Karina Teaches Worldbuilding – Lesson 6

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Over this year, Karina is going to share some of her writing seminars on the blog, with the lessons and references for further study. We’ll be posting these once a month. There’s no assigned homework, but if you have questions, please ask them in the comments. Her first workshop is worldbuilding. This is Lesson 6. Here are the links to Lesson 1, Lesson 2,  Lesson 3, Lesson 4, and Lesson 5.

Culture is roughly anything we do and the monkeys don’t.  –Lord Raglan

Probably even more important to your story than the history, military, or economic and political structure, is the culture. This adds spice to your story and defines your character. What do your characters do when they enter that universal pub that so many fantasy worlds have, or have to work with a new alien? Here you can find fertile ground for jokes, insults, conflict and even philosophical discussion.

Value System:

  • What are the values society treasures most? Leadership? Compliance? Ingenuity?
  • What are their attitudes toward children? The elderly? Lesser life forms (pets, wild animals, etc.)? The environment?
  • What’s considered success? Beauty? Intelligence?
  • What are good manners?

Education:

  • How much education do children get? Where do they receive it? How?
  • What topics are required? What are encouraged?
  • Do adults continue their education? Must they? Is education tied into promotions, or are native intelligence and natural skill more important?

Religion:

  • God: There’s no religion without a Higher Power (or powers, as the case may be.) Who or what are they outside of your people’s beliefs? (For convenience, I’ll refer to God as “He.” Of course, your world may consider God a she, it or something beyond gender.)
  • Believers: Religion must have followers. Who are they? What makes some of them more faithful than others? How do they experience their faith? Is your religion reserved for a certain section of the population? Is there a hierarchy of believers?
  • Relationship with God: What kind of God do these people believe in? How do they imagine Him, speak with Him, and believe He thinks about them (Loving? Wrathful? Jealous?) What does He want from them? Is He personal, like in the Christian religion, or some kind of encompassing force, like in the Jedi religion?
  • Method of communicating with God: Can they talk to God? Do they pray? Does He answer? If so, how? Does God grant graces or have special sacraments?
  • Method of worship: Is there organized group worship? If so, what are the rituals and requirements? Is it necessary?
  • Rules of living: What does God require of these people? What sacrifices does He ask? What rules of interacting with other sentients (or non-sentients) has He laid down? What commandments, laws, exhortations are there? What happens to those who do not live up to standards (heaven, hell, purgatory, mortal reward or punishment, etc.)? How does their religion deal with enemies—or aliens?
  • Spreading faith: Do they evangelize? Is faith instinctive or do they learn it? How do they grow spiritually? Are there rituals for spiritual growth?
  • Philosophy: How does their religion answer “Why?” Why is the sky blue? Why can I think and feel? Why do good or bad things happen? Why are we the way we are?
  • Record: How are the tenets of religion passed down? Is there a written (or equivalent) Word of God? Is it literal, allegorical, historical? What are the stories of their faith?
  • Roles: Are there prophets? Priests? Teachers? Saints? Angels? Demons?
  • Spirituality: How is it experienced? Expressed?
  • Symbology: What symbols does your religion have and what do they mean? A real-world example: if a red candle is lit in the sacristy (by the altar) of a Catholic church, it means Christ is physically present via the Consecrated Host. Symbols can be drawings or objects, gestures or words, clothing or constructs—but they all have (or had) meaning.

 Nit noids:

  • How are things named? Why?
  • What do people do for fun?
  • What are the bathrooms like?
  • How is their language structured? In my Dragon Eye, PI universe, the elves have a complex syntax and form of conversation: to say “Excuse me” is a ritual that involves recognizing the other person’s station in life compared to your own, the severity of the offence and several other factors.
  • What makes them laugh? Cry?

For More Reading:

A good way to come up with an alien culture is to read about new cultures and adapt it to your world. Read up on a place or religion you’re not familiar with.

