The Lone Ranger - A Fun Movie #western #johnnydepp

The Lone Ranger

Fun, Exciting, and Western

by Jacquie Rogers

What do you get when you cross campy humor and fast action with a western fictional icon? Lots of grumbling, that’s what. I have a tendency toward the irreverent, so no grumbling from me.

The Lone Ranger starring Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, and Helen Bonham Carter is one of my favorite 2013 movies, even if I didn’t see it until 2014. Frankly, with all the bad reviews (in America—the reviews abroad were quite positive), my husband and I had no urgent desire to watch it. Then again, we generally like what the critics hate, including Cowboys and Aliens, so those reviews didn’t deter us much, nor did the protests that the 2013 film didn’t follow Lone Ranger canon. I’m a whole lot more interested in good entertainment than in Johnny Depp’s bird headdress or whether Armie Hammer’s John Reid was in the original radio show.

http://bcove.me/4q82z5nl

 

Don’t get me wrong—I loved the television show starring Clayton Moore, and he’ll always be the true Lone Ranger to me. But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy another character type or another depiction. Jay Silverheels is firmly entrenched in my childhood memories as Tonto. My husband got it right when he said that if the moviemakers would’ve made up a new character instead of using the highly venerated Lone Ranger, the film would’ve been a hit. Funding would’ve been nigh to impossible, though, so likely the film never would’ve happened.

Was The Lone Ranger historically accurate? Of course not. Neither was the original Lone Ranger. Did director Gore Verbinski do a good job with the story world? I thought so. If you didn’t know anything about the Texas Rangers or the events surrounding the driving of the Golden Spike at Promontory Point, you’re off to a good start. The story wouldn’t have worked out if they’d used the actual events and besides, this is fiction, folks. Pure entertainment—not a history lesson.

My 14-year-old grandson, who said he didn’t like westerns, loved it. How’d I get him to watch it? I told him it was a funny movie with lots of shooting similar to Pirates of the Caribbean, and that critics hated it. He’s 14, so that last item was a big draw. He wants to watch it again this weekend and maybe invite some friends. 

I suppose with the big to-do and the hesitance of the theater audience that there won’t be a second movie. That would be a shame, because this is the sort of film that requires some time to catch on. My guess is that video sales will make up for any deficiencies at the box office and eventually it’ll become a cult classic. 

We’ve screened The Lone Ranger twice this week and will be watching it again in a couple weeks with extended family. Believe me, it’s not a sacrifice. I enjoyed the second viewing more than the first. Armie Hammer has a lot more talent than I expected and I’m looking forward to seeing him in future roles, Johnny Depp’s Tonto didn’t put me off at all as I did expect, and Helen Bonham Carter’s ivory leg was just plain fun. 

William Fichtner’s Butch Cavendish role was much more disgusting than it needed to be, but Fichtner did have his “good” bad guy moments. Tom Wilkinson is always an asset to any film, and he played Latham Cole perfectly. 

The star of the show was the Spirit Horse (Silver—actually several different horses were used), but I loved the scene where Tonto is trying to convince the Spirit Horse to pick Dan Reid instead of John.

And then there’s the train race—what a finale! And here’s how they did that:

 

If you didn't see The Lone Ranger in the theater, watch it at home.  Even though the action plays great on a large screen (ours is 8' and our recliners are 6' away, per my audio/video engineer spouse--who also has seven huge studio quality speakers each with their own amps... and I don't know what all), I'm sure the film would be great on a normal-size television.  But go into it with an open mind and expect to be entertained, because this movie delivers.

Hearts of Owyhee series

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Romancing The West | Pickle Barrel Bar & Books

WESTERN READING FOR ALL AGES! by Cheryl Pierson

If you’re like me, you have a few rules for writing–and for reading. In my writing there are some things I would “never” do. Here’s a list of the top three:

Rule #1 – I never write in first person.
Rule #2 – I never write from a child’s point of view.
Rule #3 – I always have romance somewhere in my stories.

Well…one out of three ain’t bad.

