Ode to Old Cars and Old Ideas

By Nick Hayden
August 21, 2015

Not my car…yet.
Taken / Pixabay

My first car was a 1982 Honda Accord. I called her Betsy. I only drove her a few years before the repair bills convinced me to buy a new car. At the end, the passenger door didn’t open from the outside, the rearview mirror wouldn’t stay in place, and I had the habit of stalling out on any journey more than two or three miles.

I loved that car. It was mine. I listened to a lot of good music in that car. I even wrote a story featuring it and an incident involving a gas station and something like fire bursting from somewhere beneath my car. There was this thing called the Star Wars trilogy back then (maybe you’ve heard of it), and I liked to think of Betsy as my Millenium Falcon.

Fast forward to 2015. I’m driving a 2000 Volkswagon Beetle. I still think of it as my “new” car. It has the floor mats from my Accord that read “Betsy,” ’cause it’s Betsy 2.0. Problem is, it’s starting to resemble my old car quite a bit. The windows won’t roll down–or if they do, they won’t roll up. It makes an ominous chk-chk-chk when I turn the key. The ceiling fabric is sagging, my parking brake barely works, and I’ve been stranded twice in the last month.

But here’s the thing. I don’t want to get a new car. I like my car. It’s not old. It hasn’t aged a day. (And neither have I.)

What is this thing with Time, that keeps moving along?

I find the same thing happening with stories. I’ll start one, then suddenly it’s five years later and I’m like, “Wait, I’ve been working on this for that long? And why doesn’t it seem as bright and shiny as before?” Ideas seem ageless–and then you realize that cool world you mean to write about first came to you when you were a teenager and now you have two kids in school. Or, on the flip side, sometimes you re-read an old story that is grossly incompetent, but you still have a certain fondness for it no one else could possibly understand because you can see the sparkle of the idea that drove you (see what I did there?) to write it.

Moral of the story? No idea. Except I’ve come up with a lot of great stories while driving around, so I’ll keep driving and I’ll keep writing and I’ll keep making strained metaphors whenever the blog deadline comes due too soon.

Okay, I’m off. Time to head home. As long as my car starts….

Children of the Wells ebooks now on Amazon!

If you’re observant, you’ve noticed that we’ve tweaked the covers of several of our ebooks. We needed to do this to have the proper rights to sell our ebooks on Amazon and elsewhere. While we’re still working out a few background details, you can now find all our ebooks on Amazon, ready to download to your Kindle. If you want a free one, follow this link and get a free copy of The Fall of the House of Kyzer.

Also, we’ve finally received a completed copy of Bron & Calea #4, so you’ll have a new book to devour once it runs through our editing process. Things are moving. Stay tuned.

For your viewing pleasure, here are our updated covers:

Gregory the Terrible Reader

By Greg Meyer
July 24, 2015

As promised in my last blog, I completed The Return of the King earlier this week. The last three chapters were something special and brought the whole series full circle in a way most series can only dream of attaining. Most people I talk to can’t believe this was my first time reading through the series, considering its renown as a classic, beloved by millions. Why would a fantasy fan such as myself wait so long to get around to reading one of the greatest fantasy series ever written? Time for another confessional blog, though this time it’s a little less soul-baring.

The truth is back in my younger years I was a terrible reader. Oh, I could read, mind you, from a very early age. Just ask my Grandmother, and she’ll tell you the story. Back in grade school through middle school, I’d often check books out of the library and devour them. But once I reached eighth grade, I left public school for homeschooling and lost my daily access to a school library. Sure, I could go to my town’s public library and check out books, but I didn’t have a driver’s license and it was far enough that I didn’t want to walk there just to check out books. When I did go, I had too many choices to pick from but no guides to tell me what I should read. (more…)

Rings, Swamps, and When All Hope Seems Lost

By Gregory Meyer
July 10, 2015

“Come, Mr. Frodo!” [Samwise] cried. “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well. So up you get! … Just tell him where to go, and he’ll go.” —Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Since about 2013, I’ve been ever so slowly working my way through the most glaring series in my backlog of novels: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Since most of my friends are huge fans of the venerable Oxford professor, I decided that I needed to be part of the conversation, too. Given that most of my interests as of late consist of world building, Anglo-Saxon history and mythology, and monsters, this was right up my alley. Currently I’m three chapters away from finishing Return of the King, and then onward to The Silmarillion I shall go, for in Middle Earth “the road goes ever on and on.”