Faith on the Edge of a Cliff – Thoughts of a Wyoming Catholic College Student – Episode 2

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Photo by clarita, morguefile.com

Photo by clarita, morguefile.com

Last month, I introduced this blog series by describing my enthusiastic discovery of Great Books schools, specifically Wyoming Catholic College, which I will be attending in the fall. This month, I bring up some common doubts and challenges I’ve encountered in advocating a classical, Catholic, liberal education.

The Great Books—or a great waste of time?

Over the past year or so, I’ve had many peers, relatives and adult friends ask me what I want to study in college. When I would reply I wanted to attend a Great Books school, their faces would typically go blank. After I would try to explain, their expressions might shift to a mild concern. What was a “Great Books school,” they’d ask? Why didn’t it have any majors—only a liberal arts degree? Wasn’t I worried about not being able to choose my own courses? What did I expect to do for a career, once I finished with this…unusual method of education?

I’ve had trouble explaining my motives fully to my concerned acquaintances. For the full explanation requires a pouring out of my heart. My desire to go to a Great Books school is so wrapped up in my faith, my love of truth and beauty, and my poetic view of the world, that it isn’t reducible to a single sentence—or even a single conversation. But I do want to address these doubts and questions—not least because they have crossed my mind as well. So I will attempt to answer them here, briefly.

  1. What is a Great Books school?

A Great Books college is one which presents an ordered, integrated curriculum, comprised of the reflective study of the works of the best writers, artists, philosophers and scientists of Western history. The purpose of this education is not only to teach the student about his cultural heritage, but to actually engage him in the conversation of his ancestors, on the perennial human questions: Why do we exist? Is there absolute truth? What is goodness? Who is God? And so on. From poetry to politics to metaphysics, a Great Books education nourishes the imagination, steels and disciplines the mind, and morally orders the soul.

There are a few secular institutions, such as St. John’s College in Annapolis, which still follow this purpose and curriculum. In the case of Wyoming Catholic College, of course, the traditional array of great authors is taught in the context of revealed Church doctrine. The ultimate purpose of the College is to set its students on the path to Heaven. That’s quite a mission statement.

  1. Why does a Great Books school have no majors—only a liberal arts degree?

In higher education today, specialization is rampant. Colleges typically only prepare students for a particular task in society—doctor, lawyer, technician, scientist, etc. Even the traditional humanities have become fragmented disciplines for specialists, tending towards the analytic. (An example: once in a public high school library I saw a poster advertising the school’s digital research tools. The poster displayed a rather bewildered Shakespeare sitting in front of a computer, wondering, “What are they saying about me now?” Right—because the study of Shakespeare is no longer about what Shakespeare has to say, but what specialized literary critics have to say about him.)

The purpose of a Great Books education is general education. These are the principles, the faculties, the insights, the common experience of all humanity. For we are human beings before we are workers of any kind. Catholic liberal education through the Great Books nourishes our uniting essence as free, rational creatures of God. If that doesn’t deserve (at least!) four years of study, I don’t know what does.

  1. Isn’t it troubling that Great Books students cannot choose their own courses?

Flannery O’Connor, writing on how literature classes ought to be taught, once quipped, “And if the student finds that this [teaching method] is not to his taste? Well, that is regrettable…His taste should not be consulted; it is being formed.”

In this light, the typical university’s lure of “self-directed education” is revealed as ridiculous. What right have I, the as-yet-uneducated student, to determine the form and content of my own learning? Humility is required for education—a joyful openness and zeal to wrestle with ideas one never would have considered on one’s own.

There is another advantage to taking the same exact same classes and reading the exact same books as every other student in the college. Common knowledge and interest form culture; when the common interest is the joyful pursuit of wisdom through the Great Books, a community of learners is born who really care about truth, beauty, and the practice of virtuous life. It is this kind of people who quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) change the world for the better.

  1. How does a Great Books school prepare the student for a stable career?

The primary purpose of a Great Books school is general education, not vocational training. That said, of course we all need to make a living, and to serve our fellow men. Technical training has a place. It is a good and useful one. But unless firmly fixed in a society with a strong moral order, even useful disciplines lose their ultimate meaning, opening doors to greed, exploitation, evil and suffering. We do need skillful men and women in our society, but first we need them to be good men and women.