I threw Rule #1 out the window when I picked up my pen and started RED EAGLE'S WAR. (This book was published previously with another company under the title Kane's Redemption.) I wrote it in first person. It’s the first work of fiction I’ve ever written from this perspective, and after I wrote it, I knew there would be two more of these novellas to follow. There was no better way to tell this story of young Will Green and Jacobi Kane – and the secret that stands between them.

Will is a child when the story begins, but a young man by the conclusion. So, I guess you could say I broke my own “Rule #2” as well. But there are some stories that have to be told by the child, to take hold of the innocence that only a child possesses and manages to hold on to in the face of reality. Who could have told Scout’s story better than Scout, in To Kill a Mockingbird? No one. She was the perfect character to tell us what was happening and the perfect filter for us to see for ourselves those things she couldn’t put into words. Through her eyes, we saw everything. I knew that Will had to tell the story of what happened to him and how Jacobi Kane rescued him…and what happened afterward.

Growing up in the 1800’s on the prairie of the southwest would make an adult of you quickly; even quicker if you watched your entire family murdered in the space of five minutes. This story is not just about Will, though – it’s also about Jacobi Kane, who has some secrets of his own. Although he rescues Will, he wrestles with demons that can’t be fought alone – but how can Will help? In the end, who is the true rescuer – Will, or Jacobi Kane?

Romance? Well, there’s a bit of that. But it’s the romance that comes with new beginnings and the kiss of forgiveness–sweet, touching and straight from the heart. Come to think of it, the romance in RED EAGLE'S WAR is a bit different from anything else I’ve ever written, too.

This story came from somewhere deep; a place I didn’t know existed. It’s a gift I hope you will take as much pleasure in reading as I did in writing. These stories are not just for the younger set--they're stories that adults will enjoy, too!

Book 2 in the trilogy, RED EAGLE'S REVENGE, and book 3, TEXAS FOREVER, were both re-released at the same time RED EAGLE'S WAR was -- just this week. (They were previously released as Kane's Promise and Kane's Destiny with another company.)

RED EAGLE'S WAR is #24 of the Kindle top 100 list for Children's Westerns. This is a realistic trilogy that is a "coming of age" story you will not forget. At $1.99 each, these stories are perfect for the 10+ age group--and not just for boys.

I will be giving away a copy of RED EAGLE'S WAR today! All you have to do is leave a comment, and please leave your e-mail address so I can contact you! I will leave you with the blurb and an excerpt. Hope you enjoy!

BLURB:
A ten-year-old boy fights for his life when he is taken prisoner by a band of raiding Apache. Steeling himself for death, Will Green is shocked when a lone man walks into the Apache camp to rescue him several days later.

Driven by the secret he carries, Jacobi Kane has followed the Indians for days and needs to make his move to save the boy. With the odds stacked eight against one, his chances for success look pretty slim. But even if he’s able to rescue the boy and they get out alive, what then?

THE SET UP:
Tonight would be my night to die. Red Eagle and his men had kept me alive to their own end, for the last several days. Now, they argued, and though I didn’t speak Apache, it wasn’t hard to tell what they meant. We had ridden across endless miles of desert, populated only by saguaro cactus and rattlesnakes for days. I wasn’t sure how many. The men talked amongst themselves, their faces smeared with war paint. Garish and frightening, they had seemed to me from the moment they took me. Now, they seemed hideous, almost laughable.

EXCERPT FROM RED EAGLE'S WAR:
Red Eagle moved back just as fast as before and I felt my cheek burning. Blood dripped off his blade and that was it. I went after that red devil like I had lost my wits. I guess, truthfully, I had – because I don’t remember anything about it, except how good the first smash of my fist in his face felt.

Blood ran from Red Eagle’s nose and he cried out in a snarl of anger and pain...and surprise.

I felt a pulse of energy rush through me, and I wrapped my fingers around his throat like he’d done to Mama. I tightened them and his blood streamed warm and slick over my grip. His eyes began to bulge, and I thought in another minute, maybe I could have the vengeance I had wanted so badly for the past week.

Papa always said a man’s quick wits are sometimes his only defense. I was exultant. I may have been foolish for what I did, and I felt sure Papa and I would disagree sharply on the use of my wits. But I did what I had to do.

