Duncan Lay's Blog, page 2

I've just seen The Hobbit BOTFA and there are some truly extraordinary fight scenes. Inventive, jaw-dropping, eye-watering and pure brilliant.
Without giving too much away, what Legolas does is stunning, while the use of Battle Boars, Moose, carts, trolls and the rest is amazing.
But, and here's the but, the battle tactics are so dumb!
I nearly hurled popcorn at the screen at one point.
The dwarves form the perfect shield wall, bristling with spears. Perfect, I thought. Stick elven bowmen behind that and the orcs would be slaughtered.
But nooooooo.
The elves jump OVER the shieldwall to fight man-to-man! Or elf-to-orc, actually.
It drove me crazy!
They are outnumbered but have the best bowmen in the world. Why not pile up the orcs with your bowmen and then use the dwarves as a perfect bulwark for the human pikemen?
If they had fought with an ounce of brains, they wouldn't have needed the eagles, they would have formed a barricade of the dead orcs and then the orcs could not use their numbers and would have been compressed and slaughtered.
Obviously it would not have made for visually compelling viewing, and there would have been less need for death or glory charges.
But that's the point of battles. You don't have to look good to win. You just have to win.
Still, at least it was better than having Bilbo hit his head and miss the whole bloody thing!
So, go ahead and enjoy the individual fights but remember, they could have won the battle so much easier, with so much less loss of extras!

As I write this, it is less than three weeks until the release of The Last Quarrel Episode 1!
As you can imagine, I'm very excited about this new release.
The book has been split into five episodes and each new one will be released a fortnight after the first.
The omnibus edition and the Print On Demand editions will be released after Episode 5.
Find out how you can pre-order Episode 1 here ...http://momentumbooks.com.au/books/the-last-quarrel-episode-1/

And remember, review one or more of the episodes and you could have a character named after you in the next book, The Bloody Quarrel!

Australian Bookseller + Publisher says I write the best battle scenes since the late, great David Gemmell.
So how do you go about writing a bloody, brilliant battle scene?Here's my top tips for getting the readers right into the guts of the fight. Literally.After all, these days you can't get away with the old JRR Tolkein trick, of having the main character cop a blow to the head and then skip all the action!First of all, you have to set the scene. And I'm not talking so much about the scenery of the battle, although that is important as well.I like to take readers through the minds of each main character before a climactic battle, reminding everyone of just what is at stake.Here you also need to bring in what the amazing director of Buffy, Firefly and The Avengers, Joss Whedon, calls "internal action".External action is the battle that's about to start. Internal action is what is going on between the characters and how their relationships will be affected by the battle.Perhaps two friends have fallen out and now find themselves on opposing sides. Perhaps someone hopes to not just win the day but win back their love at the end of the battle. it all adds extra interest to the simple descriptions.Next, you do need to think about the scenery.Terrain plays a huge role in battles - just pick up a history textbook if you don't believe me!Both sides will need to use the terrain sensibly, if readers are to be hanging on every word, rather than chortling with ridicule.It's a good idea to sketch out what will happen, as well as the key turning points, as well as where the main characters will be at each time.Incidentally, I find it works really well to present the battle from different viewpoints, ideally something from both (or all) sides involved in the fighting. Twists and turns in the battle can be presented as you switch between the viewpoints. This also allows you to get right into the guts of the battle (literally) as well as present more of an overview.Obviously someone caught in the middle is going to have a very different experience from one of the leaders watching from a safe distance.It's also worth knowing a little history to see how things might work out. For instance, crossbows outrange longbows but the longbow was a far more potent weapon. How is each side armed and armoured? How will that affect their tactics and fighting style?On that earlier point, don't forget that arrows run out. Nobody would have an unlimited supply.I believe that, with fantasy, it needs some reality to make it more believable. As history shows us, we've been fighting wars with a variety of weapons for thousands of years. Introducing a little of that adds something.To add some extra realism, remember that men get tired while fighting, especially in armour, and that armies almost never fought to the last man. Most sensible people, once they see that the day is lost, will try to get the hell out of there, rather than fighting to the last soldier.Finally, work on all the senses of the reader. What they see, what they hear, what they smell. it all adds to the realism and brings the enormity of the battle home to the reader.You want them to be fully invested in what they are reading. Grab them and don't let go.