I maintain that a liberal education not only teaches that necessary virtue, but it also lays the foundation for any and all vocational training a student may undergo after he graduates. Any career—medicine, business, education, the fine arts—requires for success a keen, disciplined mind, clear problem solving and communication skills, and a patient and persevering spirit. These qualities a Great Books school cultivates; it develops a person’s innate human potential, before sending him or her to a particular task in society.

In conclusion, while I do not yet have an exact career plan after college, in all honesty, I’m not worried. I was more worried about studying for an unsatisfying career and being miserable in it. I simply wanted to learn—to know things—to humanly flourish. I will be doing that at Wyoming Catholic College.

 

Book Blast: Your Faith Has Made You Well: Jesus Heals in the New Testament by Barbara Hosbach

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This month, the Catholic Writers’ Guild is touring Guildie Barbara Hosbach’s book, Your Faith Has Made You Well: Jesus Heals in the New Testament. It’s an SOA winner that explores what happened when Jesus healed and what it means for us today.

Summary: Jesus’ healing power speaks to all of us who are willing to turn to him and have our eyes, ears, minds, and hearts opened to what he offers us. Each chapter of this book begins with the Scripture account of a healing story and then takes a deeper look at what happened…[and] what those encounters might have felt like when viewed through the eyes of the people involved. Questions at the end of each chapter—which can be used for private reflection or group discussion—invite readers to identify with each story in a personal way…

jesus heals cover

Win a Book! Barbara will be giving out a free copy of Your Faith Has Made You Well on her website. People can enter for a chance to win by leaving a comment on one of her blog posts before June 25 and the winner will be notified by email on June 26.

Website: www.biblemeditations.net

Excerpt:

A leper came to [Jesus] begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. Mark 1: 40-42

The leper dared to approach Jesus even though it was forbidden. Once determined “unclean” by the priests, lepers had to live outside the camp, wear torn clothes, and leave their hair uncombed. As if that wasn’t enough to keep others away, they had to call out, “Unclean, unclean!” to make sure people kept their distance (Lev 13:45-46). What a lonely, miserable way to live! It’s bad enough to be isolated, but forced to wear rags and give up personal grooming? That’s adding insult to injury, literally. No wonder the leper begged for Jesus’ help.

…Many of us choose to isolate ourselves when we’re having a rough time for any number of reasons. We voluntarily treat ourselves much like the leper. We stay home in dirty pajamas or a ratty bathrobe and pull the covers over our heads. We don’t shower or comb our hair. We transmit the message loud and clear that we want to be alone. We determine that we are unclean, unfit for the company of others. The spiral of isolation continues in its downward trajectory every time we look in the mirror.

We don’t share our problems because we fear others will reject us. Instead, we beat them to the punch and reject ourselves. If we aren’t up to putting our best foot forward, we may not feel emotionally healthy enough to be around others at all. We deny ourselves the healing opportunity of unconditional love, the gift of being accepted just as we are. Our friends, loved ones, or even professionals may not have the power to heal us of our troubles instantly. What others can do is help us break out of the self-imposed isolation that makes the problems we’re struggling with loom larger.

People with skin diseases can’t really cover them up. Their condition is out in the open for all to see. Unlike them, we can choose to cover up our inner blemishes and sore spots, hoping no one else will see, but what does that gain us? We are as alone as if we were in quarantine. There’s a saying that we’re only as sick as our secrets. Granted, we don’t have to broadcast our difficulties in public. Discretion is always wise, but discretion is not the same as going it alone. Surely God will lead us to at least one trusted person we can share our challenges with honestly and confidentially, be it a friend, loved one, or professional. God’s wisdom is a powerful, sustaining source of guidance for us all, no matter what keeps us from the fullness of life…

Ponder: What isolates you from others? What would it take to be healed of this isolation?

Pray: Trinity of Love, we’re called to live in community. Melt the barriers of fear and pride that isolate me from others.