Suddenly, rough hands were upon me, pulling at me. But I was like a mad dog, snarling, and foaming at the mouth in my pent up anger and hatred that was finally spilling out. What a glorious opportunity! Even if I died for it, I knew I couldn’t have passed it up – whether Papa might have approved, or not.

The Indians were all speaking at once, yelling, calling out, laughing. The moon was full, providing even more light than what the fire gave, making the night seem even hotter, as if the sun still shone on us. From somewhere in the distance of the woods beyond, I heard the call of the owls, and I knew enough Injun to know what that meant to them.

Someone was going to die. It might be me, but I was doing my best to take Red Eagle with me.

A gunshot split the night air. “Stop it!” Hands like steel bands wrapped around my shoulders and jerked me off of Red Eagle. “Stop it!”

I couldn’t answer. I was breathing too hard, panting like the mad dog I had become. My hands balled into fists and flexed open again and again, and my fingers were sticky with Red Eagle’s blood. My own pulse sang through my veins in a triumph I had never experienced before.

“Boy, straighten up or you’re gonna get us both killed.” The voice was calm. I stopped struggling and looked up into the face of a white man. A white man had walked right into Red Eagle’s camp. I figured, now, those owls would have plenty more to tell – at least one more death.

But he didn’t seem worried. He held his rifle at the ready, pointed in the general direction of the group of eight Indians that rode in Red Eagle’s band. I glanced around the half-circle of painted faces, and I couldn’t help gloating. They all looked as if they’d met up with some kind of spirit or demon more wicked than they were. And that was going some.

“Can you ride bareback?”

I nodded. I guessed I could, I wanted to tell him. Been doin’ it for a dang week.

“Need help getting on?”

I shook my head and he let me go real slow. “Pick the one you can manage best and get settled on him. Take Red Eagle’s rifle and bullets.”

“Wait!” Red Eagle challenged. He rolled onto his side, wiping the blood from his nose. It pleased me greatly to hear that he wheezed when he spoke. “You take our horses, our weapons—”

“I ain’t takin’ your lives. And I ain’t takin’ all your weapons,” the big man answered in a slow drawl. “Only yours. Pitch that knife over this way, and do it easy. My trigger finger is mighty nervous tonight.”

For RED EAGLE'S WAR, RED EAGLE'S REVENGE, and TEXAS FOREVER as well as all my other work, click here:
https://www.amazon.com/author/cherylpierson

Don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered in the drawing for a pdf copy of RED EAGLE'S WAR!

TIN STAR: The Men Behind the Badge by Tom Rizzo

The sheriff sat at his desk fiddling with a tin can, cutting, and bending the metal to create a temporary badge that would identify him as the law. 

Since the county never needed a sheriff before, it had no badge to provide the man citizens just elected.

The new sheriff began having second thoughts about the extent of his new duties and responsibilities. Enforcing the law was only part of the job. He also served as jailer and tax collector, and served warrants, subpoenas, and jury summons. 

For the most part, the small and isolated early settlements across the frontier did a good job of self-policing. The majority of those looking to establish a new life and career in the West were  honest and law-abiding. Most were friendly, hard-working, and trusting--willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt.

Frontier families rarely secured their homes or businesses with locks. Businesses granted credit without seeking collateral.

Western communities took their time establishing a law enforcement arm, but with good reason. Many settlers who founded the towns were immigrants who previously encountered police abuse and harassment. They harbored a natural distrust for the law.

These citizens became the enforcers and often formed vigilante committees.

The need emerged for a formal entity to deal with issues of crime at the local level.

The men who wore the badges had to be diligent when it came to enforcing the law. Any communication about crimes and criminals was almost non-existent. The telegraph helped, but not every community had the service.

The U. S. mail provided lawmen with descriptions of criminals, their names and last known locations. 

Word-of-mouth helped, as did a crude likeness on a wanted poster. But, information traveled at a snail's pace. and often was unreliable and outdated by the time it got delivered.

The most effective kind of sheriff took a proactive role in the enforcement of frontier justice. A good lawman monitored the arrival of strangers in their towns. He kept tabs on who they were, where they were staying, and why they were visiting.