It's on again - a chance to have a character named after you in The Bloody Quarrel, book 2 of the new series.Have you read one or more of my books and enjoyed it?Then you can enter this competition and maybe win yourself a prize that money literally cannot buy.This is a competition with a difference, a truly unique prize that you cannot get anywhere else!It's also very easy to enter and win.All you have to do is write and post a review of one of my books on an online bookseller site.So this could be iTunes, Amazon, Kobo, Barnes And Noble or any other online bookseller.Send me the link to the review, using the contact form on this website, and you are in the running to have a character named after you. It's that easy!Remember to add your own email details, so I can contact you and check whether you want your first name, last name or nickname used - and whether you want to be a hero or a villain!The last episode of The Last Quarrel will be out around June/July 2015 so, by the end of July, I will pick at least two winners to have their names used in The Bloody Quarrel.That's right, I will choose at least two - and maybe even some more!Now, the more reviews you post, the better your chances and if you can include a review of at least one episode of The Last Quarrel, you will have a very good chance indeed! Previous winners include David Craddock, whose character Craddock will be joining in a fearsome battle at the end of The Last Quarrel and Ely, whose enigmatic character will be met in The Last Quarrel but take a fascinating part in The Bloody Quarrel. If you want to join them, get reviewing and get posting!

To help celebrate the signing of the new series, The Last Quarrel, with Momentum Books, I have launched my own website.
Called, imaginatively enough, duncanlay.com, it's got news and reviews about the books, as well as writing tips and a few other goodies.
Keep an eye on it for the latest updates about The Last Quarrel and what else I am doing!

The new series, which will be released in three eBooks but each one in five parts through Momentum Books, starts coming out early next year.
I've given you a little taster of the story, now meet some of the characters ...

Fallon: He's been a village sergeant for more years than he cares to remember but has always dreamed of something more, and of being a hero. He knows that time is slipping away now and when fate finally gives him a chance, he leaps at it - without bothering to look where he's going...

Bridgit: Fallon's wife, she has been deeply scarred by all the children they have lost over the years. Beset by fears, constantly worrying about their one boy, Kerrin, she sees dangers everywhere. She only wants the quiet life but will find herself responsible for the lives of many, not just one ...

Kerrin: Their son, protected and pampered for all his life. He is about to be exposed to a real nightmare and given the responsibility of saving not just his parents but perhaps the entire lands ...

Prince Cavan: The Crown prince of Gaelland, forced to be the public face of the throne to cover for his father and brother. He knows it is not witches snatching children from the streets but getting anyone to believe even a prince of the realm seems impossible...

Prince Swane: Despised and maligned, yet strangely becoming far better looking. Cavan suspects he is behind the troubles plaguing Gaelland, or is it perhaps his mysterious hooded guest...?

King Aidan: Unpredictable, violent, prone to rage and yet also utterly charming. What role does he have to play in Gaelland's struggles?

Prince Kemal: The Crown Prince of the Kotterman Empire. This vast, sprawling confederation of lands is greatly admired by the Gaellish. But do they have something to do with the evil stalking the streets and counties?

Duchess Dina: When her husband's ship sails into Fallon's village, completely deserted and without even a sign of a fight, she wants to know what happened. But while she is willing to help Fallon, it has to be done her way. Or else.

So, if you read the last post, you will know that my new series will be published by Momentum (Pan Macmillan) as an eBook, with a worldwide release, with each book split into five parts.
But, you may well ask, what is the book about?
Firstly, it is set in the same world as the first two series, but a completely different set of lands. Time-wise, it is set before the events of the Dragon Sword Histories and there is no real link to either of the previous series, so obviously you don't have to have read them
Here's a little teaser, with more to come on some of the characters, later ...

Gaelland is a land gripped by fear. In the country, fishing boats return with their crews mysteriously vanished, while farms are left empty, their owners gone into the night, meals still on the table. In the cities, children disappear from the streets or even out of their own beds. The King tells his people that it is the work of selkies - mythical creatures who can turn from seals into men and back again - and witches. But no matter how many women he burns at the stake, the children are still being taken.   Fallon is a man who has always dreamed of being a hero. His wife Bridgit just wants to live in peace and quiet, and to escape the tragedies that have filled her life. His greatest wish and her worst nightmare are about to collide.When an empty ship sails into their village, he begins to follow the trail towards the truth behind the evil stalking their land. But it is a journey that will take them both into a dark, dark place and nobody can tell them where it might end ... And yes, you will see the return of the Fearpriests in this ...! 