Get it today: http://tinyurl.com/l3jsc3k

 

Karina Teaches Worldbuilding – Lesson 5

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Over this year, Karina is going to share some of her writing seminars on the blog, with the lessons and references for further study. We’ll be posting these once a month. There’s no assigned homework, but if you have questions, please ask them in the comments. Her first workshop is worldbuilding. This is Lesson 5. Here are the links to Lesson 1, Lesson 2,  Lesson 3, and Lesson 4.

To seek out new life and new civilizations…  –Star Trek

Worlds are more than physics, and stories are more than settings. The most interesting thing about a world and the usual spot for conflict lies in the society that inhabits the world. Whether you have an intergalactic civilization with a history longer than the entire existence of the Earth or a small exploration group on an uncharted asteroid, you need to know how that society runs.

How much do you need to know? It depends on your story, your universe, and your own plans. David Weber has a complex and detailed universe for his Honor Herrington novels, and it shows. A short story, however, may only need a couple of important facts; the rest is immaterial. I once chatted with an author whose novel was unmanageably long because he was including every detail, right down to the history and construction of the blades used in a swordfight. One chatter suggested he was writing the world’s encyclopedia or an online game manual rather than a story.

Dream up as much of the background as you can and wish to, but don’t let it interfere with the story. Here are some things to consider:

 History:

  •   How did your country/world/empire come to be?
  •   Who were the major historic figures? (soldiers, statesmen, explorers, workers for peace, famous criminals, scientists, religious leaders, people not in power who do major things)
  •   What inventions changed their world?

Always start with those that affect your character, story and setting. For example, in the United States, every child grows up learning about George Washington, the Revolutionary War, and Pearl Harbor. In Colorado, however, kids will be more familiar with the explorer Zebulon Pike, while in Fredericksburg, VA, students learn about the apothecary and General Hugh Mercer.

 Military:

  • Are there a lot of wars on your world? Over what?
  • How does your society feel about war and the military? How does your character feel?
  • Does your character belong to a conquering “nation” or a conquered one? Or does his nation avoid battle, preferring negotiation or neutrality?

If needed, you can map out some of the major battles. Think not only about the ones that forged the civilization(s) you’re writing about, but also the area. In a real-world example, Fredericksburg, VA (where we used to live) was the site of several important battles in the American Civil War. Thus, you can’t walk for a block downtown without seeing something from that era – whether a statue of General Lee, a historical marker, a souvenir shop, or a Confederate Flag proudly displayed next to the Stars and Stripes. My husband has a Civil War sword that his neighbors dug out of their back yard.

 Economic:

  • How do people acquire things? Not all societies have a cash or barter system. In my world of Kanaan, people work for the joy of creating or performing a service and freely give away their wares. Lesser enjoyed duties (laundry, dishes, trash) are shared.
  • What are trade relations between systems, countries, etc. like?
  • How many resources does the average person have at their beck and call? Can they afford to throw food away? Broken or no longer wanted objects? How important is recycling?
  • What are the major industries, crops, etc? How do they affect the society and policies of your world?
  • Do you have big businesses or small conglomerates? How are they run? For example, in Rob’s and my Rescue Sisters novel, Discovery, we have a major space conglomerate, ColeCorp, which has its fingers in everything from universities to spaceship construction. It runs like a standard American business for the most part, but in the asteroid belt, it has a cooperative relationship with the small, independent mining companies.

 Political:

  • What kind of government does your world have? What are the variations? For example, you may have a monarchy, but instead of the crown passing to the firstborn son, it goes to whichever child demonstrates the strongest arcane ability at 16. Each child’s score is recorded, and when the monarch dies, the crown is passed to the most skilled.
  • Politics is more than governmental, however. How are decisions for groups made? How does this reflect society’s values?

 Inventions:

  • What inventions have transformed society? Think more than just commercially. Take the washing machine, for example. On the surface, it makes it easier to clean clothes, but look deeper, and you see it has changed our standards of clean, the amount and type of clothing the average person owns, and sparked the need for a whole slew of new industries, from detergent manufacturing to diaper services.

For More Reading:

Where do you come up with ideas for these things? Read about Earth! Read a history, political system or economics. Then ask yourself how you can adapt elements of this to your world.