Sometimes, of course, the town’s sheriffs just happened to be criminals themselves. Some changed, went straight, and did their best to uphold the law, and were good at their jobs. Others used their position for financial and political gain, and influence.

It's no wonder some lawmen crossed to the dark side. The post of sheriff, although high in responsibility and visibility, proved a low-paying job.

As a general rule, some counties provided an annual salary of around $200, plus a percentage of any fees they collected. 

The fee system differed from territory-to-territory but, on average, generally reflected this schedule: 

• Serving a warrant: $1

• Summoning a juror: $.50

• Summoning the grand jury: $5

• Summoning witnesses: $.50

• Attending court: $1.50

• Calling each witness in court: $.05

• Committing prisoners to jail: $1

• Daily support of prisoners: $.25

• Executing a death warrant: $15

• Travel allowance: $.05 a mile 

• Reasonable expenses for other services not specified. 

Sheriffs also functioned as the ex-officio tax assessor and collector. The many duties, low pay, and the risks involved often prompted good men to turn bad for the opportunity of more lucrative paydays.

The types of crimes lawmen dealt with were too widespread for just one person. 

The situation provided the perfect opportunity for the advent of bounty hunters. These individuals were in the hunt for the pay-off of reward money.

Enterprising individuals created profit-minded private companies to help fill the gap, too. The most well-known was Pinkerton National Detective Agency.

Little glamor was associated with role of sheriff.

In reality, they spent much of their time serving subpoenas, and issuing summons. Lawmen were also responsible for seizing property as directed by civil rulings. And, they often had to issue summons for a coroner’s jury. And, in some instances, they faced life-and-death situations.

Much of their daily work was mundane. As lawmen became more visible, daily life for the town's citizens improved for the better. Citizens began to recognize the need for a legitimate, organized enforcement process, leading to a more peaceful way of life.

#  #  #

Review Roundup: Requiem for a Bandit

West of the Big River: The Bandit
By Jerry Guin
The Western Fictioneers Library, November 2013
$8.99paperback, ISBN 1493779591
$2.99 Kindle, ASIN B00GXJHOFG
$2.99 most other e-formats, ISBN 9781311367549
185 pages

Sam Bass did a lot of living in a few short years. Initially a footloose orphan mentored by a Texas sheriff he called Dad, during the last five years of his life Bass evolved from disillusioned cowpoke through gambler to lightly seasoned robber of stages and trains.

Jerry Guin presents a semi-fictionalized account of Bass’s transformation in West of the Big River: The Bandit.

Unlike the other books in the West of the Big River series, The Bandit doesn’t drop a historical figure into a fictional adventure. Guin’s tale sticks closely to the historical record and surrounds Bass with known associates. Within that framework, though, the legend of Sam Bass gets some meat on its bones.

Texans still tend to view Bass with a Robin Hood-like reverence: The outlaw stole for a living, but according to most reports, he was generous and personable. Folks couldn’t help liking him.

That is the Bass Guin presents, embellishing what is known with what easily could have been. Naïve in the beginning, Bass gradually gains confidence after falling in with a disreputable crowd. Under the presumed tutelage of an opportunistic drifter, Bass goes about becoming a legendary criminal in a somewhat lackadaisical fashion. He doesn’t emerge as a leader — and even then, a rather aimless one — until shortly before his death at age twenty-seven as the result of an accidental shootout.

The Bandit only modestly fictionalizes the legend of a Texas outlaw. Those who already know the story will enjoy the refresher and the ways in which Guin puts words in the mouths of historical figures. For those unfamiliar with Sam Bass, The Bandit will entertain while it educates.



Kathleen Rice Adams is a Texan, a voracious reader, a professional journalist, and an author. She received a review copy of West of the Big River: The Bandit from the publisher. Her opinions are her own and are neither endorsed nor necessarily supported by Western Fictioneers or individual members of the organization. Links in the review are for convenience only; they do not produce affiliate revenue.

