Inspiration for Cat

   Some of you readers may already know this, but I had one of my short stories published as an podiobook (podcast audiobook) through the Untold Podcast. (You can find the story, titled Cat, here.) Because of this awesome occasion, I decided to talk about some of the inspiration for that story, what themes I was trying to convey, and how I tried to make the story the best it could be. So, if you haven't already, you may want to listen to the story (it's free, after all) and then come back here and read the inspiration behind it. Or, if you prefer to do things backwards, you can read about the story and then listen to the story itself. One warning, however: there will probably be spoilers ahead. Fair warning.
   

How do I Review a Story?

   The pain of writing a weekly blog is forcing oneself to put out content week after week. There are weeks I just don't feel it. And then there are weeks that I want to write something, but I don't really know what to write. So I'm just going to write what's on my mind. Today, that is reviewing things.
   

Interview with Joel A. Parisi

Yesterday, I had the privilege of interviewing Joel A. Parisi, author of Shadow Play. It was quite interesting for me, and I hope you enjoy it.

Jesse Rice: Hello Joel Parisi. Welcome to my blog. Can you tell a little bit about yourself?

Joel A. Parisi: Sure! I'm a writer, editor, and all-around geek who lives in Tucson, Arizona. I've been writing for the past eight years, but only recently have I actually begun to produce quality work. Shadow Play, my debut novelette, is the first thing I've felt was good enough to self-publish and promote.

Jesse Rice: What first caused you to become interested in writing?

Joel A. Parisi: Hmm.... I would have to say it was Star Wars. My first attempt at writing a novel (which failed miserably) was driven by my somewhat misguided desire to make 'a Christian Star Wars.' But then, I was only twelve at the time.

Jesse Rice: Would you say science fiction is your favorite genre, then?

JAP: Science fiction and fantasy have to share, actually. *laughs* I love both genres for different reasons, but I love them about equally.

JR: In which genre do you prefer to write?

JAP: Again, I split my time about equally between sci-fi and fantasy. (And yes, I consider supervillains to be science fiction, at least the way I write them.)

JR: On that note, can you tell me a little bit about Shadow Play?

JAP: Absolutely. It's a bit of a mashup between your usual superhero/supervillain fare and modern action, specifically black ops. The story revolves around Paul Cantref, an ex-Army Ranger who's been recruited by the Supervillain Handling, Research And Intervention Department (SHRAID) to kill supervillains. He's assigned to lead a team into a very volatile situation in the field, and has to deal with his own insecurities while holding the team together and (hopefully) managing to kill their target.

JR: Sounds interesting. Now, from what I've heard, you are writing in a shared universe. Can you tell me a bit about that?

JAP: Yeah, that's a very interesting part of this experience.... basically, Katie Lynn Daniels started publishing a series of novelettes last year which dealt with the aftermath of the "Supervillain Outbreak" on Earth and the efforts of an alien trained to kill supervillains. She licensed the series under Creative Commons, which means (for me) the universe is open for others to contribute. She had mentioned in passing that the US had a "superhero" program (and one of the central conceits of the series is that superheroes don't exist). My reaction was "Well, we wouldn't be THAT stupid, would we? No, it must be a cover for something else." And so the idea for SHRAID was born.

I talked to Katie about the idea and she was game to not only endorse my writings, but accept them as canon within the universe. And we may be doing a crossover (eventually) where our main characters run into each other....

JR: So how closely tied is SHRAID to Supervillain of the Day?

JAP: Good question. We're still not really sure ourselves.... I know that major events (such as Katie's Season Two finale, and my series finale [sorry, no spoilers!]) will be cross-referenced. But as far as the average reader is concerned, you don't need to be intimately familiar with her series to enjoy mine, or vice versa. Though if you are familiar, you'll notice a few easter eggs.

JR: Sounds fascinating. From what I've read, your series seems to have a story arc over the entire series. After reading Supervillain of the Day, my biggest complaint was the episodic nature of the series. What caused you to choose a different route?

