3 Tornados destroyed our house

This is a true story, but not one for the faint of heart. It is one where parents can understand the deep emotions, but only grandparents can truly feel the gut-wrenching heartache of such overpowering feelings.

It all started last weekend when the kids were coming for a visit with their three children. Our granddaughters were of the ages 2, 4, and 6. Precious and wondrous ages that allows them to see magic and excitement in the most commonplace items and events. Their long day had been filled with multiple stops and one of our wonderful grandchildren getting carsick all over the inside of the vehicle less than a third of the way into the trip. Movies and video games were not enough to distract them from the long tedious three-hour drive to our home and they suffered every last minute of it.

Cooped up for such a dangerous amount of time, those three loves exploded with energy when they arrived. Life was good. Life was golden. All was right in our world as we rejoiced that our grandchildren had arrived.

But those moments were short lived as a storm approached. We could feel the energy in the house change as the dogs began to cower with fear as we finished hanging up the jackets and hauling in the suitcases. I suddenly realized it was quiet. Too quiet. And then it began…

Our large blue exercise ball came bouncing down the stairs, chasing one to the dogs while gleeful cheers cried from above. By the time I raced over to the base of the staircase Monopoly money was raining down from above. Clearly they remembered where the workout/playroom was. Heading up the steps I screamed in pain as I stepped barefoot upon dozens of dice that had been tossed down the steps, landing strategically in the right places to prevent an invasion from below.

Mustering up the courage and fortitude to go on, I avoided the majority of dice landmines and headed into the workout room to find the treadmill running, games pulled out & dumped on the floor, and a large puzzle already been started. But no children were in sight. They had vanished, nowhere to be found… at least until I heard the large Jacuzzi tub in the master bedroom begin to fill up.

Sprinting down the hallway, I found various sized Lego pieces cutting into my feet and toes. But I couldn’t stop. Too much was on the line. I had just turned up the hot water heater too high that morning to ensure everyone’s showers would be warm enough. The kids could get burnt!

Tripping my way into the bedroom, I bounced off the doorframe and onto the floor where I rolled to the tub and slapped the hot water off. It was then that I was startled to notice that all three of our little Tasmanian Devils were standing over me holding a different DVD that they each wanted to watch immediately. Overwhelmed by the moment I made an executive decision and placed the youngest on the bed and turned on the TV while telling the other two to meet me back in the workout/play room. I figured I would have them clean up the playroom before I started the other two videos. I had finally gathered my wits about me and I was now back under control.

Pressing play, I turned to the bed only to find the youngest gone along with her older sisters. Leaving the movie playing, I raced out into the hallway, forgetting about the Legos until it was too late, and back into the workout room. The TV was turned on to the Disney channel, board games were scattered about, coloring books were open, and crayons apparently had exploded from their holders and scattered themselves about the room.

It was as if we had been hit by an F3 tornado. I was just thankful that we all survived the first 15 minutes until my wife came up and herded the kids downstairs for a treat. It was then that I sat on the floor with my back against the wall and gazed upon the destruction. After a moment to myself I started laughing at the entire event. My wife came up later to find me coloring in one of the coloring books.

Comic Con Booth Art

One of the key elements of marketing at any Comic Con convention is drawing people’s attention to your booth. To do this it’s critical to have the proper art that immediately informs the potential customer as to what genre the merchandise is. If it’s not instantly obvious or interesting they may not take a second glance. This is even more true on websites as you have less than a few seconds to grab someone’s attention to have them take a few moments to see what it’s all about.

At my first Comic Con, I had a banner that read, “Epic Fantasy Adventures”. I thought this phrase made it very clear, but it was obvious from the faces that glanced my way that many people were very confused. The words themselves weren’t enough. I needed something more. Fantasy was a buzz-word that reaches from Steampunk to Sci-Fi to Historical to High fantasy. Heck, all of Comic-Con is “Fantasy!”

Okay, lesson learned. I invested in purchasing some black and white art from a local up-and-coming artist. We made a deal that if he read the books I would purchase 8 pieces of art from him of whatever scenes he wanted from each book. In addition, I would also purchase at least 2 pieces of art that I wanted, which is usually a specific character.