Does Legalizing “Same-Sex Marriage” also Legalize the “Three Parent Family”?

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A blog I wrote on “same-sex marriage” was included in the Roundup on May 13. This post is on the same topic. The outcome of the pending court decision can profoundly change our Catholic freedom as we know it. The potential consequences for our children and their children could include the eradication of the traditional family.

The Republic of Ireland, once a bastion of Catholicism, now has embraced the distinction of being the first country in the world to approve a constitutional amendment endorsing “same-sex marriage.” I wrap the phrase in quotation marks because this whole concept is still an illusion. No matter how you spin, present, defend, and embrace the doctrine of “same-sex marriage” there is always going to be this tiny little problem called procreation. That is simply because within a “same-sex marriage,” procreation can never happen without the involvement of a third person, that person being of the opposite sex. “Same-sex marriage” spawns the “three-parent family.”

Already the Irish Prime Minister, Enda Kenny, has said that Catholic schools will be required to teach “same-sex marriage” as part of the curriculum. How can they do that? That violates Church teaching. Have we arrived at an international secular tipping point where Church teachings are subject to the whims and mores of the present culture? Apparently we have. What about the children?

Even the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuld Martin, simply voted “no” because of his OWN belief and did not defend the church he represents. The Archbishop, referring to a time when the Church hierarchy would instruct Catholics on how they should vote said that “those days are gone.” How courageously pathetic is that? Have any of you heard anything from our Catholic pulpits about this? I am stunned at the number of Catholics I talk to who do not seem to have a clue as to what is going on regarding this subject. And what about the children?

The Supreme Court of the United States of America will pronounce its ruling on the constitutionality of “same-sex marriage” toward the end of June. I believe that the decision has already been reached and is in the can, ready to be read. I also believe that the Court will go 5 to 4 in favor of “same-sex marriage.” I hope I am wrong because the ramifications of such a decision will be (in my opinion) catastrophic for the nation and especially for our future children.

This new law in Ireland confers an automatic right on a “same-sex couple” to procreate. Will that be the same in America? Good luck with that one. It cannot be done. You need a person of the OPPOSITE SEX to procreate. So are we now to have a whole new industry arise whose purpose will be to provide wombs and sperm, depending on the “same-sex” genders of the wannabe parents? And what about the children? How many future children will be born into “three-parent families”?

Will the Catholic/Christian schools be required to teach the secular dogma of this law? If they do not abide by this law, will they have to forfeit any tax credits or exemptions, i.e. their 501(c)3s? Will hefty fines be imposed? Can they be closed down by federal mandate? Will Catholic hospitals be told to violate their faith-bound principles? If they refuse to do so, will they then be forced to close because of the sudden absence of Medicare and Medicaid funds? What about the children? How do they find out about any possible genetic anomalies they might have? The mysteriously-absent-yet-genetically-related “third parent” will be nowhere to be found.

Bottom line–this is a disaster. No one is trying to deprive “same-sex couples” of any civil or legal rights. What we are watching here is the attempted destruction of the First Amendment to the Constitution followed by the destruction of the traditional family. Once the law of the land can tell the religions of the land what their believers must think and do, it is the end of our Republic as we know it. And when the children of these “three-parent families” grow up and want to find out who their REAL moms or dads were, how does that work? Do you call Ancestry.com?

We all had better be praying very hard over the next few weeks. Much is at stake.

Sisters of the Last Straw: CWG May Book Blast

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This month, the Catholic Writers’ Guild is touring Karen Kelly Boyce’s delightful children’s book Sisters of the Last Straw, Case of the Stolen Rosaries. It’s an SOA winner as well as an award-winning novel.

Summary: The Sisters of the Last Straw are a group of sisters struggling hard to overcome their bad habits. Sister Krumbles forgets everything. Sister Shiny can’t stop polishing and cleaning everything. Mother Mercy has a terrible temper. Yet when the misfit nuns band together to form a new order, lessons on tolerance and forgiveness (as well as much hilarity!) ensue. In this, the third of the series, the adventures of the lovable sisters continue! New troubles for the Sisters of the Last Straw require courage and cunning! A renegade rooster terrorizes the Sisters’ back yard and a mysterious thief snatches the Sisters’ rosaries. The Sisters struggle with their problems while seeking to love Jesus more. The Case of the Stolen Rosaries is a fun story that teaches tolerance and forgiveness in the midst of many comic exploits.

