I am pleased to participate in Stephen Zimmer's Spirit of Fire Blog Tour hosted by Seventh Star Press.
About Stephen:
Stephen Zimmer is an award-winning author and filmmaker, whose literary works include the epic urban fantasy series The Rising Dawn Saga, as well as the epic medieval fantasy Fires in Eden Series.
Thanks so much for joining us today, Stephen!
To enter the giveaway, please fill out the Rafflecopter entry form below.
This giveaway is open to Canada/US only until 12:01 AM EST on July 6, 2012.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Participants
May 30 Ginger Nuts of Horror
May 31 Mom Cat's Gateway Book Blog http://alexxmomcatsgatewaybookblog.blogspot.com
June 1 Splash of Our Worlds
June 2 Soliloquy
June 3 Ritesh Kala's Book Review
June 4 Jess Resides Here
June 5 Reading Away the Days
June 6 Vilutheril Reviews
June 7 A Daydreamer's Thoughts
June 8 Red Headed Book Worm
June 9 Lisa's World of Books
June 10 Kentucky Geek Girl
June 11 Goatfairy Review Blog
June 12 Book and Movie Dimension Blog
June 13 Full Moon Bites
June 14 Stuck in Books
June 15 The Independent Review
June 15 Alchemy of Scrawl
June 16 Watch Play Read
June 17 A Book Vacation
June 18 Eva's Sanctuary
June 19 That Book Place Blog
June 20 Edi's Book Lighthouse
June 21 SpecMusicMuse
June 22 Once Upon a Time
June 23 Azure Dwarf Horde of Sci-Fi & Fantasy
June 24 Bad Girls, Good Guys, and Two-Fisted Action http://seanhtaylor.blogspot.com
June 25 Eden Road Blog
June 25 Ali's Bookshelf (live podcast)
June 26 Workaday Reads
June 27 Bookishly Me
June 28 Earth's Book Nook
June 29 Darlene's Book Nook
June 30 The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia
July 1 Evie Bookish
July 2 Urban Fantasy Reviews
July 3 The Cabin Goddess
July 4 TheSci-Fi Guys Book Review
July 5 The Speculative Salon
July 6 Ali's Bookshelf
July 7 Bunny's Review
July 8 Bee's Knees Reviews
July 9 In the Dark of Night with James Tuck
July 10 Eden Road Radio (live podcast)
July 11 A Few Words
July 12 Bab's Book Bistro
July 13 Alchemy of Scrawl (live podcast)
July 14 Babs Book Bistro (live podcast)
The Exodus Gate, Book One of the Rising Dawn Saga, was Stephen's debut novel. It was released in the spring of 2009, with The Storm Guardians following in 2010, and The Seventh Throne in August of 2011.
Crown of Vengeance, Book One of the Fires in Eden Series, was released in the fall of 2009, with Book Two, Dream of Legends, following in December of 2010. Crown of Vengeance received a 2010 Pluto Award for Best Novel in Small Press.
Stephen’s short fiction includes the Harvey and Solomon steampunk stories included in the Dreams of Steam and Dreams of Steam II: Bolts and Brass anthologies from Kerlak Publishing.
As a filmmaker, Stephen's film credits include the supernatural thriller feature Shadows Light, the horror short film The Sirens, and the recent Swordbearer, a medieval fantasy short film based upon the H. David Blalock novel Ascendant.
CONNECT WITH STEPHEN ONLINE:
Stephen has written a guest post, so I will now turn the floor over to him.
