A while back, after writing my first version of my novel, Millstones, I inflicted the story on a small group of unsuspecting friends. As a result, two of them asked me point blank if I believe in ghosts (i.e., apparitions). The question puzzled me. I had made a ghost a rather significant part of my story, and he was no less real than any of the other characters I had invented, but as the author, I knew that none of the characters actually existed outside the confines of their story; in a way, they were all apparitions – products of my imagination. I hadn’t even modelled any of them after people I knew. Therefore, what did it matter whether I believed in the existence of apparitions? Then I realized that, although I was aware that I had cold-bloodedly created all the characters and, therefore, knew that none of them was real, to at least some of my readers, the living characters were accepted as real, whereas the one who clashed with their belief systems was not.
It’s sort of like the ‘hobbit tomatoes’ mentioned by Steve Bein in his author’s note at the back of his novel, Daughter of the Sword. Certain critics complained that the hobbits in the film adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring were eating tomatoes. They said it wasn’t realistic because tomatoes are a New World food. Imaginary hobbits, a wizard, an eighty-seven year old ranger who looks and acts like a forty year old are about to be attacked by ring wraiths (a very nasty form of apparition), but only the tomatoes seemed unrealistic. Tolkien was obviously good at creating believable characters (as is Peter Jackson). Hmm... Maybe Millstones isn’t too bad either.
P.S. A for ARLEE!
It’s only fitting that, at the beginning of this project, Arlee Bird (Lee) should be acknowledged and thanked. He is, after all, the mastermind behind the A-Z blog – a fine exercise to get our creative juices flowing in the spring. He is always helpful, patient (even when asked dumb questions), and a wonderful supporter of writers in all stages of their development. Thanks Lee, you are appreciated.
It’s sort of like the ‘hobbit tomatoes’ mentioned by Steve Bein in his author’s note at the back of his novel, Daughter of the Sword. Certain critics complained that the hobbits in the film adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring were eating tomatoes. They said it wasn’t realistic because tomatoes are a New World food. Imaginary hobbits, a wizard, an eighty-seven year old ranger who looks and acts like a forty year old are about to be attacked by ring wraiths (a very nasty form of apparition), but only the tomatoes seemed unrealistic. Tolkien was obviously good at creating believable characters (as is Peter Jackson). Hmm... Maybe Millstones isn’t too bad either.
P.S. A for ARLEE!
It’s only fitting that, at the beginning of this project, Arlee Bird (Lee) should be acknowledged and thanked. He is, after all, the mastermind behind the A-Z blog – a fine exercise to get our creative juices flowing in the spring. He is always helpful, patient (even when asked dumb questions), and a wonderful supporter of writers in all stages of their development. Thanks Lee, you are appreciated.
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