The Card of a Man

Troy D. Smith

Growing up in the 70s, I got plenty of Gunsmoke amd Bonanza on TV, and caught The McCahans and Little House on the Prairie from episode 1. But I missed out on getting the first-run experience of the many B&W classics from the 50s that my Uncle Horace told me about.

Then in the early 80s we got cable- 13 whole channels!! And there was this one called CBN, the Christian Broadcasting Network. I wasn't very interested in their daytime programming, such as the PTL Club -though Jim and Tammy Faye did get very interesting by the time the decade was out- but nighttime and weekends, that was something else. At night they showed old sitcoms from the fifties, and I watched 'em all. Which is why, at 45, I can converse knowledgeably about YOU BET YOUR LIFE, OZZIE AND HARRIET, LIFE OF RILEY, MY LITTLE MARGIE, and THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM.

And Weekends? Weekends were for westerns! Still are, in fact, as CBN morphed by the end of the decade into The Family Channel.

WYATT EARP, BAT MASTERSON, THE WESTERNER, RAWHIDE, MAVERICK, there were slews of 'em, and I loved 'em all.

But my favorite was that dapper soldier of fortune based in San Francisco, the one they called Paladin.

You know him -though we never learned his actual name. Paladin was a persona he assumed, this erudite former cavalry officer with a taste for poetry and a gift for classical languages. He was like James Bond, but more sophisticated -and always ready to slap leather or throw a punch for justice. Justice that was foreshadowed at the beginning of every episode, with the camera trained on his hip as he drew his gun and his off-screen voice lectured the villain like a schoolmaster.

Gee, wonder why I liked him so much?

Like him I did, for a lot of reasons. I liked what he stood for, what a paladin was- a knight without a master, ever seeking a righteous cause to which he could lend his sword.

I took to heart the character's words in the episode when he explained the chess knight which was his symbol: the knight is the only piece on the board which can move over any obstacle, and change directions in the middle of a turn.

Much later, around 1997, I started jangling amongst the internet tubes, particularly hanging out in the Books and Literature chatrooms of Yahoo. And of course, you had to have a chat-name- mine came pretty easily. Paladin. (Except when I wanted to fly under the radar, then I was Hec Ramsey.) After all, I was trying to make a living (or at least part of one) as a writer, so I literally was a paladin- a free-lance. Later still, when I decided to get a tattoo, it was that chesspiece.

How about you- was there ever a western character you wanted to be like, just a little?

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! by CHERYL PIERSON

It's Valentine's Day! The day of love--so remember...

Love is in the air--especially on a day like this was! Photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt. His most famous photograph, taken on August 14, 1945 in Times Square. He took this famous photograph using a Leica IIIa. (The photograph is known under various names: V-J Day in Times Square, V-Day, etc.[9])

Love beautiful pictures...

(Charles Russell Christmas Print)




Rick Burgess, Sunset in West Virginia

Love the simple things...


the animals...

(Dog who was saved in the Moore, OK tornado)


("Granddog" Embry and daughter, Jessica, a few years ago.)

Imagine...




Dream...




Remember...

(Artist Lee Teter)

Laugh...
(Dog riding donkey in saloon.)


("When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way from your first cigarette to your last dyin' day!")

And above all, have a great VALENTINE'S DAY!

Ranger Jim's Ramblings for February

So, I know quite a few of you have heard my rantings about the ridiculous court case in the State of Connecticut in which horses have been declared "inherently vicious animals with a propensity to do mischief and bite."  For those of you who haven't, back in 2006 a father held up his two year old son to a horse at a farm in Milford, CT, despite several signs warning "Do Not Pet or Feed the Horses". One of the horses bit the kid, so being the responsible parent that he is, instead of admitting it was his fault he sued. The first court, the CT Superior Court, rightly tossed the suit out. So the guy appealed, and somehow got the CT Appellate Court to rule that not only was the horse who bit his son vicious, but that all horses as a species are "inherently vicious.... so on and so on. That ruling will mean horses in CT will be classified the same as wild animals in a zoo, making it just about impossible to own one. CT would also be the only state to classify horses as vicious.  The case was appealed by the farmer, the CT Horse Council, and the CT Farm Bureau to the CT Supreme Court, which held a hearing back in September. So far the court hasn't ruled. However, Governor Malloy has finally done one thing right. He's introduced a bill into the legislature which declares that "domesticated horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules ARE NOT inherently vicious." If the law passes, and no one can think of why it won't, unless Heaven forbid the trial lawyers get their hands on it, that will nullify any potential adverse ruling from the courts.

