Author: Nicole Luttrell

I'm a speculative fiction writer. That means I write about dragons, ghosts and spaceships. Sometimes I write about the ghosts of dragons on spaceships.

Things to remember when writing different classes

Today’s cover art is from Anastacia Cooper.

As an author, no one is more critical of my work than me. No one is a bigger fan than me, either. But we all know how fantasy fans are. We only truly rip apart what we love most. And when it comes to Woven, I’m always thinking of things I wish I’d done better. I’ve written other books since then, and I’m sure I’ll find a thousand faults with them over time. 

One thing I’ve struggled with in Woven is that three of the four main characters were noble from birth. While not a single character was supposed to be running things, everyone but Victor was a princess or prince.

That was fun and all, but it was also really limiting. How someone sees the world differs dramatically in different social classes. So when I was writing Grace, her point of view was far different than Lenore’s. Honestly, it was a lot closer to my point of view. 

Today I wanted to share with you the four things I had to shift my writing perspective when writing for Grace.

Dialog

The first change is almost cosmetic, but it’s important. It was how people talked. A princess is going to talk far differently than a common woman, and honestly, it’s a lot more fun writing for the latter. A lot more telling people off and swearing up a storm.

Work

Another big change was the work each character did. Grace goes through many changes in this book, as her responsibilities change. She goes from keeping a house and feeding her family to running a castle. What she even considers work changes from the start of the book to the end. Things that once were chores seem like a vacation now.

What’s important to remember is that what a character does every day is always going to seem easier and more boring than something new. Someone who is used to washing, mending, cleaning and gardening is going to consider a day of meetings, decision making and paperwork freaking exhausting! This was a real shock to me when I transitioned from retail to a desk job years ago. I didn’t think using my brain would be so tiring but man! 

Appreciation

This is something I’ve experienced in my own life. What you appreciate and what you take for granted depends largely on what you’re used to. And as much as we all try not to take things for granted, we all do it. I took for granted that I was healthy until my cholesterol got all messed up. But I’ve never taken my next paycheck for granted. I’ve never taken my home or the health of my loved ones for granted.

Grace will never take a meal for granted. She’ll never take the safety of her home or family for granted.

She does take for granted that her oldest friend and protector, Calvin, will always be there to protect her. That she can depend on him so long as he can depend on her. 

Like most of us, the things she takes for granted are often the things she losses. 

Fears

In a related note, what scares us is often tied to what we take for granted. What we’re certain we won’t ever lose. 

In Woven, Lenore fears largely for her people. She’s not often scared for herself because she’s always been physically safe. She’s never skipped a meal, never had to scape and suffer. But she fears that she’s going to fail her people. And that she cannot abide. 

Grace is afraid that she won’t have food for her family. She’s afraid that soldiers are going to kill them. She’s afraid that they will simply not survive. And it’s likely that no matter how many years of comfort she may or may not have, those fears will probably never go away. 

After writing for nobility and writing for average people, I do have a preference. And if you liked me writing about princesses, I might have some bad news for you. I think I like writing about regular people more. The reason is pretty simple and I hope you’ll agree. 

I love writing people who don’t have the overt power to make changes, but they do it anyway. I mean, isn’t that what we’re all trying to do, change our communities and worlds for the better? My real-life heroes are not usually destined for greatness. They’re everyday people who decided to make a difference.

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Comparing Victor and Calvin, or a discussion of the fine line between man and monsters

Today’s lovely cover image is by Esteban Arboleda Bermudez.

Last week I compared and contrasted Lenore and Grace. That was a lot of fun, so I thought I’d do it again. This week, I want to compare Victor and Calvin.

Unlike with Grace and Lenore, when the point was that I wanted them to not mirror each other, Victor and Calvin have more similarities than not. Of course, one’s an out and out monster, while the other is a hero. But that’s sort of the point of these two.

There’s a thin line between a man and monster. Or a woman and monster for that matter. That’s why I wanted to write this book, though. Calvin is a monster, but that’s not all that he is. Victor is a hero, but there are shadows in his past as well.