I then took these black ink illustrations and scanned them in and opened them into Photoshop. Okay, it’s Photoshop elements 6. Okay, okay, stop laughing and let it go. I’ll upgrade at some point. Anyway, I then take these images and add color, shading, and texture until I have a finished character. Then the fun starts…

I search for backdrop scenes such as mountains, forests, or old city streets. Once I find something I’m looking for, I then take these painted characters and place them into the scene. I then will add a bit more shadows and perhaps a refection in water. I’ll also lighten up clothes and skin that is near a light source. And before I know it, I have a scene that quickly identifies my genre and what my realm feels like within my books.

This has been very helpful and I know I still have so much more to learn in the area of marketing, but I definitely am pleased at the results of the art. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I will always have at least one person at every convention that will still walk up to my booth and ask, “So, what are you guys selling?” to which I will reply with an honest and trusting face, “My signature. It comes with a free book.”

Comic Con Virgins

It was a cold February morning in Wisconsin when I pulled up to the loading docks of the convention center after a lonely two hour drive. Not knowing what to expect, I felt like a kid arriving at Disney World for the first time. Anxieties of the unknown swirled in my head as I questioned if I had what it took to have a booth at Comic Con. Were my books good enough? Would my booth appear overly amateur compared to all the others? Who was I to think I could play with the big boys?

Pushing my cart, filled with boxes of books, my head twisted back and forth as I gazed upon the professional displays along my journey to the far end of the room. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing…except for me, and I’m sure it was obvious. I was dork among geeks and nerds.

Arriving at my booth, I instantly noticed my company name banner proudly displayed on my table. Of course it was spelled wrong, which gave me a chuckle. In a way it felt appropriate seeing that most people had never heard of me or my books. Oh well, perhaps they would by the end of the convention.

After unpacking my boxes, I set out my books for display. Then I proudly set up my one and only vertical display, a 30” wide scrolling banner that extended 6 feet high. It was then that I looked at the booths surrounding me with full 8 to 10 foot wide displays of art and t-shirts along with table top fixtures and shelves to show off their products. Flashing lights were being hung and iPads were set up to display video demonstrations of how their products were created. As I stood there in awe, one of the convention workers approached with a 10’ tall pole to ensure none of the displays exceeded the 10’ maximum height requirement. As she reached my booth with her long measuring device ready, she smiled at my 6’ tall banner and said, “I think you’re within regulations.”

I laughed at her words and then at how silly my display was compared the others. I truly was out of my element and had jumped into this pool with both feet…and I’m so glad I did. I opened up to the other vendors and they were more than willing to help me with ideas of how to make my booth better next time. By the end of the first day we moved my 6’ display up on the 3’ high table so people could see it and the convention people had printed and installed a new (correctly spelled) sign. Things were looking up!

A few of my kids showed up and helped run the booth on 2 of the 3 days. We had the opportunity fist-bump Lou Ferrigno every morning (The original Incredible Hulk), have a beer with George Wendt (Norm on Cheers) one night after the convention, and hang out and chat with Grant Bowler (Star of Defiance). We met so many great fans and saw such fantastic costumes, and yes we sold a ton of books. It was an absolute success, even though I was a Comic Con virgin with less than impressive booth displays. Apparently all you need is the belief in yourself and willingness to laugh at your weaknesses to be successful.

Weapon of choice…

In today’s world of fantasy and heroes, their weapons and items can take on a life of their own. Green Lantern’s ring, Thor’s hammer, all of the oversized crazy weapons in anime and cartoons, and so on. King Arthur had Excalibur, Bilbo had the one ring, and so on. So when building a fantasy adventure I asked myself what was the weapon of choice for my hero, what would it do, and how could I ensure it wasn’t the key to the protagonist’s success.