Epic Fantasy is Far More Than Just World-Building:by Stephen Zimmer
A Few Thoughts on Character Development
Good character development is what makes a story come alive, and great character development makes a story thrive. We can all cite many examples from novels we enjoy, where a well-rounded character, with a range of strengths and flaws, has grabbed our affinity and interest.When it comes to epic fantasy, or any type of epic-scale story, it is not uncommon for people to immediately start talking about world-building or plot. It is true that epic fantasy is fertile ground for rich world building and layered plots, but that is not enough for a good story. You can have the most interesting world in all of literature, but if it is not populated with compelling characters then you are not going to interest the reader.A stereotypical, or two-dimensional character tends to be completely predictable, while there is a dynamic aspect to a well-rounded one. I have always found it interesting that readers and writers, and this is just my own observation, put a heavier weight on flaws when it comes to assessing whether a character is well-developed or not. While nearly all characters are going to have flaws, short of depicting the Divine, I believe strengths are just as important in terms of attributes that lead to a good character arc.My own writing, when it comes to my two epic-scale series, The Rising Dawn Saga and the Fires in Eden Series, involve ensemble casts. As a writer, this presents a particular kind of challenge, as I must develop a range of compelling characters instead of being able to focus all my attention on a handful. The characters in the ensemble have to have some distinct differences from each other and they cannot be mirror images. Also, because they are not going to have the center stage a majority of the time, it is important that they come alive quickly for the reader.For good character development, some kind of individual growth should be reflected over the course of the story. It doesn’t have to be in a positive direction, as a character certainly can take a turn for the worse, but the character should not be static in such a way that they are exactly the same at the end as they are at the beginning. They should have learned and experienced new things that have had an impact on them one way or another.I am not just speaking of a younger character coming of age (which makes for a good character arc, which is why it is used so often by writers), but also of characters who would be considered fully “matured” at the outset. I personally believe that taking a character that is largely set in their ways at the outset of a story, and making that character dynamic, can be a really enjoyable exploration for an author. It is the kind of journey that goes deeper into what it means to be who we are; as works in progress rather than static monoliths.The good thing about a story such as mine in the Fires in Eden series is that the plot becomes a good ally in terms of driving character development. In Crown of Vengeance, the first novel of the series, we meet eleven individuals, ranging from the owner of a Chinese restaurant, Lee, to Derek, an Iraq war veteran, to a college student named Erika. They find themselves shrouded in a thick mist one night, which parts to reveal that they are in another entire world, which the reader learns is named Ave. The eleven otherworlders find themselves in two lands that are on the brink of being invaded by forces carrying out the will of an enigmatic figure called the Unifier.As you can see, the plot aspects of this situation are rich ground for cultivating growth and change in characters. With all of their different personalities, strengths, and flaws, they are cast into another world suddenly, and forced to come to grips with that unavoidable reality in one way or another. There is no time for calm reflection either, as they are right in the pathway of a major war.As the series evolves, based on the strengths and flaws of the characters, you do see the ways in which they choose to handle the situation and react to things, whether for better or worse. There is a process of adaptation, as well as temptation, and a testing of the self. All of this equates to dynamic character arcs that, while they will move faster for some of the characters than others, will be very clear to the reader by the end of the series.The plot can be very helpful for the character development of the inhabitants of Ave as well. In my series are a race of beings called Trogens, who are tall and strong with dog-like faces.
They have an honor code that is being tested by their involvement in the ongoing war on behalf of the Unifier, who has promised to help them in an ages-old struggle against an Elven power that has oppressed Trogen lands relentlessly and even enslaved a population of them.Dragol is introduced in Crown of Vengeance, and at first he might seem to be one of the non-human minion types that are encountered more often than not in fantasy, like the orcs in Lord of the Rings, who do not stray from the course they are depicted on when you first meet them. Yet as the story grows, and circumstances change and Dragol becomes isolated, the beginnings of what I envision to be a very rich character arc get underway. His strengths, rather than his flaws, in my opinion, help drive the changes in him that really bloom at the time of events depicted in Spirit of Fire.Even the Unifier Himself reflects a dynamic arc, and shows different facets as the story progresses. Spirit of Fire contains some significant steps for that arc, especially in a particular, very important scene that is as powerful visually as it is revealing in regards to the Unifier.A large-scale series can certainly be rich in character development, just as much as it can thrive in terms of world-building or plotting. In my view, the epic fantasy writer should make use of their thoroughly-developed world and layered plots, as those aspects of their work can be major assets in supporting and facilitating strong, engaging character arcs that contribute to bringing the reader a very enjoyable literary experience.