So let’s compare these two brothers and see what made one a king and one a killer.

Victor, as you may know if you’ve read the first trilogy, sees shades of gray. He walks between the legal and illegal side of Septa, visiting prostitutes and being on good terms with the kings of the underworld. But he’s a good man, good father, a good husband. And as he embraces the dark and light in himself, he accepts the good and bad in the people he interacts with.

Calvin doesn’t see shades of grey. He sees black and white, good and bad. Septa stole land from Calistar decades ago, they will always be bad. The aristocracy of Calistar is evil, all of them. The Brotherhood are good men, everyone. Their women and children are good and worth doing anything to save.

It’s a simple and clear world view and one that’s totally wrong. I suppose the duality of these two characters shows my own bias. The mentality that they are good and we are bad is the root of all evil in the world, in my opinion.

Another difference between Victor and Calvin is loyalty and their opinion of it. For Calvin, loyalty is essential, no matter the situation. Once you are loyal to someone, you had better stay loyal to them. Once you hate someone, you’d better keep right on hating them.

No matter the future actions of that person.

For Victor, loyalty is earned and can be lost. And while it might take some time to earn it, it takes only a moment to lose it. 

That aside, the two have more in common than they don’t. Neither of them has much patience for laziness. Both have a view of how women and men are supposed to be, though Victor’s opinion about that changes. And both would do anything, even horrible things, for their children.

I hope you enjoy seeing a different side of Calvin from the one we saw in the Woven trilogy. He’s a lot more than just a monster, though he is certainly that. 

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A Falling From Grace playlist

This fantastic cover art is courtesy of Efes Kitap from Pixabay.

One of my favorite writing practices is creating a playlist for my books. Music is magic, words and tones blending to create an emotional reaction to the listener in a way that I can’t describe but we all understand.

Today I want to share with you my playlist for Falling from Grace. If you want to listen to the songs, here’s a link to my playlist. 

I hope that this list gives you a feeling of the story and the journey that Grace goes on through the book.

Renegades by X Ambassadors

When I see you again by Wiz Kalifa

Headstrong by Linkin Park

Monster you made by PopEvil

Animal I have Become by Three Days Grace


How to save a life by The Fray

Landslide by Stevie Nicks

Gold dust woman by Stevie Nicks (I’m a fan)

You don’t own me by Lesley Gore

I will survive by Gloria Gaynor

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Darkness Rising

Hey, guys. My buddy Carol Ann King and some other great authors just launched this phenominal fantasy collection, Darkness Rising. I’m adding it to my reading list, and I absolutely suggest you do the same. Happy reading everyone.

Witches, demons, werewolves and demi-gods…

Grab YOUR copy of this limited edition #UrbanFantasy #Romance and #ParanormalRomance collection! #99cents before it’s ancient history!

BookBrushImage-2020-3-6-17-294

https://books2read.com/DRAntho

 Dreaming of a getaway when life returns to normal? Click to see how you can enter to WIN a dream Costa Rican getaway for you and 23 of your friends and family! *Flights not included. #getaway #contest #darknessisrising https://darknessisrising.com/win-a-trip-to-costa-rica/

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Comparing and contrasting Grace and Lenore

Cover image from Crepesuzette on Pixabay

I’ve written many main characters in my time. Woven alone had four pov characters before I introduced Grace. 

Now, I’ve introduced her. And she’s a different pov character than any I’ve ever written about before.

One thing I was very worried about when writing Grace was repeating myself. I didn’t want Grace to be just a replica of Lenore in a red dress. I wanted her to be her own person. But not just the opposite for opposite’s sake.

I also wanted, needed, her to be more than just a spiteful ex, caught up in wanting a man that didn’t want her anymore. 

She’s always been more than that to me. After all, that’s why I gave her her own book.

To make sure I was writing the character Grace deserved to be, I started with a ven diagram. I like ven diagrams, they help my hand think for me.

Now, I’m not going to share that original diagram with you, because it’s a messy piece of chicken scratch that no one but me could read anyway. But I will share with you some details about Grace and Lenore, to compare and contrast them.