Let’s start with that last statement. If the protagonist has an item or weapon of great power and it is the actual item that is the key to the success of the story plots, then the reader will lose their drive to cheer for the actual character. Heck, the next character could pick the item up and do just as well with all that magical power embedded in the weapon. So, the item needed to have power, but not a power that would key to the overall success. Usually the item is in the form of a weapon or able to help do battle with their opponents. However, some are more passive, such as Bilbo’s ring allowed him to hide in plain sight, and I decided to go this route.

I wanted to have my protagonist, Thorik, use his brains and moral compass to outwit his opponents and overcome his challenges. His weapon of choice was a sack of various Runestones, each having a different passive play to manipulate physics, see what others cannot, clear the air, and so on. In a way, it would be up to Thorik to determine if any of his Runestones could help, and if so, which one?

These specially crafted ancient stones have a mystical history of their own. Few know where they came from and fewer yet know why they were created in the first place. Thorik knows neither. However, he does know that his parents died in a mudslide while finding them for him. Thorik’s grandmother, Gluic, knows more than she is letting on, and has been training him how to tap into their powers.

The abilities of these Runestones are divulged to the reader one or two per book. So each story you learn a bit more and get closer to understanding what they truly are and why it was more than just destiny that they fell into Thorik’s hands.

To kill or not to kill…

As a writer of epic fantasy adventure, I’m often faced with the question of whether or not a key character should be allowed to die. This is a simple question that is sometimes very difficult to answer.

In an age of readers who have been tainted with the blood of their favorite characters from Game of Thrones, it is not as shocking to have a key character to be wiped clear of future storyline. In fact, it’s now almost expected.

But here’s the rub. We’ve invested a lot into these characters. And when I say we, I mean all of us. The reader has created a bond with the character, whether it be love, hate, envy, respect, or empathy. A true relationship is formed as the reader grows to look forward to seeing (reading) what they will do next and eventually the reader starts anticipating their very next move. They know the character so well that the writer has now given a nonverbal oath to the reader to keep them consistent and true to their established moral compass, regardless which way it points. At that point, is it proper to rupture such a union in an effort to create mystery again in the storyline and character’s future? If they can’t be changed, must they die?

The writer has also made an investment by creating more backstory than you’ll ever know. They have spent the time to learn this character’s traits so well that the scenes nearly write themselves when these imaginary beings steal the scene without the author’s consent. At times it’s hard to control them from taking the story into a completely unrelated course, veering from the plot. Stopping them would cause readers to jolt back from the book in disgust that this specific character would have never gone down that path… But is that enough of a reason to kill, yes murder, a character for the crime of being what I created? Is it his/her fault that I, the writer, lost control of them?

So, it’s a tug of war of logic and emotions when ending the life of someone that never existed prior to the writer’s imagination kicking in. And yet, where there is life there is death. Eventually I’ve come to terms with this by utilizing the following concept… “Never murder or destroy any life force or emotional being for shock value. However, if killing a main character supports, enhances, and adds value to the plots of the book and the overall series, then let the knife fall.”

Series Finale. What’s the Big Frick’n deal?

The sixth and final book (Plea of Avanda) of the Thorik Dain series within the Altered Creature world has been released. I know to most people it won’t mean anything. To the fans of the series it will be the highlight to the series that will drive many of them to want to start all over at book one, Fate of Thorik, in order to find all the hidden Easter Eggs that had been placed within the books.

To me, it means saying goodbye to some dear friends. I’ve been developing some of these characters for over 30 years now. Little notes on ripped up pieces of paper, paycheck stubs, back of receipts, or anything I could get a hold of when an idea popped into my head about the characters and situations they would deal with.

Boxes of these little half-baked concepts on various paper products had collected for 20 years before I finally dumped them onto my concrete basement floor and began sorting them all out. Starting with this heaping pile of scrap paper, over the next 2 years I compiled around 5000 years of history, family trees for all the critical historical figures, migrations of civilizations, evolution of creatures, rise and fall of rulers and their followers, around 40 stories critical to this new world, and backstories for all of the main characters within the stories.