JAP: Well, I should mention that Katie's series does have a unified arc-- it's just a really long one.

I honestly don't think I consciously chose to go a different route. But then again, I've always enjoyed long epics, featuring a meta-story spread over several volumes, so I think I may have just automatically slipped into that mode of storytelling. And then there is the fact that I tend to write plot first, while Katie tends to write characters first. So you'll see that the plot is, to me, the most important consideration (and hopefully my characters don't suffer too much as a result.)

JR: So what are some of your favorite epic stories?

JAP: The Lord of the Rings, of course (including The Hobbit and The Silmarillion). Also the Dune saga, Asimov's Robots and Empire series, The Wheel of Time, Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive, and Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen.

JR: What about favorite authors? Do you find your own writings are patterned after a particular person's writing style?

JAP: Ah, that's a question a lot of authors get. For me, no. I read, and have read, so much that no one author has really 'defined' my voice.

That said, aside from the authors I mentioned above, some of my favorites are Timothy Zahn, CS Lewis, Terry Pratchett, Orson Scott Card, Christopher Paolini, Madeline L'Engle, Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens.... yeah, I could write a several-page-long list of those.

JR: What are your plans for future novels?

JAP: Cue sinister laughter. 

In all seriousness, though, I have the next five novelettes for SHRAID to finish before I can really think of doing more. But I do have some ideas.... There's a three-part (or maybe just two-part) fantasy/sci-fi mashup that's been percolating in the back of my head for about a year now. It involves a pair of opposed but complimenting magic systems (dealing with matter and energy), an isolated colony world, and universe-ending danger. And then I also have an idea for a standalone sci-fi novel dealing with an invasion precipitated by extra-dimensional Lovecraftian aliens.

JR: Well, with that to think on, I think I've taken up enough of your time. Thank you very much for allowing me to interview you. I hope your writing endeavors continue to go well. How can my readers find you on the internet?

JAP: Not a problem! Thanks for the interview.

They can check out my website, joelaparisi.com; and they can also check out my Facebook page (facebook.com/joelaparisi), follow me on Twitter (twitter.com/authorjoelap), and they can find Shadow Play for sale on Amazon and the Createspace eStore.

JR: Thank you very much. Have a nice day!

The Point

   Two weeks ago I talked about why I don't like message-less stories. I mentioned that a reader likes to think while they read. At that point, I nearly said, "The point of a story is to make you think."
   Yet, I wasn't sure if that was completely true. I knew that the point of a parable was to explain an idea through story. The main point there was the idea, and the story was just a mechanism to explain it. Yet, what was the point of story? Logically, I eventually fell upon the idea that the point of story is to tell a story. That seems obvious. And it is. Yet, the point of a story is not that simple.
   A story tells us the story of a person. Or it tells us what happened at a certain time. It chronicles the stories of those in history. Or it takes us somewhere to other worlds. The point of a story is to tell a story, to explore themes through story, to show us what life is, was, or will be like.
   And yet, the story in itself is not an entity. Few people like a novel for the story alone (though if there is a bad story, that decreases a novel's enjoyment considerably). A novel must also have compelling characters in that story. Throwing a character into an action scene may grab a reader's attention, but why should they care about the character if they don't know him or her? Again, why should a reader care about a character if life is just cookies and roses? There must be conflict to a story and deep characters inside the story.
   That is what makes up a good story, but what is the point of the story in itself? The point is to tell the story. And this is where the truly difficult part comes in, because I want to get a theme across. I want to show a character's redemption. I want to make the reader gasp as I reveal a shocking twist. I want a good story, good characters, and a strong theme. And yet, if I exalt one of those elements above the others, I have something that has a great theme, but lousy characters. Or I have a great story, but its pointless and soon forgotten. Or I have marvelous characters in a plot that doesn't make much sense. The balance is the most difficult, yet the most vital part of the story.
   The point of a story is to find a way to tell a good story, explore a good theme, and detail how real people would react in those situations. There's no one to exalt above the others, and that is the point.