Lenore is a princess. She was born into nobility and it shows. She can be a bit of a pain in the ass about it. She’s prone to losing her temper, but usually only around her fellow nobility. It’s not beyond her to throw teacups at people.

She’s a mage, of course, spinning light and darkness into her thread. She’s a devoutly faithful woman. She’s always wanted to be a leader, of her country and her church. She is her father’s favorite child, and she knows it. She also has no patience for gender rules, for herself or the men in her life. 

Grace, well, she’s none of those things. She’s never had a child. She was a common-born, in a poor little village in Montelair. She has no hold on her temper and has no problem beating someone half to death with a stool.

Religion isn’t something Grace spends a lot of time thinking about. She might call on Hati, the wolf goddess. But it’s not a consuming thing for her.

Grace never wanted to be seen as a leader, either in her village or anywhere else. She has quite enough trouble looking after herself and her family.

Here’s the thing, though. Grace and Lenore are almost nothing alike. But they do have a few things in common. Things that, if I’m being fair, most of my main characters do have in common. Because they’re traits that I respect. Both women are vicious when it comes to protecting their families. Both step up for their community and country when needed. And both are who they are, regardless of who likes it or not.

I loved writing Lenore, and I loved writing Grace. I hope you all love getting to know her. 

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Returning to a world

As you might be aware, I wrote a book that is a companion to my trilogy, Woven.

Falling From Grace eBook

I might have mentioned it, not sure.

I loved writing Grace, it was a ton of fun. But it was also really difficult! I’m writing another book about a world I’ve already got three years of history with. Three books of already set in stone world-building and an established canon.

There are pros and cons of writing a companion novel for a trilogy already in the world. This is something that I’m sure Suzanne Collins could tell you as well. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Cons

I already had a lot of information in place, and some of it I didn’t like anymore. Broken Patterns was my first published novel. I think it’s pretty good, but I’ve grown as a writer since I wrote it. I’ve learned a lot about world-building and character building. Looking back, if I was to rewrite Broken Patterns I would make some serious changes. But that’s not a choice I have anymore. It’s out there, for better or worse. I think it’s for the better because I would forever rewrite the same story given half a chance. When I now have to write again in that world designed by a younger writer, I found myself wanting to fix things. Things that were already set in stone, that I couldn’t ret-con. More’s the pity.

I had to take time researching my work while I was writing Grace. This meant writing with the first three books on my desk, checking facts and timelines. Yes, I do have a bible of important facts, but not everything I needed to know was in there. Some parts were just nuances. How was Victor mentally at this time? How was he reacting to Grace, to Lenore? I had to re-read the whole trilogy.

And while I was reading the trilogy, I realized some glaring mistakes in the timeline. Things that did not make sense at all. No, I’m not going to point them out, but they’re there. There were some parts that I realized I messed up and had to figure a way out of it. That put a ton of pressure on me while I was writing Grace.

Pros

There is no great loss without some small gain. Yes, the Woven trilogy had some problems. But while I was writing Grace, I got to fix some of those problems. And that was such a blessing! As much of a challenge as this was, it gave me a chance to change things that I wasn’t proud of. 

I’m not the only creator ever to do this. If you’re as big of a Star Trek fan as me, you might remember the tribble episode. There’s a scene where a whole mess of these little cuties are just falling out of a panel in the ceiling. If you look, you’ll see a stage hand’s hand tossing little tribbles out of the hole. 

Way off in the future, in Deep Space Nine, there’s an episode where Sisko and Dax end up on the original Enterprise on the day of the tribble infestation. At one point they have to toss tribbles out of the ceiling panel by hand. Thus explaining the mystery hand in the original series.

Problem solved. That wasn’t a stagehand, it was Dax.

While I did have to do a lot of research on my books, writing Grace took less time than other books. That’s because I didn’t have to do a lot of the world-building over again. I already knew what Montelair was like! I already knew most of these characters, their ins, and outs. That was a metric ton of work that I already had established.