While I’ve enjoyed the heroic exploits of Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, and even Merry and Pippin, it’s the trials of Frodo Baggins and Samwise that’s resonated with me the most. Watching brave Frodo go from the heroic hobbit saving his friends from the frightening Barrow Wights to end up practically crawling up Mt. Doom is heart wrenching. Tolkien shows the reader the magnetic attraction and power the ring has over even the purest of hearts, twisting a kind-hearted soul into a pathetic pawn who can’t complete his quest. It’s daring of the author to show the main character fail at what should be his crowning achievement. (more…)

The Allure of the Dark

By Natasha Hayden
July 3, 2015

Our library is having a superhero-themed summer of reading, where even the adults get to participate a little. For an entry into the grand prize drawing, I had to write a tiny paragraph about who my favorite superhero is and why I like him/her. I will also get to do the same with my favorite villain. I found it hard to pick my favorite superhero and explain in 20 or so words why. I ultimately picked Batman and Green Arrow, similar characters who thrive on their thirst for justice, their ingenuity, and their own human skills and strength. Characters who must hide their goodness behind the masks of rich, shallow, uncaring men, when they are really anything but. I admit, my understanding of these characters is based almost solely on Christian Bale’s movies and Stephen Amell’s TV portrayals, but their interpretations have impressed me. Daredevil from the dark, gritty Netflix show is growing on my list of favorites now, too, though he’s a bit of a different sort of character (not rich, and possessing super-senses my other fav’s don’t).

Oliver Queen aka Arrow. (Not Jaysynn) From arrow.wikia.com

Though Daredevil is possibly the darkest of the superheroes (his show is, anyway), Green Arrow and Batman go to dark places, as well. While Superman is all light and Wonder Woman is truth, these others are creatures of the night and shadows, vigilantes in cities that are more corrupt than not, administering justice according to their own rules and laws. Is it right? Is it moral? What I like about these characters, especially Arrow and Daredevil, is that they struggle with these questions but are always guided by an internal moral compass that points straight and true. You know that whichever way they choose, they will always save lives and the bad guys will pay.

But the question the library posed got me thinking, what is it about the dark that is so appealing? Why do I like Batman more than Superman? And why are the villains in stories some of the most interesting, compelling characters? What’s so fascinating about Lex Luthor in TV’s Smallville? Why is Regina, the Evil Queen, my favorite character in Once Upon a Time? Why is Loki, a villain, one of the most fun characters in the first Avengers movie?

Is there something wrong with me, or with all of us as a culture, that the dark overshadows the light? I think the answer is both “yes” and “no.” Our culture does gravitate toward darkness and evil, and it is not a healthy fascination. Witches and vampires and other mythological creatures, once purely evil, are now sympathetic, beautiful beings. I do find it interesting that to make them more palatable, we create goodness in them, but the allure of their power is what really attracts us, and power can be a dangerous, corrupting force. There’s a danger, too, in thinking that all dark heroes are above corruption, that somehow they are inhumanly able to shut out the darkness while living in the midst of it…because when we begin to emulate them, we will find we are not so incorruptible.

But is all shadow evil and irredeemable? Perhaps not. Though the show doesn’t share my Christian worldview, my favorite example of this is Regina in Once Upon a Time. She has become the show’s moral center, and she began as the most evil one of all. Love changed her, and though she’s still tempted by the dark side and still rough around the edges, she’s the voice of reason when the show’s supposed heroes are making very unheroic choices. Basically, she’s a balanced human being. She feels the pull of evil, knows its destructiveness, has learned from her mistakes, and chooses to live in the light, even though she would be more powerful in the dark. And isn’t that the choice we have before us every day? To rise above our mistakes and choose light, even when we live in dark times. To be light, even though our souls might be smudged by dark.