Any thoughts? What do you think is the point of a story?

The Problem with Message-less Story

   Last week I wrote about Message-Fueled Stories. This week its about Message-less stories. Why is this necessary? Because sometimes it is easy to read something and agree with it and say, "Okay, from now on I'll have no message in my stories whatsoever." If that's what you're thinking... think a bit more.

   Really. Think. That's one of the main reasons of story in the first place: to make one think. I like stories. Sure, sometimes I want a fun story like a comic book (not that comic books don't make you think). Most of the time, however, I want something to dig my teeth into. Something that makes me stop reading and stare off into space for a few minutes. Something that makes me go "UGH!" when the main character has to make a tough choice. Those are the stories I remember, not the silly superhero cartoons or cute cat novels (not that there's something wrong with superheroes or cats, some stories containing such elements are quite good).

   Take an example: The Missing Kitten. There's no obvious moral. However, if I looks closer, I hope I'll recognize a story peppered with sacrifice, thoughts on friendship, perfection, and redemption. You might not find much on each topic, but it can be found if one looks hard enough.

   Why put messages into stories? For the simple reason that a reader likes to think when they read. And the best way to make a reader think is through a story. Yes, non-fiction helps people to think, but it is not as easy to immerse yourself in a collection of musings. This is why story is important. What about thoughtless story? Sure, those superhero cartoons are fun for a time. But who really wants to watch a man smash stuff all day long, seven days a week? If all there is is cool CGI (or artistry) and dumb jokes, then what's the point? There's no reason to make the reader, or viewer, return for more. At some point the reader must invest an interest in the story, and one of the best ways is to make the reader think.
   To sum up, put a message in your story, but don't be overt and preachy (because that is a parable, not a story).

   What are your thoughts? Do you like to think when you watch/read? Or would you rather watch/read something which requires little thought?

The Problem with Message-Fueled Story

   I recently read a blog post by Joel A. Parisi on Art, specifically writing. In the blog post, something he said struck me: "When Art is treated as a vehicle for a message, its beauty and effectiveness is lost." This made me think. Partly because I disagreed with him and partly because, deep inside, I found a sense of truth in his words. I don't like stories that preach at me; a story whose sole reason for existence is to proclaim a message. Not that stories with messages are bad (those are actually the best kind), but when a story is only a vehicle for a message something about it is lost.
   In the weeks since I read that blog, I have continued to ruminate on this topic. Why is there such dislike of preachiness? What is wrong with the message-fueled story? This idea moved to the forefront of my thoughts when I acted out the skit of The Wise and Foolish Builders in front of my church. Acting it out, I teasingly asked what my motivation was. Then, as I acted out the Bible verses, I realized that this story was severely lacking. There was little character development, the plot was exceedingly simple, yet it is revered as a good story. Many of Jesus' parables, in fact, are held in such esteem, despite their preachiness and lack of depth. What causes Jesus' stories to be so amazing and modern 'parables' to be so... blah?
   I propose that the problem nowadays is a marketing problem. Modern day parables are not presented as such. In fact, most stories which might make good parables are not because they are presented as stories. In a story, we want a character we can follow and a plot that interests us. However, with a parable we want to see an idea played out in a narrative. For example, many of Jesus' parables are presented like this: "The Kingdom of God is like..." and then he would proceed to describe the Kingdom through a narrative. 
   How are our 'parables' different? For one, we proclaim them as story rather than as a parable. And we do not give the reader the idea we are trying to describe (one might call it the thesis of the novel, which is to be presented at the beginning of the story and given closing remarks at the end). As such, the reader expects a compelling story and instead is turned away with merely a fleshing out of an idea. This causes the reader to dislike the story, rather than processing the idea which the story was supposed to have presented.
   So what is the problem with message-fueled story? The fact that it is interpreted as story, rather than parable. If it were understood as a parable, the audience would not be disappointed by expecting something which the story was never trying to achieve in the first place. 