The best thing about returning to the world of Woven, though, was this. I got to see my characters and their world from a different perspective. Grace is a far different character than Lenore. We’ll be exploring that more later. The Brotherhood are the good guys in this one. Grace is a common woman, not a well-born princess. She’s not a mage. She is an entirely different person, living an entirely different life.

And showing the world of Woven from an entirely different set of eyes.

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Things we don’t talk about in Fantasy books, and how to do it right.

Cover art thanks to Pixabay. Thank you, Pixabay.

When I was a kid, I read just about every book that Beverly Cleary ever wrote. Especially the Ramona books. Ramona was my girl. I would love a story about Ramona as an adult. 

One story that stuck with me was Ramona and her little kindergarten class hearing a story about a man working a steam shovel for a whole day to beat a machine. And Ramona, being her own little no filter self, asks the question everyone wants to know.

How does he go to the bathroom if he’s in the steam shovel all day?

Hey, yeah, how did he go to the bathroom? How did Cleopatra go to the bathroom when she was rolled up in a rug and sent to Marc Anthony?

I cannot be the only weirdo who thinks of these things. But while we’re on the subject, how do women in some of these fantasy stories handle their periods? Gross? Maybe. But I’m kind of curious. I looked up how ancient women handled such delicate matters because I was super curious. And I’ll tell you I’ve never been happier to be a woman in the 21st century.

Now, I don’t think we need to know this in every book. I can kind of guess how most characters handle that sort of thing because there are only three or four options available for the modern woman. But we’re talking about fantasy books. I kind of want to know what Madam Pomfrey had for Hermione and Ginny when their monthlies started. I’m betting, enchanted diva cup that cleans itself. (And if your sensibilities are offended by me talking about this, I will remind you that Rowling wrote a scene where a pervy ghost was watching Harry take a bath. Sit with that for a while.)

What about the people in Mystborn? It’s an ancient society, are women using twisted up rags like olden times? Do women with magic have some cool metal bending way to deal with that? 

Okay, I don’t want to put every author on the spot. Not everyone has to talk about a girl’s period, or how the contents of a privy are handled. But maybe we should?

Hear me out.

First off, the period issue. Most people are just straight-up grossed out by periods. But it’s something that the vast majority of women deal with every month for most of our lives. But it’s like this huge secret? Because someone might know that I’m an average cis woman? Maybe this is me speaking from a place of privilege, or maybe we should be able to have a common bodily function without being afraid someone’s going to find out about it. Maybe we should make this a comfortable discussion so that girls can talk about it with trusted adults without losing their minds? Or hey, wild thought, maybe we shouldn’t make girls ashamed of something their bodies naturally do and have to do for our species to continue.

And as for other private matters, like going to the bathroom, our societies are greatly impacted by that. Indoor plumbing was a huge game-changer for cities. People weren’t getting sick and dying so much since we no longer let our waste run into the street and our drinking water. It’s gross, but it’s kind of a big deal. And knowing sort of where a society is in their plumbing evolution is an indication of where they are medically. Which can matter in a fantasy novel.

Now, this is something I thought of not at all while I was writing Woven. I have had several pregnancies and never thought to drop any truth bombs about how Lenore, Grace or Sultana handle their bleeding time. I probably will passingly mention it in future books, now that I’ve thought of it. 

When I do, it will be tasteful. Like in Tamora Pierce’s Becca Cooper series. She handled that well, with just a quick note about emptying chamber pots in gutters and having her character pick up something for her monthlies.

What she didn’t do, and what I (God willing) will not do is handle a delicate matter in a less than delicate way. 

I’m talking of course about the master of brute force writing, George R. Martin. While I have questions sometimes about bodily functions, I don’t need to know too many details. I didn’t need to know that a certain character pissed, shat and threw up on himself while trapped in an empty barrel. And I won’t share with you some other vulgar details that I never needed to know about other characters in that series.

Listen, we’re mostly adults here. At least, we’re capable of handling things like grown-ups, and not eleven-year old’s giggling about fart jokes. We don’t need to get red in the face because someone’s ‘aunt Flo’ is visiting.