What's all this have to do with the Old West, you ask? Just this. Horses have been humankind's partners for centuries. Without them, the West would never have been settled, and the Native American Indians, especially the Comanches, would never have become the finest cavalry units the world ever saw. But now we've come to this, that because of one person's negligence horses may be declared vicious animals. I used to think I might have been born a hundred years too late. Now I know I have been.

These are the pictures that were supposed to be with my post. They're in the edits, but for some reason didn't show up on the blog.

Ranger Jim's Ramblings for February

Okay, this may show up twice, so if it does I apologize. I wrote this and scheduled it for posting at 1:00 a.m. but it hasn't shown up.

Most of you are aware of my rantings about the ridiculous court decision in Connecticut that horses as a species are "inherently vicious animals, with a tendency to do mischief and bite." The whole thing goes back to 2006, when a father put his two year old son up against a horse's face, despite signs warning "do not pet or feed the horses". So, even though it was his fault, being a responsible parent he sued the farmer. The CT Superior Court, which first heard the case, rightly tossed it out, saying the father was responsible for his son's injuries. So the father appealed, and somehow convinced the Appellate Court that not only was the horse who bit his son vicious, but all horses are. The farmer, CT Horse Council, and CT Farm Bureau appealed to the CT Supreme Court, who heard the case in September, but has not issued a ruling. If the decision is not overturned, horses will be classified the same as wild animals kept in zoos in CT (the only state where horses will be declared "vicious". That means horses in CT will be uninsurable, and will basically disappear from the state. Luckily, Governor Malloy has finally done something right. He's introduced a bill in the legislature which will declare that "domesticated horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules ARE NOT inherently vicious". If the bill passes, and no one can see why it won't (unless the lawyers, seeing a chance for more money disappearing, get their hands on it), it will nullify any adverse court decision.

What does this have to do with horses in the Old West, you ask? Simply this. Horses have been humankind's partners for centuries. Without the horse, the West would never have been settled, and the Native Americans like the Comanches would never have become one of the world's greatest cavalries. It's a sad state of affairs that our society has come to when horses, which have served us so nobly, can be declared "vicious".

Some things to know about wickedness

I ran onto a writing teacher who is also a very talented writer of high fantasy. OK. I know, this is the Western Fictioneer blog. But some of the things he (David Farland) teaches are worth sitting up and listening to.

This is a wicked post, so lets talk about antagonists, those wicked people who make life so hellish for the ones we love (you should always love your protagonist).

Here’s what Farland says about creating an antagonist (from his book, Million Dollar Outlines 2013 Edition): The antagonist is normally a person who wants to coerce your character to follow a life path that is soul-destroying, even though he may gain some short-term goal. Antagonists are usually older and far more powerful than the protagonist. The antagonist in Star Wars was the emperor, in The Lord of the Rings, Dark Lord Sauron, and in Harry Potter, Voldemort.

Aha. Some light begins to dawn. Or should we say, some light begins to wane?

Now, in addition to an antagonist, you need a contagonist or some contagonists. Farland says, “The contagonist in your story is a powerful character who normally is allied with the antagonist, and is often his most powerful underling.”

He continues: “The contagonist typically sees potential in the protagonist, sees that person as a younger version of himself, and will try to become a guide to the protagonist.”

Note this: Though the contagonist may seem allied to the antagonist, their goals may differ.

Got that?

Farland has written a lot. One of his series is The Runelords. From it, I think we can learn a lot about building or creating a mighty, totally ruthless, greedy, exceedingly powerful antagonist.

The hero is Gabon. A young prince who is destined to become the Earth King, but is now just a young prince.