A Prize Winning Drabble

   Near the end of last year, Holyworlds held a contest. The goal was to write the best historical fiction drabble (an exactly 100 word story). I entered this contest.
   Now, Holyworlds has finally put up the winners on their blog. I received Second Place (winning a lovely bookmark and computer background) with my drabble 'Run'. You can find it here. I hope you enjoy my prize winning drabble.

The Case of the Missing Girl - Part 1

   How did the Kitten Mysteries come to be? That's a very good question, and one which I'll answer more in depth on Wednesday (that is the day for Kitten Mysteries related stuff. This is just the day for fiction!)

   Here's the original story that gave birth to the Kitten Mysteries series, The Missing Kitten in particular.

     The Case of the Missing Girl

By Jesse Rice

 

Chapter One

The Lion and the Panther

   I, the black panther, crept up on the giant lion. It was attacking a poor, helpless female tiger. I crept up behind the monster and leapt at him. I got him! I pulled him away from the tiger and swatted him in the face.

   "Ow!" Butch, the lion, yelped. "Rambo! Stop hitting me!" I stared at my brother. He was no longer a giant lion, now he was only a yellow kitten.

   "Oh, sorry," I replied. "I thought you were attacking a female tiger. No offense, Spot." Spot purred and licked her paw. Butch glared at me.

   "Stop letting your imagination run wild!" Butch growled, "Or I will be a giant lion and attack the puny, little panther!" He growled and scampered away. I sighed and turned back to Spot. She was still licking her front-right paw.

   I rolled my eyes and whispered: "Vanity." I walked away from the front of the cheese plant and walked into the parlor. I looked up at the bars where the cows were milked and saw Caesar growling at Barkley. I decided to put myself into action as Sheriff Rambo, Protector of ----- Farm. I ran up the hill and hissed at Caesar.

   Now look here, good sirs," I said in a western voice, "why don't you just come over here and talk about your argument for a moment."

   "Get out!" Caesar barked.

   "Careful, kid," Barkley growled at me, "This character's shady." Immediately I knew what to do. I jumped up into the feed trough and leapt down on Caesar.

   "Yee-haw, cowboy!" I meowed. "Yee-haw!" Caesar leapt into the air and I twisted away from his biting jaws.

   "Missed me, missed me!" I taunted.

   "I said get out!" Caesar roared and I flew off his back. I ran out the door and into the hay barn.

   "Hi, Rambo," Seabert squeaked. I looked at him, playfully stern.

   "That's 'Sheriff Rambo' to you," I giggled. Seabert grew serious.

   "Can I be depty?" he asked.

   "You mean 'deputy'?" I asked. He nodded.

   "Can I?" he asked again.

   "You may," I replied. "Let's go check out the calves!" Seabert and I ran up to the hay bales and climbed onto them. We looked down at the gigantic calves.

   "This is agent 525 Rambo," I whispered.

   "This is agent 697 Seabert," Seabert whispered.

   "This is agent 220 Butch," Butch whispered, appearing from nowhere. "I love playing spy." We crept up on the evil-calf monsters.

 

Come back next Monday to read the second of the five part series The Case of the Missing Girl.

The Missing Kitten

I was out weedwacking today (yes, I was literally wacking weeds), when I came up with all sorts of ideas for the second book in The Kitten Mysteries series. It's gonna be great! Seabert's going to...
What's that? You don't know about the first book in the series? Oh. I suppose I should start at the beginning then:

The Missing Kitten is a book about cats. Rambo is one of the main characters. He's a fun-loving cat with a great imagination. When he finds out that his friend Seabert the kitten, is missing, he figures not too much is wrong. Sometimes kittens go exploring, no big deal. Yet, when he looks into it, he finds that it is a big deal. A kitten turns up dead and Rambo must work and sacrifice to save his friend, and more, from destruction.

Sound interesting? I hope so, because it's coming out soon. That's right, my book is coming out sometime in early July. There, I said it, now I must be held to it. The Missing Kitten will be out by early July. I hope you're ready.