 

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Six upcoming books I can’t wait to read

My book, Falling From Grace, is coming out soon! Have I mentioned it nearly enough? I don’t think so. 

As it turns out, I’m not the only author with a book coming out. (Shocker.) And as I was going through my Amazon pre-order list, I realized that some pretty freaking fantastic fantasy and science fiction books will be launching this year. So I guess I’d better get that pile of to read’s down before they come out. 

All but one of these books is available for presale now. So if you needed something to look forward to while the COVID-19 reaper stalks us, here you are.

The Exile’s Gift

By Tamora Pierce- No release date yet

The only reason this book is so far down on this list is that it doesn’t have a release day yet. It’s the only one on the list that doesn’t. But I have been waiting for it since the moment I read the last page of the book that came before it, Tempest and Slaughter. (And I was waiting for quite a while for that one.)

This trilogy is about Numair, the husband of Daine from the Wild Mage series. It was discussed in Emperor Mage that Numair’s history was colorful, to say the least. And I can’t wait to find out all of it.

919TGUBLBnLEscape Pod

Anthology Edited by Mur Lafferty and S.B. Divya- Release date October 20th

Okay, so not only is Mur Lafferty editing this anthology, Mary Robinette Kowal is included. Then there’s the fact that I love anthologies to start with, so this book is a big win for me. And I don’t even have my hands on it yet.

 

 

Savage Legion712G-u+b7xL

By Matt Wallace- Release date July 21

Or Matt F’ing Wallace if you listen to Ditch Diggers.

I’ll be totally honest with you, I have two reasons for wanting to read this; Wallace is a great podcaster and I’ve never read a book by a former wrestler that I didn’t love. (Full disclosure, the only other wrestler turned author I’ve ever read is Mic Foley. But I loved his book.)

At any rate, Savage Legion is the first of a new series. And I’m quite excited to read it.

The Stormlight Archive

By Brandon Sanderson- Release date November 17

I need to read this whole series before I get to this one. But everything of Sanderson’s that I’ve read so far has been awesome. So I’m sure I’ll get through all of it eventually. And maybe even in time for this one to come out.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor91S1lAiZGpL

By Hank Green- Release date July 7

My darling husband read An Absolutely Remarkable thing, went nuts about it, and insisted that I read it. I read it and started looking for information about the sequel. It was just announced. 

If you haven’t read book one, do yourself a favor and read it right now. It’s nothing like any other book I’ve ever read. It’s about a collection of big metal statues that just show up in the middle of the night with no explanation. Hilarity, panic and the worst/best of humanity ensues. 

I am counting the days until this book comes out. There are too many.

71GmLeqT7SLBallad of Songbirds and Snakes

By Suzanne Collins- Release date May 19

At least one person I’ve told about this release stopped our whole conversation to pre-order it right then. I don’t blame her, as that’s exactly what I did as soon as I heard it was coming out.

I, like almost everyone else on the planet, devoured Hunger Games. I watched every movie, learned how to whistle, and know every word of Hanging Tree by heart. (By the way, if you’re looking for a song to sing to time your handwashing, one verse of Hanging Tree is exactly 20 seconds long.)

The thought of a prequel series is beyond exciting. 

So, what do you think? What’s exciting on your pre-order list right now?

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Things that irritate me as a fantasy fan

It takes a true fan to really dig into all the terrible details of a thing. And as we’re all true fans of fantasy here, it’s important to talk about the parts of our genre that are just not working for us. So that’s what we’re going to do today.

Most of my issues with fantasy stories relate to one thing. A dramatic lack of diversity. This will kill any genre. But in worlds with such dramatic possibility, it seems particularly heinous.

Everyone has the same jobs

Everyone seems to be a farmer, or a smith, or a warrior or a member of the nobility. Usually, they’re one of the first two but secretly one of the seconds. There are peddlers aplenty and of course the occasional healer.