It’s available in paperback or electronically. You can read the first few chapters here: http://reginadoman.com/CP_book_previews/Sisters_of_the_Last_Straw_3_sample/index.html

Find it on Amazon or get it from Chesterton Press. http://www.chestertonpress.com/sisters-of-the-last-straw-3-the-case-of-the-stolen-rosaries/

Karen’s website: www.karenkellyboyce.com/

 

From the President’s Desk – Inspiration and the Catholic Writer

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Image by Ellen Gable Hrkach 2015

Image by Ellen Gable Hrkach 2015

Where do you find inspiration? As a writer, I find inspiration in places you might expect and those you might not. Not surprisingly, I find inspiration in Scripture and in the lives of the saints. Reading the Bible and the lives of the saints often inspires me to include a chapter or whole storyline about that citation or saint in my novels.

I also find inspiration in simple things. Years ago, I watched a tiny hummingbird hover near our kitchen window, his little wings flapping so quickly that I could barely see them. I was mesmerized by this little creature’s simple beauty, and it inspired me to write an entire storyline involving a hummingbird in my novel, A Subtle Grace.

Last week, I was frantically trying to finish several writing deadlines, focusing on the monitor in front of me. My office happens to be in a corner of our bedroom, near the window to our backyard. It was about 7:00 a.m. and my boys had just gotten on the school bus. We live in the country, thick forests on both sides of our house and a large field behind our yard. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I could see movement beyond the window. Looking up, I was surprised to see a beautiful young deer grazing on the grass just beyond the window. I calmly stood up and went to get my iPad to take a photo. I took a few photos, but I watched her and marveled at her beauty. All of a sudden, she stopped munching and looked up in my direction. I stared at her as she stared at me. For the next half-hour, I watched her graze and move about our yard with no fear. I had a bazillion deadlines to meet, but I decided that it was more important to marvel in the beauty of God’s creation than to sit at a computer and work on my deadlines. And, you guessed it, it has sparked inspiration for a scene in one of my works in progress.

Where do you find inspiration? Please feel free to comment below.

Upcoming Events:
Catholic Writers Conference Live July 22-24, 2015, Somerset, New Jersey, to be held in conjunction with the Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show. Great speakers, wonderful fellowship and Mass, adoration and confession every day. Register here at this link: Catholic Writers Conference Registration 2015

CatholicWritersRetreatLogo2011iiiiThe Catholic Writers Retreat is taking place in late October. Your Word is My Delight takes place October 25-29, 2015 at the St. Francis Retreat Center, 703 E. Main Street, DeWitt, Michigan 48820. Register online here at this link or call 866-669-8321. $490 for five days.

Image copyright Ellen Hrkach

Image copyright Ellen Hrkach

One last thing: today is my husband, James, and my wedding anniversary, 33 years married (we’ve known each other for 37 years). When I came to Canada in 1978, I never expected to meet the man I would end up marrying. I never thought I would be living in Canada and enjoying these seven-month long winters! Through 33 years, James has held my hand and cried with joy during the births of our five sons, grieved with me during the loss of seven babies through miscarriage, laughed with me in good times, fought with me in bad, and has been a faithful witness of God’s love to me. Happy Anniversary, James!

As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me: president (at) catholicwritersguild (dot) (com)

In Jesus and Mary,

Ellen Gable Hrkach
President, Catholic Writers Guild

Karina Teaches – Lesson 4

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Over this year, Karina is going to share some of her writing seminars on the blog, with the lessons and references for further study. We’ll be posting these once a month. There’s no assigned homework, but if you have questions, please ask them in the comments. Her first workshop is worldbuilding. This is Lesson 4. Here are the links to Lesson 1, Lesson 2, and Lesson 3.