A large encyclopedia was typed up and the 6 novel series about Thorik Dain was chosen to be the first to become real. This was an easy choice, seeing that a few of the main characters had been with me since the 70’s & 80’s. I knew Thorik, Ambrosius, and Grewen as well as I knew myself. Back in those days we played Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and they were all part of various campaigns.

So, I spent three decades thinking to myself, how would Thorik get out of this, or what would Ambrosius do in this situation, or how would Grewen defuse this situation. And now I ask myself, how will I say goodbye to Thorik after he’s been such a large part of my thoughts. It’s bitter sweet. I’m so proud to know his adventure has come to a noble conclusion, and yet I will miss the opportunities to place him in situations that no one should ever be placed in. He will be missed…

Going forward, however, I still have more series to write within the Altered Creatures world. I have the series about Ambrosius as well as stories of the Del’Unday & Dragon Wars, the E’rudite & Alchemist War, and so many more. Yes, my friend Thorik will be missed, but he has helped me build a strong foundation for all of the stories yet to come.

Thank you, Thorik.

Finding my voice

It was an odd feeling the first time an author gave me the advice to spend time finding my voice. What could they have possibly meant? I have a voice and have had one for more years than I can recall. I used to perform my own homegrown plays for the neighborhood parents before I could even ride a bike. I was a natural entertainer who took nine years of theater and dance. I’ve performed on local TV, at Disney World, Sea World, and even at a NFL half-time. I’ve given training speeches to thousands of people. How could that author possible suggest that I need to find my voice?

So, with my ego in full bloom, I tossed a few more chips on my shoulder and began my writing career. Ready to prove everyone wrong, I feverishly cranked out dozens and then hundreds of pages of garage. Not only did I not have a solid voice, it wasn’t even entertaining to me.

Once I finally got over myself, I realized that I needed to find my own style. It had to feel right and comfortable. Something that was exciting with some clever humor threaded in, but nothing silly. I wanted my words to flow easy so that readers didn’t have to work hard to follow the stories. At the same point, I wanted enough mystery that readers searching for more could find hidden meanings within the text. Basically, I wanted something that I would enjoy reading.

Simple enough! Problem solved…except for the skills to deliver. This came with time. Just like any professional athlete, it takes training to get what you want, which is why I wrote the Thorik Dain fantasy adventure series. Readers will not only follow Thorik on his quests, but they will get a glimpse at my journey to improve my story techniques. I am really proud of those first few books in the series, even though I know the last three are even better. But I couldn’t have found my voice without taking that time to train and hone my skills on those first.

My advice to all new writers, take the time to improve your abilities by writing as much as possible in as many venues as you can. Submit stories and poems into contest, not to win, but to push yourself to get better. Just keep writing and you’ll find your voice. You’ll know it once you find it.

Interview with Grewen

An interview with Grewen, by Anthony G. Wedgeworth, author of the Altered Creatures fantasy adventures.

I’ve been looking forward to this interview for quite some time. However, we’ve had some logistical issues with how he was going to get through a standard size doorway. Once we were able to knock out a part of a wall and replace it with a large overhead dock door, our problem was solved. At least until the twelve foot tall mognin arrived and we had no place for him to sit.

AGW: “I apologize for not having a chair large enough for you. I was so focused on just getting you in here that I completely forgot about your other needs.”

Grewen: With a slight grin, he waited for me to calm down enough to begin the interview.

AGW: “My first question is; mognins are usually pacifist, so how did you get involved supporting Ambrosius’ war against Darkmere?”

Grewen: “Do you mind if I sit on floor? I keep bumping my head against the ceiling.” His low voice was soft and calming.

AGW: “Please do. I want all my guests to be comfortable.”

Grewen: “After reading your prior interviews, I would speculate that your last statement isn’t exactly true.”

AGW: “I don’t know what you mean?”

Grewen: “You know what I mean. And why all the smoke and mirrors with interviewing characters you created? Are you attempting to expose some of your own personal internal issues through them?”

AGW: “Not at all. I simply thought that fans of the book series would enjoy getting to know the entire cast better.”