The major piece of magic in Farland’s fantasy world is the ability to give and accept endowments. A person could endow another with his sight. The endower would then be blind, but the endowed would see twice as well. In theory, there is no limit to the number of endowments a person can accept. And the endowments might include brawn, stamina, hearing, glamour, metabolism, and more. The lords of the realm receive endowments from their subjects . . . the catch is, if the endower dies, the endowed loses the endowment. This concept was very interesting to me. Especially when the invading king first appeared. This is where we get to see what real wickedness is like.

I don’t underline much in a novel, but I could not help underlining this statement: “Men who believe themselves to be good, who do not search their own souls, most often commit the worst atrocities. It is only when we do evil in the belief that we do good that we pursue it wholeheartedly.”

The invader is Raj Ahten. Let’s see how he attacks the walls of Sylvarresta Castle. I quote from Farland’s book The Runelords.

Lord Raj Ahten himself gave a shout, reining in his stallion, and such was the power of his call—for he bore endowments of Voice from hundreds and hundreds of people—that his words carried clearly even this high on the citadel, even blowing on the wind. He sounded kindly and pleasant, belying the threat inherent in his deeds.

“King Sylvarresta, people of Heredon,” Raj Ahten called, his voice as fair as the tinkling of a bell, as resonant as a woodwind. “Let us be friends—not combatants. I bear you no malice. Look at my army—“ He spread his arms wide. “You cannot defeat it. Look at me. I am not your enemy. Surely you will not force me to squat here in the cold tonight, while you dine beside your hearths? Throw open your gates. I will be your lord, and you will be my people.”

The antagonist’s words were so enticing, in so many ways, the defenders started throwing their weapons off the walls of the castle and began to lower the draw bridge.

Watch.

In keeping with her own feelings of anger, down at the gates, Captain Derrow let a bolt loose at the Wolf Lord. Derrow’s bolt flew with incredible speed, a blur of black iron that would have driven through any other man’s armor. But the speed and strength of Raj Ahten outmatched him. The Runelord simply reached up and caught the bolt in mid-air.

A few moments later, the Wolf Lord takes the castle over.

His cousin is the queen, but she refuses to kneel to him. He also demands the wit endowment of King Sylvarresta. The queen tries to kill him with poisoned fingernails. His endowments of metabolism let him oust the poison and heal the scours in seconds. He kills her. Then he explains to the king.

Raj Ahten said, “My condolences, Sylvarresta. You see that I had no other choice. Of course, there are always those who think it easier to kill or die, than to live in service. And they are correct. Death requires no effort.”

Already we are at page 181 of a novel that runs 613 pages long.

Farland uses what he calls the Hourglass of Evil. He says: In the beginning, evil is seen to be ‘distant’ from the protagonists. The Orcs are rampaging in distant lands in The Lord of the Rings, while in The Christmas Carol, Scrooge is asked to donate money to orphans in a distant country.

But as the tale progresses, the evil draws closer to the protagonist. Black riders enter the Shire, poverty strikes in the homes of Scrooges employees.

Eventually, at the end of the tale, evil is seen in the hearts of the protagonists. Frodo discovers that he cannot give up the Ring at the Crack of Doom, while Scrooge learns that his own selfishness lies at the heart of the troubles around him.

Thus, there must come a turning point where your character sees the evil in himself and resolves to either change or is destroyed. It is only when evil is subdued in the hero’s heart, that changes can be made abroad, and good can sweep over the earth.

May your antagonist forever gain in wickedness and may all your protagonists wear white hats.

FROM BROKER TO BOOKS?

Most of my early life was spent as a real estate broker, selling farms and ranches, subdivision land and lots. And I was very, very successful at that task. But I had the urge to write. I tried a novel at the ripe old age of twenty-four, and after four chapters found I had little to say. Later in life, I found myself unmarried and living on a boat—and with time on my hands so I decided if I was ever going to fulfill this smoldering ambition, now was the time.

After completing a 500 page historical, I submitted it a few times, and got a few form rejections. It dawned on me that I had (as I have a tendency to do) plunged in where angels fear to tread. Only then did I decide to study the craft. I was lucky enough to marry a lady who approached things a little differently. She's a great study and had the background. A good grounding in English in college, and a voracious reader. And she, too, had the urge to write. Together, we went to writer's conferences, and separately, we wrote (although we did write one novel, TIN ANGEL, together).