Worldbuilding 101, Lesson 4: Your People

On the last day, God created Man (male and female), but we’re going to do it on Lesson 4.

For some of you, this won’t be too hard–you’ll have basic humanoids with some special quirk that makes them unique.

As you’ve already heard me say–and everybody join in this time–you need to think about the impact of the differences you make on the rest of your world. For example, for my novel Discovery, my husband Rob and I have postulated a race of creatures that are more patterned after starfish–radial symmetry rather than the vertical symmetry of humans. This introduced a whole slew of interesting questions:

–Do they have a sense of right/left/forward/back?

–Are certain digits devoted to walking and some to handling tools? Or are they ambidextrous?

–Where are their eyes? How do they see?

–How do they eat, sleep, procreate?

–What would their homes, vehicles, and equipment look like?

Fortunately for Rob and me, we will be dealing with humans exploring a long-dead spaceship, possibly abandoned, so we have some wiggle room for unanswered questions. We could concentrate just on the things that directly apply to the space ship, its design and especially its life craft. If we take our humans to this planet in another book, we’ll need more answers!

Even if you’re doing fantasy and are going to use some of the time-honored “aliens” like vampires, werewolves, etc., you still need to decide their biology, needs and how they are different. Is vampirism a disease, a genetic defect or a choice? Why can’t they come out into the sun? How does it really affect them–sunburn, allergic reaction or the good ol’ burst into flames? Do werewolves have to change in a full moon, or can they only change in the full moon? What happens to their clothes?

I’ve had a lot of fun playing with the usual clichés of fairy creatures in my Dragon Eye, PI universe. (www.dragoneyepi.net). For example, my elves are very long-lived. Well, when you live to be 500-600, your biology should slow down a bit, and so does your sense of time. Thus, while elves are able to interact with humans, they are also infuriatingly slow. Their language, for example, is full of prerequisites–to apologize for bumping into someone requires you recognize their social status and that of their family and tribe as compared to yours, the nature of the offense, the impact of that offense on the relationship and the relationship of their people… As my dragon detective Vern likes to complain, “It can take them half an hour to ask where the bathroom is.” (And, thanks to their changed biology, they do have half an hour before the need is urgent.)

Keep in mind, too, that the more that quirk is part of their nature, the more effect it will have on their civilization–but that’s lesson 5.

For more reading:

http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Guide-Alien-Species-Star/dp/0345442202/ref=sr_1_1/104-5069618-1512745?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189371773&sr=1-1 The Essential Guide to Aliens (Star Wars) by Ann Lewis and RK Post. It’s amazing what people have come up with for creatures. Contains their history, biology and sociology. Great for ideas.

Dragon Magazine: Although out of print, each issue had a bestiary with incredible detail about certain kinds of creatures.

Dungeons and Dragons Players Handbooks or Monster Manuals: Pick a fantasy creature and these writers have thought of everything from how they react in an adventure to what they wear as pajamas. Forget the dice and the stats and just play with the ideas.

Real life creatures: Google a species that may have traits you want – like starfish or manta rays or birds. Even if you aren’t looking for a full creature, you might learn something. For example, if your alien has wings and can fly, you will want to study what else is involved – do they have feathers or skin like a bat? Do they fly or just soar like a flying squirrel? How does their anatomy support the wing structure?

 

Confirmation: Are We Doing it All Wrong?

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One of my favorite blogs is written by our own, Jennifer Fitz. She writes for Patheos and her blog is called “Sticking the Corners“. I began to read her April 19th post which was titled, “What’s Wrong with Age-Bracketed Sacramental Prep?” As I read, (get this) I gave her a “fist pump” and said, “You go girl.” That was because she quickly nailed it about her topic and also opened up my eyes to a fact I have thought about but never really paid any attention to. Her column made me pay attention. (Thanks, Jen.)

The subject discussed the practice of giving the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion to children who are usually around seven to eight years old. Then, for some reason, we give the Sacrament of Confirmation to these same kids at unspecified times in their lives, like at twelve, fourteen, maybe seventeen. Sometimes they just stop coming back. That all started my wheels spinning and my mind meandered back in time to when I was in third grade and my classmates and I received our Confirmation. Why third grade back then and teenagers and older now? (The RCIA “candidates” and Easter Vigil is another topic for another time.)

