human orders and can instead spend its days watching soap operas on the entertainment feed. If you’ve ever felt awkward in social situations, then you’ll love these stories, because deep down, Murderbot is a shy introvert. 

Note to readers: Each week (or, most weeks, anyway), I share an inspiring quote from a fantasy book or author and wax poetic about it, indulging my inner philosopher. If you have a favorite fantasy quote, email it to me and I may share it in a future newsletter: dtkane@dtkane.com. 

“Write down everything that happens in the story, and then in your second draft make it look like you knew what you were doing all along.”

-Neil Gaiman

I’m at the point in drafting my next novel (Spoken Books #6) where I’m convinced I have no idea what I’m doing and my writing’s little better than the nutrition facts on my morning cereal box. At times like these, I look for inspiration wherever I can find it. Generally, hearing that others share my misery provides some level of comfort.

        For those of you who aren’t writers, I still think you can glean some value from Mr. Gaiman’s words. Often, we never start a thing for fear of failure. That’s a shame. Just about anything worth doing has some risk built in. If you never hazard coming up short, you won’t achieve even a fraction of your potential. If I had never started typing words on a blank page for fear I could never write a novel, I wouldn’t be sitting here now with six books published and a seventh on the way. 

        What’s a project you’ve been neglecting because you’re afraid to start? Give it a go! You’ll probably do great, and even if you don’t, you’ll learn something, grow, and have more courage to face the next big task.

Note to readers: Each week (or, most weeks, anyway), I share an inspiring quote from a fantasy book or author and wax poetic about it, indulging my inner philosopher. If you have a favorite fantasy quote, email it to me and I may share it in a future newsletter: dtkane@dtkane.com. 

“Steel is power. Money is power. But of all the things in all the worlds, words are power.”

― Pierce Brown, Red Rising

Being an author who writes a series where magic is read aloud from rare books, I’m often going on about the importance of spreading knowledge through the written and spoken word. But often it’s better to keep your mouth shut and use those organs on either side of your head.

Slow down for a minute. Listen to the world around you. That’s why French artist Henri Miller placed his sculpture of a giant with its ear tilted to the sky in a busy French square–to remind passersby of just that. It’s a lesson we all could use.

The next time you’re in a meeting, wait to speak until you’ve heard what others have to say. Sitting in a boring presentation? Well, you’re stuck there. Try to actually listen and you may learn something. Favorite song playing on the radio? Turn it up and really think about the words. What is the artist trying to express? 

As Epictetus so wisely said 2,000 years ago: We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. So listen up!

Note to readers: Each week, I share a fantasy quote and indulge my inner philosopher with a brief essay based on said quote. Share your favorite quote with me and I might feature it in a future newsletter! Email: dtkane@dtkane.com.

“Mother,” I  thought back to it, as clearly as I could, “I would like one of your eggs.”

“What,” she asked, “do you offer it?”

“I offer it long life,” I answered. “And fresh, red meat without struggle, and I offer it my friendship.”

“And what will you ask of it?”

“I will ask for aid in my endeavors, such as are in its power. I will ask for its wisdom, and I will ask for its friendship.”

― Steven Brust, Jhereg

Buying a dog is like buying a tragedy, or so some say. And there’s certainly some truth there. From the moment you bring that animal into your life, you know two things: (1) you’ll become attached to it; and (2) it will almost certainly die long before you do.

But I also think the transient nature of our pets is what makes them so special. We know they won’t be around forever, and cherish them all the more because of it. What’s more, there’s a rare beauty in the bond created by choosing such a relationship. When you bring that animal home, you’re saying to it, “You don’t have to worry for the rest of your life. I’ll take care of you.” And for that, they give us their unconditional loyalty. That’s powerful.

Tennyson’s famous, age-old question is also implicated here: Is it better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all? The millions of dog owners throughout the world make the answer clear. And, really, it isn’t hard to see why. “The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog,” said Mark Twain. I don’t necessarily share Twain’s cynicism. But then again, I can think of many more animals I’d rather spend time with than I can people. So…

Note to readers: Each week, I share a fantasy quote and indulge my inner philosopher with a brief essay based on said quote. Share your favorite quote with me and I might feature it in a future newsletter! Email: dtkane@dtkane.com.