Category: bell mountain series

‘How to Write a Fantasy Novel’ (2010)

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Paperback Bell Mountain Book

This was one of the very first posts to appear on this blog. Originally published in Chalcedon’s print magazine, Faith for All of Life, “How to Write a Fantasy Novel” is meant to shed some light on what we call–without devoting much thought to what we call it–“Christian fiction.”

https://chalcedon.edu/magazine/how-to-write-a-fantasy-novel

After I read Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings in high school, the only thing I ever wanted to do, as my work in life, was to write fantasy novels. It took me some fifty years to accomplish that.

Anyway, I’ve picked up knowledge along the way, and if you’re interested in trying your hand at writing fantasy, what I’ve learned through experience is encapsulated for you here. (I don’t believe I’ve had the opportunity to use the world “encapsulated” in any of my books. But you may want to.)

The Next ‘Ozias’ Book

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6 Facts About King Arthur – Was He Real? What Happened To Lancelot And Guinevere? | HistoryExtra

All I know about this book is its title–Ozias, Prince Enthroned–and that it’s the second book of a trilogy. That’s all I’ve got so far, plus bits and pieces left undone in the first book, Ozias, Prince in Peril.

It’s been my custom, in writing the novels in my Bell Mountain series, to wait for the Lord to give me the story He wants me to tell. I can’t make it happen, can’t force it. And it hasn’t happened yet.

Ozias lived some 2,000 years before his descendant, King Ryons, and some 1,000 before the destruction of Obann’s Empire in the Day of Fire. He was the last king of Obann, for two thousand years, chosen by the grace of God; and his throne was ultimately taken from him by his enemies. Obann had to wait for two millenia before another king was anointed.

I’d very much like to get going on this, the days are flashing by; but I have to wait. Sometimes it’s a dream that gets me started. Or an idea or an image breaks into something else I’m doing at the time. A whole unwritten novel stands between now and the third book of the trilogy: Ozias, King Betrayed. I do have a better idea of what that one is about.

The Ocean of Time is waiting to be published–early next year, I hope.

So I wait. I have yet to wait in vain… but I’m still not used to it.

Fantasy Cliches I Have Tried to Avoid

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It’s almost enough to send you back to Serious Mainstream Literature. Or reading the backs of cereal boxes.

I think we ought to have a chat: which fantasy cliche do you find the most odious, the most soul-deadening, imagination-killing, boring old pap? The crusty but benign wizard? The invincible female warrior? The thief with the heart of gold?

(He runs screaming to the sidewalk…)

Fantasy Cliches I Have Tried to Avoid

One of the purposes for which this blog was originally set up was to advertise my fantasy novels and hopefully to get people to buy them.

But we should have a chat. Which fantasy cliche really frosts your buns? Here’s your chance to vent! Which particular cliche moved you to drop-kick that book across the room? C’mon, tell me–I really want to know.

‘Behold!’ Is In Kindle Now

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Behold! (Bell Mountain, 14) by [Lee Duigon]

The sales figures aren’t bad today, but I don’t have a single customer review on amazon.com and therefor have absolutely no idea of how my book has gone over with the reading public. In fact, I probably can’t prove there is a reading public.

Behold! in Kindle format will cost you $4.99. In paperback (so you can read it in bed, like I do) it’s an exorbitant $18. I think that’s less than it costs to go to the movies anymore. Yeah, that’s another nice little amenity in life that’s pretty much vanished. Unless you don’t mind shelling out for yet another comic-book movie with a wokie subtext… but I digress.

So how about it, Ms. and Mr. Public? Do you like the book? Don’t worry about crushing me by saying “no, it was bloody awful.” ‘Cause I know it isn’t!

Readers Wanted!

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Amazon.com: Lee Duigon: Books

Has anyone read this yet, besides me? (Of course I read my own books! How else am I going to remember things from book to book?) And I have zero customer reviews on amazon.com.