Back to our newly-confirmed teenagers. We all know that these young folks do not turn into Apostles with tongues of fire dancing over their newly baptized heads. They are not dashing out into the streets converting Muslims and Hebrews and Presbyterians and Scientolgists and atheists. Why? Because they are not ready. (In fact, I stink as an evangelizer and I received my Confirmation long, long ago.) To the point: maybe the Sacrament of Confirmation should NOT come later. Maybe it should come before, like in second or third grade like it was for me and my peers of the 1950s and into the 60s. We became Soldiers of Christ in 3rd Grade and what did we know? The answer is nothing, absolutely nothing.

Then why receive Confirmation so young? Jennifer’s blog made me realize that what they were doing back then was the right way. We needed a shield of armor and a shroud of protection as we began our journey toward fourth grade and being ten years old. The Sacrament of Confirmation is our spiritual armor against the evil that surrounds us. It is to protect us as we move on and grow. By the time a kid is seventeen his/her faith formation has been set in place. Isn’t receiving Confirmation after the fact somewhat like putting on the body armor after the explosion?

Would it not be better to have the Holy Spirit and His gifts given to a child so they might have that protection available to them as they grow and confront the world and its temptations? Would not the graces that flow from the Sacrament be available to them as the world they are growing into invades their lives? It makes sense to me.

Many of these kids do not receive religious education at home. Oftentimes they are sent off to CCD or Faith Formation by their parent(s) who think that is all they have to do to instill the faith in their kids. The problem is, the secular world has gobbled up so much of our lives that it takes a lot more than an hour or so a week to instill anything in anyone. It has to be an ongoing process with a base of operations. That base is home base and without the fortress of a spiritually guided home front, the struggle for these young people will be ongoing, frustrating, and long term.

From the President’s Desk – Mediocrity

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Copyright Ellen Gable Hrkach

Copyright Ellen Gable Hrkach

“Do not be satisfied with mediocrity.” St. John Paul II

Any person who settles for mediocrity in terms of his or her spiritual life is setting himself up for failure.  Reaching high for the virtues and striving for perfection isn’t always easy, but it’s always worthwhile.  None of us will ever be perfect, but we must try.  Most of us will fall short frequently, but as Catholics, we’re blessed to have the Sacrament of Reconciliation to give us the grace to be better people.

Authors who settle for mediocrity with regard to their writing are also setting themselves up for failure.  Articles and books that have not been professionally edited will frustrate readers. These authors can become known for their mediocre writing, and readers may not return for more.  If you’re posting to a blog, ask a writer friend to be your second pair of eyes. If you’re traditionally publishing a book, your assigned editor will help make your book as professional as possible. If you are self-publishing, please hire experienced and professional editors to edit your book. Most importantly, humbly consider any and all suggestions from your editor.

Don’t settle for mediocrity in either your spiritual life or your writing life. Strive to be the best you can be!

Special thanks to CWG member Allison Gingras for featuring my third novel, Stealing Jenny, during her radio show, A Seeking Heart, this week!  Check out a few of the shows here:
http://www.realliferadio.com/a-seeking-heart-with-allison-gingras.html

And, today, I’ll be live on A Seeking Heart from 10:00 until 10:45.  Listen live here at this link: http://www.realliferadio.com/a-seeking-heart-with-allison-gingras.html

If you’d like to call while we’re on the air, here’s the number: Call 1-855-949-1380

CWG News:
We  have an upcoming live conference in July in Somerset, NJ (July 22-24) and registration is now open.

The Catholic Writers Retreat is taking place in late October.  Your Word is my Delight takes place October 25-29, 2015 at the St. Francis Retreat Center, 703 E. Main Street, DeWitt, Michigan 48820. Register on line at here at this link, Click on Other Offerings, or call 866-669-8321. $490 for five days.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to email me: president (at) catholicwritersguild (dot) (com)

In Jesus and Mary,

Ellen Gable Hrkach

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