And after paying our dues with many conferences, and many, many more hours in front of the word processor, it began to pay off.

One of my novels, Rush to Destiny, was nominated as a finalist as the best biographical novel of 1992 by a group of New York reviewers and the magazine Romantic Times /Rave Reviews. Another, The Benicia Belle, was a runner-up for the Western Writers of America Spur Award for best original western paperback of 1992, one of over 40 novels submitted that year.

Kat, my wife, (www.katbooks.com) has had her later books repeatedly on the best seller lists (her AGAINST series has hit the NYT six times as of this writing) and she has won many awards. She’s a New York Times bestseller, and internationally published in over a dozen languages and in over two dozen countries. And she’s earning more than she ever did in the real estate business—and she did very well in real estate.

Throughout the manual I've used the masculine gender, but I have a great respect for all the wonderful, talented women who write novels—even westerns or thrillers, commonly considered "men's fiction"—or want to write them, and for the women who read them.

No matter who you are or what your age, if you can read and understand this manual, you can write a novel. Some of you may take a long time to do so, some of you may whip out a masterpiece in a few months.

Like most any specialty, writers have their organizations. And professional organizations can make your education come more quickly, and can make your endeavors more enjoyable. It's hard to be alone in any venture, and knowing you have peers who have the same concerns and problems you have, and with whom you can share your successes, helps.

Western Writers of America, Inc. is a great organization which enjoys an annual meeting, which supports western and historical writers (both fiction and non-fiction), which gives awards annually to those they judge superior in their field, and which publishes a bi-monthly magazine called The Roundup. There are some requirements to join.

Romance Writers of America do the same for that genre, have many more members, and offer excellent support. Those interested in romance writing should join. There are no "published" requirements. RWA has a number of local chapters with meetings and support groups that are excellent for beginning writers. They have an annual conference.

Mystery Writers of America, Thriller Writers of America, and many other groups are out there for you, if you want to learn and share your wants and needs. Search for them on the net.

Some genres, in general, pay more than others, which is a result of reader popularity.

At one time, Zane Grey outsold all of them, and the western genre still enjoys a strong, faithful following.

Although it’s hard to get reviewed in national publications, as the market is admittedly small and generally not well respected…a prejudice many of us who love the west do not share. Thank God the elitists who display an indifferent attitude or worse to western writing, which in my opinion is the backbone of the nation’s literacy, are not nearly as influential as they would like to believe.

To illustrate what I say, I'll quote my good friend Richard S. Wheeler (a great western writer) who pointed out in a recent The Roundup article that the New Columbia Encyclopedia has admiring entries on several mystery writers (over 40) yet only one patronizing entry on Zane Grey and one on Owen Wister—no mention of Pulitzer prize winner A. B. Guthrie, Jr., or of Dorothy Johnson, Frederick Faust, Glendon Swarthout, Ernest Haycox, Walter Van Tilburg Clark, William MacLeod Raine, Henry Allen, Jack Schaefer, Louis L’Amour, or a dozen others worthy of note.

We western writers “don’t get no respect.”

I love westerns, but I also love thrillers, suspense, mysteries, and most non-fiction. And I love to read compelling writing of any kind.

And to write well myself I keep a number of reminders posted over my monitor, so I can’t help but see them every day.

REMINDERS: Over the top of my computer, along the edges of bookshelves just over eye-high, I have taped the following reminders:

Filter all description though point of view!

Problem, Purpose, Conflict, Goal—Active Voice!

Hear, See, Taste, Touch, and Smell!

There is no scene without conflict!

Check for As, That, Was!

Each of these has been taped there at various times throughout my writing career. And I still glance at them regularly, and they are still crucial to good writing. Other writers, I’m sure, have dozens of other reminders, but these work for me.

The rest of this manual will, among other things, tell you why I think the above reminders are so important and why, if you're a reader (and you shouldn't try being a writer if you're not), you'll never be stuck for plot or characters.

“I try to leave out the parts that readers skip.”

Elmore Leonard, Novelist

Write Compelling Fiction