I've been thinking a lot recently about wonder.

Wikipedia describes the emotional state as something similar to surprise and awe, when something unexpected happens that is deeply tied to joy. That is key. Wonder is a joyful, uplifting feeling. 

Wonder is a powerful force. I'd argue, it's one of the biggest draws to speculative fiction in the first place. From the dragons of Game of Thrones to the galaxy-altering heroes of the Avengers. It's in everything that works. The trailer for the upcoming Star Wars film spends nearly half of its time on a single wondrous jump (with Rey using Force magic to leap over a TIE-fighter, and attack mid-air). I visited Disney's Pandora area in Animal Kingdom last year, and that entire section of the park is solely devoted to the wonder felt in the move Avatar, from the landscape to the two rides, to the background music (I have a feeling wonder will play heavily into the Star Wars Disney expansion as well). No focus on the movie's tension or characters, or even anything remotely antagonistic. Simply...wonder. 

Wonder is essential. The examples are endless. I've been enjoying Sanderson's Stormlight Archive, and each of the three books so far ended in a moment of absolute wonder. I cheered out loud, causing my wife to turn and give me a look, when reading the climax of Oathbringer. Dorothy steps into Oz and her jaw drops, as does the readers. The children walk through the wardrobe into Narnia and the reader's eyes widen. Frodo gasps as he walks into Lothlorien, and the reader feels it time and again in Middle Earth. And the entire series of Harry Potter, from the moment he meets Hagrid on, is centered around that emotion more than any other. Wonder is essential in speculative fiction. 
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But why now? Why am I thinking about wonder nonstop? Because while we, as human beings, encounter wonder many times in both fiction and our lives, I think there is only one experience that creates this experience more profoundly than any other. It's the one wondrous moment, deeper than any other, that truly changes you as a person. It's happened to me once before, and it's about to happen again. Any day now, my wife and I will welcome a child into this world.

I cannot wait to have my world turned upside-down. To know that who I am will be reshaped daily by another soul, looking back at me, depending me, and changing me in ways I can't even begin to fathom at this point. This is a sense of awe and joy and deep, deep wonder at the miracle of creation. I may write about wonder and read about wonder and watch shows and movies filled with wonder. Yet, I also know that no words will ever do justice to the deeper, more powerful emotion I'm about to experience.

I can't wait for this wonder-filled moment to arrive. 

Wiki.EzVid recently listed School of Deaths as one of their top YA books about dragons to check out. Anyone who knows the series, knows the dragons play a huge role especially by book three, and I'm glad to be mentioned in the review. You can visit the site and see the video HERE

This week is the annual Writers For Hope benefit auction. Writers, readers, schools, and book lovers are invited to bid on items ranging from signed books to writing critiques and even video school visits with well-known authors. 84 publishing professionals including bestselling authors and top agents are participating this year, and I am proud to be one of the donating authors. Please take a moment to visit this wonderful event. 100 percent of the proceeds go directly to RAINN, the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network, the largest USA-based anti-sexual assault organiztion. LEARN MORE HERE.  

My birthday is the end of April, but this year that doesn't matter. Our baby girl is due the day before my birthday. I know what I'm getting for a gift this year. My present's wrapped tight, occasionally kicking, and I honestly can't wait to meet her. 

Happy Holidays! Don't miss Pillars of Chaos, now available, and stay tuned for more book releases next year!

The second edition books are now available in ebook and paperback! Click above to go to Amazon!

I'm feeling more and more that the single most important element of any novel is tone. This is also called voice, and is the feeling behind a story. It's not the story, or the characters, or the plot, or even the world. The tone is the flavor of the book, in a way. It's how words are strung together, how images are used, and more. And it's simply impossible to teach. You either use a tone that resonates with your readers, or you don't.

The last three books I've read all had magnificent tones. I read the two books of Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicle, followed by Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. The latter made me especially aware of the power of tone, and it's what I'd like to talk about.

I've been a fan of the film version (shown above and below) of Howl's Moving Castle, as directed by Hayao Miyazaki, for well over a decade. In fact, since seeing it, I'd describe it as one of my all time favorite movies. It took me too long to get to the book, but I dove into the novel with a lot of preconceptions. The book came first, of course. I usually try to read books before I see the movies, but in this case that didn't happen. Most book to movie adaptations involve cutting. The movie's removed certain elements, simplified things, and sometimes made small changes. They're the same story though.

I began reading Jones' novel thinking that would be the case, but it wasn't at all. The movie and the novel are like sisters. They're related, and have many overlapping elements both character and story-wise. However, the differences go far beyond some simple cuts. There are drastic character differences (including in the main character- in the book, Sophie has magic which is essential to the climax, where she has none in the movie). And even the genres of the two are different. The movie is high fantasy (an invented world), but the book is low fantasy (elements of our world, including the fact that Howl was born in and visits Wales). I'm not complaining. I didn't like the book more than the movie, or less. It was essentially a different work, and I enjoy both immensely.

Yet, that brought me back to tone. The movie changed so much that it was practically a different story completely. Nearly every major detail was altered in some key way, and the conflicts and resolutions were similar but not the same. Yet, the movie captured the tone of the book perfectly. The book has a voice, a feeling of happiness and wonder and bemusement. Sophie is cranky but lovable, and the movie captured both of dynamics like a mirror. If you enjoyed the movie you should absolutely read the book, and vice versa, because the tone is the same. 

Which brings me back to tone. It's something I'm paying more and more attention to as an author, and something I'm striving to improve with. What are some of your favorite books because of tone? 

My wife, son, and I joined my parents for a wonderful week-long Christmas vacation at Disney World. Our favorite park was Animal Kingdom, but each of the parks had its own magical moments, from a VIP Star Wars tour with stormtroopers to Gavin's infectious smile at the stage production of "Finding Nemo." A wonderful trip. Here are some of the photo highlights.