But people had other jobs! interesting jobs, too. People made candles, taught school, built shoes, ran shops. Can we please talk about some of those people, even if they’re not the main character?

Everyone uses the same sorts of world templates

I’m not the first person to voice this complaint, but I’m going to go ahead and voice it anyway. Most fantasy worlds are based in a very middle ages England or Norse style world. I used a similar set up myself in Woven, with Montelair being based heavily in Russia. Now and again you’ll see something from Asia.

Why not Africa? Why not Native Americans? What about the Middle East like I also did in Woven? It was fascinating enough I’m considering a whole new series just to explore it more. 

Almost all dragons are western dragons

And maybe, just saying, we might see too many dragons in general. Not that I don’t freaking love dragons. But there are these things called drakes, and they are also pretty freaking cool. There are also basilisks and a hundred other mythological creatures that we never see. Brownies! Why aren’t there more books about brownies?

Few if any characters are gay

If someone knows otherwise, please let me know. If you know of any fantasy books besides mine that deal with homosexuality (especially if they’re written by own voice authors) please leave them in the comments below. I want to read them.

It’s rare to see any not straight character in any genre unless that’s what the whole book is about. I would love to see more stories about a person who happens to also be gay or bisexual.

Few if any characters are differently-abled

I have seen more dead characters than differently-abled ones in books.

Why? Do they not have stories to tell? Do they not have adventures or challenges to overcome? Why can’t we see people with more physical issues than the occasional pair of glasses?

So what do you think? What irritates you in the fantasy genre? Let us know in the comments below. 

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My top four magic tools

Magical or enchanted items are a mainstay of the fantasy genre. A cloak of invisibility, an amulet that protects its owner, a painting that ages instead of a man. These tools make a character who might have no magical ability powerful. 

At least that’s how it might appear. Most of the tools, like Dumbo’s magic feather, are nothing more than placebos. Some, like Thor’s hammer, can’t just be picked up and used by anybody. But some any old person could use, like a gun or a sword. 

What follows are my four of my favorite magical tools. But I’d love to hear what you think! Leave your favorite magical tool in the comments below.

Sailor Moon’s Magic Pen

Growing up I was a big fan of Sailor Moon. Looking back on it now the show is, let’s just sailor moonsay hard to watch. Like really hard. Don’t judge me, please. 

Setting the cringy points aside, the sailor scouts had some of the coolest magic tools I had ever seen then and I still want them now. My favorite tool was Serina’s Moon Pen of transformation. She used it to transform her appearance and disguise herself. So long as she wanted to disguise herself as a blond woman.

Yes, the moon pen could be used to sneak into places and go unseen in a crowd. I would use it to just get ready before I leave the house. Moon Pen, transform me into a functioning adult!

The Golden Compass

golden compassShiny things are awesome, and I think a lot of people have this cat-like attraction to boxes. Music boxes and watch workings are two of my favorite aesthetics. So the golden compass as a physical thing was attractive to me right away. Then we get into what it does.

The Golden Compass is basically a set of tarot cards, just more compact. It’s a machine that answers questions based on a series of symbols that will likely have a different meaning to everyone who looks at them. And there’s a whole group of people ‘in charge’ who are way overthinking it. I want one.

Wonder Woman’s wrist braces

For those who don’t know, Wonder Woman’s wrist braces do some awesome things. She Wonder womancan deflect attacks with them, and that’s pretty awesome. But it’s the symbolism behind the bracelets that I love so much. 

The braces are worn by all Amazons to remind them never to submit to a man. I mean, how cool is that? It’s a reminder that they were once shackled by men and should never allow themselves to be again. 

The Mirror of Erised

mirror of erisedYeah, we all knew we weren’t going to get through even a short list without talking about Harry Potter. And when it comes to the Harry Potter universe, there’s a ton of magical tools. But my favorite by far is the Mirror of Erised. 

We all think we know what we want in life. But I believe, if we were faced with our true and deepest desire, we’d be surprised. Some of us would be happily surprised. Some would be horrified. Most would have no idea.

What do you think you’d see in it? 

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