I think we gravitate toward the dark because it’s familiar. We more fully understand a heart torn in two directions than one guided purely by light and goodness. Superman is above all of us, but there’s a little Batman in each of us.

Anyway, that’s one simplistic way to explain my own fascination with the dark. I believe we should be aware of what we are absorbing in our entertainment and aware of how it affects our moral compass, and so, as you absorb our own stories on Children of the Wells, where we have our own brand of superhero, I implore you to think. In all that you read or watch, I implore you to do just that: think. Don’t go mindlessly into the dark.

Lessons Learned at Grandma’s House (Part 2)

By Timothy Deal
June 26, 2015

Continuing in our June theme of sequels, today I offer the next lesson I learned at my Grandma’s house. It’s not a lesson many would expect from a grandparent, but it remains relevant for today’s culture and I’ve recently been trying to remind myself of it more often.

2. Try out new technology but don’t become beholden to it.

Not my Grandparents’ Mac. FirmBee / Pixabay

When Grandma bought a Macintosh in the early to mid-‘90s, it was partly for my aunts who were in college at the time, but also for her grandchildren. Personal computers were just coming into their own and she wanted us to be able to learn how to use them. Grandma’s house was probably the first place I encountered CD-ROMs, heard the otherworldly sounds of a dial-up modem, and surfed the primitive waters of the World Wide Web. It was an exciting glimpse into the future that helped prepare me for the technology-soaked world we live in today.

At the same time, Grandma, Grandpa, and the rest of the family rarely cared to jump on every technology bandwagon that came along. Though my teenage aunts had owned an original Nintendo system for years, they saw little need to get a Super Nintendo when it came out; it seemed a money grab in the name of a slight improvement in graphics. We made do with the Macintosh for years past its prime. And if memory serves me right, Grandma thought my parents were basically betraying the VHS format when we got a DVD player before them.

I think this sort of attitude toward technology is somewhat reflected in my own habits. Certainly, I use a lot of technology in my video work and use the Internet heavily in my everyday life, but I’ve always had a fondness for old tech and rarely feel the urge to upgrade to the newest models.

In fact, I only bought my first smartphone a few weeks ago, almost eight years after I first played with a friend’s iPhone. I always thought smartphones looked neat, but for awhile they seemed to me an unnecessary expense. Plus, there was a certain liberation in not being tied down to a device that seems to command so much of people’s attention. But eventually, I needed to replace my cell phone and the time seemed right to finally pick up my own iPhone. As with any new tech, it’s been fun to explore, but I also want to remember the lesson I first learned back at Grandma’s house.

Being aware of and experimenting with current technology is valuable; but because that technology is always changing, finding contentment with whatever you own is even better. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with upgrading when need arises. Yet there’s a relief in the realization that you don’t always have to.

In Search of a Soundtrack (Part 2)

By Nick Hayden
June 18, 2015

In honor of the summer movie season, we at Children of the Wells have dubbed June “sequel month,” and so we’re writing sequels to last month’s blogs. Nathan already cast even more characters for a CotW movie, and now I’m back to fill out the soundtrack for that movie.

Last time I tackled mainly Bron & Calea-related themes, so now I’ll add my picks for Jaysynn and his band of merry men (and women). As before, I’ve limited myself to music found at OCRemix.org.

Jaysynn’s Theme:

With a title like “Anthem of Exile,” based on the theme of two princes, this was a no-brainer. I prefer the first half for Jaysynn, with its lonely but noble sound. I’m not sold on the jazz organ, but beggars can’t be choosers. (more…)

The ‘Dream Cast’ of a Children of the Wells Movie (Part 2)

By Nathan Marchand
June 4, 2015

June at Children of the Wells is sequel month, so all of our blogs the next few weeks will be continuations of last month’s blogs. Since I wrote about the actors I’d love to see play the then full cast of the Jaysynn saga characters, I’ve decided to do the same for the rest of the major characters, including the new ones introduced in The Call of the Watchman by Nick Hayden. Hopefully, this’ll beat the trend of the sequel not being as good as the original.