Apologies for the delay in posting lately but I finally have some good news - I have signed contracts for the new series, The Last Quarrel, with Momentum, the online publishing arm of Pan Macmillan.
After months of uncertainty, I can't tell you what a relief it is to have a way forward again.
So what does that mean and how does it all work?
Let me take you through it ...
So, despite the success of my February-March tour for Wall Of Spears, HarperCollins Australia only offered me an eBook deal for my proposed new series.
After talking it over with my agent, we decided to instead speak to Pan Macmillan's eBook arm, Momentum, which has been achieving fantastic results with its eBook sales.
I'm delighted to say they will be taking on the new series and this will be a worldwide eBook release, not just Australia-NZ, as has been the case with the first two series.
Momentum also does things a little differently.
Instead of the book being released at $13 or $16 as an eBook, each of the new trilogy will be released in five parts, each of about 120 pages or 35,000 words.
So The Last Quarrel Part I will be out early next year (actual date to follow soon), then Part II will be out exactly a month later, Part III a month after that and so on and so forth. A month after Part V is released, you will be able to purchase the omnibus edition - the entire book as one.
As far as pricing goes, it will be much sharper than the previous pricing of my other two series.
Part I will be FREE and the subsequent parts will be a minimal cost, around the $1.99 mark, but will go up and down due to demand. You should be able to purchase the entire book for $10.
Momentum will also offer The Last Quarrel as print-on-demand. This may be available at the same time as the omnibus edition, or even earlier. And these are "bookstore quality" POD books as well, they don't look like self-published books.
Now, if the eBooks sell as well as we hope, then Pan Macmillan has the option of a full print run.
So who knows how that will go ...
One thing though - it will means the end of my grand tours, certainly in the short term. I may look to concentrate on conventions, or do some limited touring with print products - I am yet to decide.
But rest assured I'll be getting out and about somehow!
Anyway, that's the story and I do hope you will come along for the ride.
Next time, I need to tell you a little bit about the new series ...

I didn't realise this until recently but the Empire Of Bones series was unavailable in any format in the United States.
But in the last week, it's now been opened up as an eBook and may well be available in trade paperback format later through the HarperCollins 360 program, which means you won't be able to walk into a shop and buy it but you can order it online and a real copy will be posted to you from America, not from Australia.
Meanwhile, the entire Empire Of Bones series, Bridge Of Swords, Valley Of Shields and Wall Of Spears, is now available as an eBook, in all formats, in America.
With so many thousands of page views on this blog from the US, it certainly made sense!
And, of course, if there is plenty of interest, there's always the possibility of a full American release.
So, please, pass the word!

So I took my daughter to see Divergent at the movies.
You may have already read why I think dystopia is a much better genre for teenage girls to be reading than vampire fluff and I can say, having read the book and watched the movie, nothing has changed my mind there!
This is not a movie review by the way, although it will contain some spoilers ... rather it's a case of how I felt the movie-makers fell into a couple of classic writing traps.
Discussing the movie versus the book with my daughter, it got me thinking about how easy it would have been to take the movie to the next level.
The movie was pretty good and in fact I think handled some aspects of the story better than the book.
For instance, the battle to capture the flag was a great deal more intense and exciting than the book. Likewise the sequences where Tris has to get through her fear simulations in front of the Dauntless leadership made much more sense in the movie. In the book, she does display Divergent tendencies in her simulations - which would surely see her dragged off and killed, about 2 books too early. The way the movie handles it makes much more sense.
But where the movie falls down is its emphasis on external action over internal action. It may be that a Director's Cut of Divergent comes out, which will fix those issues. But the cinematic edition was flawed.
Take, for instance, Al's suicide. In the book, Tris is rightly devastated because, when Al was at his lowest, when he was struggling to come to terms with fighting and hurting other people, she rejected his advances. She blames herself.
None of that made it into the film, so you don't feel the same towards Al's death. After all, he tried to kill her - why does he deserve our sympathy?
Likewise when she is forced to kill a mind-controlled Will. In the book, Will's friendship has helped her survive training and protected her when Peter and his cronies were after her. Plus he is in love with her best friend Christina. Little of that makes it into the film, so you find yourself saying to her - shoot him! He's going to shoot you otherwise! Yet in the book you feel her anguish at being forced into this situation.
The emotional angle, which gives so much more meaning to the action, has been stripped out of the movie.
And that is a classic trap for writers - particularly writers of spec fiction. Never discount the emotional angle and remember that action should have an effect on characters' relationships, as well as everything else. It just makes the effect on the reader all the more powerful.