One lucky winner will win a paperback copy of the third book in Stephen's Fires in Eden series, Spirit of Fire.
Deep Within Everyone, There is a Spirit of Fire...
A maelstrom of war engulfs lands resisting the designs of the Unifier to bring about a new order, of a kind that has never existed within Ave. Battered by a massive invasion force from Gallea, the tribal people of the Five Realms and their Midragardan allies are being driven eastward, towards the sea, while the Saxan lines are wearing down ever thinner on the Plains of Athelney.
Time is running out quickly, as an ancient creature of legend soars through the skies with a brave young Saxan. They carry the desperate hopes of two realms sorely beset by a voracious enemy.
Diabolic entities conduct a great hunt, as a malignant darkness deepens across all of Ave. Exiles from another world must gain refuge, or find themselves ensnared by the long reach of the Unifier. The very nature of creation itself stands in the balance.
It is a time when the honor and fortitude of many are put to the test, and terrible prices are paid for resisting great evils. It is also a time of awakening for many, old and young alike, some of whom may yet discover the spirit of fire that lies within.
The third installment in the Fires in Eden series, Spirit of Fire, is richly imagined epic fantasy with a diverse ensemble of characters that offers a new world to explore for readers who enjoy large-scale tales along the likes of George R.R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson, Steven Erikson, and J.R.R. Tolkien.
To enter the giveaway, please fill out the Rafflecopter entry form below.
This giveaway is open to Canada/US only until 12:01 AM EST on July 6, 2012.
May 29 Fantasy Book Review
May 30 Ginger Nuts of Horror
May 31 Mom Cat's Gateway Book Blog http://alexxmomcatsgatewaybookblog.blogspot.com
June 1 Splash of Our Worlds
June 2 Soliloquy
June 3 Ritesh Kala's Book Review
June 4 Jess Resides Here
June 5 Reading Away the Days
June 6 Vilutheril Reviews
June 7 A Daydreamer's Thoughts
June 8 Red Headed Book Worm
June 9 Lisa's World of Books
June 10 Kentucky Geek Girl
June 11 Goatfairy Review Blog
June 12 Book and Movie Dimension Blog
June 13 Full Moon Bites
June 14 Stuck in Books
June 15 The Independent Review
June 15 Alchemy of Scrawl
June 16 Watch Play Read
June 17 A Book Vacation
June 18 Eva's Sanctuary
June 19 That Book Place Blog
June 20 Edi's Book Lighthouse
June 21 SpecMusicMuse
June 22 Once Upon a Time
June 23 Azure Dwarf Horde of Sci-Fi & Fantasy
June 24 Bad Girls, Good Guys, and Two-Fisted Action http://seanhtaylor.blogspot.com
June 25 Eden Road Blog
June 25 Ali's Bookshelf (live podcast)
June 26 Workaday Reads
http://www.workadayreads.com
June 27 Bookishly Me
June 28 Earth's Book Nook
June 29 Darlene's Book Nook
June 30 The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia
July 1 Evie Bookish
July 2 Urban Fantasy Reviews
July 3 The Cabin Goddess
July 4 TheSci-Fi Guys Book Review
July 5 The Speculative Salon
July 6 Ali's Bookshelf
July 7 Bunny's Review
July 8 Bee's Knees Reviews
July 9 In the Dark of Night with James Tuck
July 10 Eden Road Radio (live podcast)
July 11 A Few Words
July 12 Bab's Book Bistro
July 13 Alchemy of Scrawl (live podcast)
July 14 Babs Book Bistro (live podcast)
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There wasn't an extra space to put my goodreads name, but it is Lisa Cox.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the wonderful giveaway
My GoodReads name is Carl R. Scott
ReplyDeleteDarlene: Thanks for hosting me on this post, I really was happy with how this one turned out.
ReplyDeleteLisa and Carl: Thanks for participating and reading the post! :)
Follow Stephen's Blog and Seventh Star Press on GFC as Anita Yancey.
ReplyDeleteayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net