Lights! Camera! Nerd out! (more…)

In Search of a Soundtrack

By Nick Hayden
May 28, 2015

Let me warn you at the start–this is a self-indulgent post.

Creativity and music have always been connected for me. Most of my best ideas come while listening to music. And by music, I usually mean songs from OverClocked Remix. If you don’t know what that is, let me explain: Overclock Remix is a depository for more than 3000 remixes of video game music (VGM). The standards on the site are quite high, so if it shows up there, it’s usually good. And since my day job is in an office, I often find myself listening to its ridiculously large collection of songs as I process paperwork.

Even before OverClocked Remix was a thing, I listened to Final Fantasy soundtracks for inspiration. Such songs capture so much emotional and story potential in a few minutes, it’s hard not to find something triggered if you’re listening for that purpose. In recent years, I’ve even written a number of flash fiction stories, many based on songs from Final Fantasy X.

So, when Nathan decided to share his ‘dream cast’ for a Jaysynn movie, it was only natural that I hunt down an appropriate soundtrack for Children of the Wells. (more…)

Movie Nights at Grandma’s House

by Timothy Deal
May 21, 2015

In our end-of-year blog back in December, I observed that changes in the path of life are sometimes marked by prominent monuments. The death of a family member is certainly one such monument; it was when my grandpa passed away in December and was again when my grandma followed him home to Heaven last month. By definition, a monument should cause us to remember and learn from the past. In thinking about the many experiences I had at my grandparents’ home, I realized how much those times formed who I am today and how much my grandparents taught me, even if often indirectly.

I had initially aimed to summarize the lessons learned from these memories in five main points, but even that was turning out to be way too much material for a single blog post. So I decided to first share one that most relates to a topic we talk about a lot on this site. If it connects with people, then perhaps I’ll share the other four lessons over the next few months

An entertaining story can bring a family together.

The summer of ’88 was a very hot one in Indiana. The house my family was living in at the time did not have air conditioning, but Grandma’s house did, so we spent several nights that summer camped out in their family room where the AC was strongest. Blankets were laid out on the floor in front of the big TV, popcorn was served in wooden bowls, and the entire family sprawled about in their PJs for a movie night. Since I was only four years old at the time, most of those movies went way over my head, but I kept fuzzy recollections of ‘80s comedies like The Dream Team, The Money Pit, and The Incredible Shrinking Woman for years afterwards because the experience of getting together to watch these stories was so strongly imprinted on my mind.

This, kids, is what we watched before Netflix. DS-Foto / Pixabay

The other piece of wondrous technology that Grandma & Grandpa had that made such movie nights possible was a VCR, which my family also didn’t have for awhile. (Not until I was six! That’s like forever when you’re that age.) Like any Grandma, ours was wont to spoil us occasionally, so she always kept a collection of cartoon videos around for her grandchildren. Each of us had our favorite Disney movies that we liked to watch over and over. She also bought a copy of The Great Muppet Caper for her collection when I asked her for it and thus began my lifelong obsession with the Muppets.

But the cartoons and kid’s movies weren’t just for the grandchildren. My grandfather, who tended to watch war movies and could be a very private man at times, nevertheless also loved cartoons and often joined his grandkids to watch Bugs Bunny, Popeye, or whatever funny cartoon we happened to be watching. I’ve also been told that when I was a toddler Grandma would rewind a certain Looney Tunes cartoon over and over because I would always laugh and giggle at some bird with a goofy walk. (Unfortunately, that particular tape has been lost to time, so I can’t tell you if the same bird makes me laugh today.)

At its best, movie or TV watching wasn’t a passive activity at Grandma’s house. As the stories made us laugh or hide behind a pillow, we shared the experience together. We’d talk about the stories as we watched them and sometimes the kids would pull ideas from the stories for our play time. (We had a weird ongoing game called “Crocodile” that I suspect may have been inspired by Peter Pan.) There’s no doubt in my mind that those times were an important factor in my love for movies and stories today.

After the Cataclysm took our magic,
how do we rebuild?