Grewen: “It’s okay. I can tell from your writing that you’re not a shallow man. You have depth of feelings that could easily be hurt. If it’s more therapeutic for you to release your challenges by placing them in one of us, I understand.”

AGW: “Seriously, that’s not what’s happening here. I’m fine. There are no dark hidden secrets that have plagued my life which I now feel compelled to get off my chest.”

Grewen: His large grin returned as he nodded for me to continue.

AGW: “OKAY! OKAY! I was a young impressionable child. All I wanted was chocolate cake for my birthday! Was that too much to ask?!”

Grewen: “Perhaps you are shallower than I had given you credit for.”

Interview with Ambrosius (Conflict with Alchemist)

An interview with Ambrosius, by Anthony G. Wedgeworth, author of the Altered Creatures fantasy adventures.

In my last blog, Ambrosius had just finished explaining to us the difference between E’rudites and Alchemist. And as enlightening as it was, I have yet to receive the chocolate cake we had discussed.

AGW: “It’s no secret that there is a major rift between the E’rudites and the Alchemists within the Altered Creatures realm. Can you explain why?”

Ambrosius: “There are many reasons. However, the fundamental issue is that the E’rudites spend years not only studying the techniques needed, but they also learn the responsibility that comes with such power. Alchemists establish spells and sometimes even embed these spells within objects for future activation. Those using such magical objects need not to learn anything more than how to active it. It can be easily misused by even the most unskilled creatures.”

AGW: “Are you referring to Avanda? She’s definitely a danger to everyone around her whenever she lost her temper. Ever since your battle with Sharcodi, she has used the components in his purse of magic and has taught herself a great deal of sorcery.”

Ambrosius: “She has Sharcodi’s magical components? I’ve warned Avanda and Thorik to stay away from enchanted items!”

AGW: “Yes. I remember. However, she failed to heed your advice. Instead, she has done just the opposite and has immersed herself into the field of illusions and witchcraft.”

Ambrosius: “As the author of her fate, why did you not stop her? You know the dangers that could await them.”

AGW: “I felt it was a calculated risk to see how far she would take it before she destroyed those she loved most.”

Ambrosius: “Writing brings out the dark side of you, doesn’t it?”

AGW: “I like to think so.”

Interview with Ambrosius (about Magic)

An interview with Ambrosius, by Anthony G. Wedgeworth, author of the Altered Creatures fantasy adventures.

My interview continued with Ambrosius long into the night. His calm and firm convictions came off without arrogance or ego, but sometimes lacked the compassion that Thorik may have brought to the subjects. Eventually we discontinued out discussion of politics and moved to something I was more interested in, the powers of an E’rudite.

AGW: “Not everyone comprehends the difference between the E’rudites and the Alchemist. Can you help our audience understand the dissimilarity?”

Ambrosius: “Certainly. It takes great discipline for an E’rudite to sharpen his thoughts to focus on the unseen forces of nature in order to utilize its powers to his or her desires. We must feel the harmonics of the energy around us in order to harness them.”

AGW: “And how is that different from an Alchemist.”

Ambrosius: “Alchemist study and utilize various objects, movements, and sounds that possess attributes of nature. When combined properly, the outcome of such sequenced amalgamations results in what they refer to as a spell.”

AGW: “So, you E’rudites can cast spells without using objects?”

Ambrosius: “No. We don’t cast spells. We harness the energy of our environment.”

AGW: “I thought Alchemist harness those same energies as well.”

Ambrosius: “No, they utilize components that are embedded with specific energies. They don’t truly understand how it works; only that it does.”

AGW: “It still sounds similar.”

Ambrosius: “Let me explain it this way. If we were baking a cake, an Alchemist would add flour to make it rise. Even though he did not know why flour truly caused this affect, he knew he could count on it each and every time. On the other hand, an E’rudite would cause the cake to rise without flour because he understood how to influence the nature of the event.”

AGW: “Oh, I love a good chocolate cake. Multilevel with frosting between each one of them. Perhaps you could use your culinary E’rudite powers to whip one of those up for me.”

Ambrosius: “I seriously doubt that will happen any time soon.”