Edgar Rice Burroughs cranked out two dozen Tarzan novels, in addition to his numerous other works. Like, how many times could Tarzan discover a lost city? Africa was crawling with ’em! Readers kept reading them, even after Burroughs himself got tired of writing them.

Granted, our marketing isn’t much (you’re looking at a big piece of it just now), and the release of a new Bell Mountain book doesn’t exactly produce a ripple in the news. I did feel I ought to mention it here. But I am not a publicist.

Editing ‘Oceans of Time’

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Ancient salamander was hidden inside mystery rock for 50 years – new research

With Patty’s surgery set for Friday, we find it just a little hard to concentrate, and find a need for something else to think about.

I look forward each day to editing Bell Mountain No. 15, Oceans of Time. No. 14, Behold!, flows very nicely into it. Editing can be a soothing way to pass the time. Not that you can count on that. There are editing assignments that can be quite hair-raising.

Anyway, after Oceans we’ll have the story of King Ozias in three books, the first of which has been written–Ozias, Prince in Peril. Ozias lived some 2,000 years before the events described in the first 15 books, so expect a lot of changes.

Uh… Why do we have this picture of a great big salamander with jaws that could take your hand off?

Well, now, haven’t you read any number of books that would have been significantly improved by the addition of a giant salamander? I know I have. But in this case the plot demands a giant salamander. You’ll see…

Reading My Own Book?

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Behold! (Bell Mountain, 14)

Our landlord saw me doing something yesterday which made him look twice.

“You’re reading your own book–that you wrote?” he marveled.

I could’ve said, “Oh, how about that! I thought there was something familiar about it!” But instead I just explained, “When you write a series of books, like I do, it’s so easy to forget details as you go on from book to book. You’d be amazed by the things I forget.”

That’s all true.

Now jump ahead to the next book, The Ocean of Time. For that book I tried something very challenging and only rarely seen–a double climax. In fact, I can’t think of any examples of one, just now. So part of the job of Behold! was to set the stage for events covered in the next book–

Which it does! And don’t ask me how, because when I was writing Behold!, the next book wasn’t even a half-formed thought. And yet the one book flows beautifully into the other. I really have no idea how that happens. Give God the glory.

(After Ocean of Time comes Ozias, Prince in Peril. That would be 2,000 years before the present time in Obann.)

Behold ‘Behold!’ Is Here!

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I got my box of author’s copies yesterday, so I guess it’s official–Bell Mountain No. 14, Behold!, is now on sale.

Can our heroes use an ancient weapon to defend themselves, or will it wipe them out along with the enemy? Is there power left over from that vanished world?

Behold! is on sale at the Chalcedon Store (www.chalcedon.edu) and will soon be on sale at amazon.com and elsewhere. A paper shortage held up publication somewhat, but now it’s in print… and the rest is up to you, the readers.

I hope you’ll read this and let me know what you think of it. Let’s switch the lights on in the stadium, shall we?

How About a Comment Contest?

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Behold(1)

Nannie Witkom, who died a few years before, lays out the future for some of the king’s chieftains

O frabjous day! Calloo, callay! Bell Mountain No. 14, Behold!, is being published as we speak. I’ll be getting my author’s copies in a few days.

Let’s celebrate! How about a nice comment contest? Whoever posts Comment No. 96,000 wins an autographed copy of this book.

You know the rules: no profanity, no total-loss Far Left inanities, and no abuse of other readers.

And a lot of customer reviews on amazon.com and elsewhere would really help me out!

‘A Rave Review for “Cellar Beneath the Cellar”‘ (2015)

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The Cellar Beneath the Cellar (Bell Mountain, 2) by Lee Duigon | eBook | Barnes & Noble®

Things are not so pleasant here, just now–Patty’s hernia, we really need to get that operation–so please pardon me for blowing my own horn a little.

Here’s a review of The Cellar Beneath the Cellar–No. 2 in my Bell Mountain series–by a reader in Australia. He really liked it! Well, why not? The book won a silver medal for fantasy.

A Rave Review for ‘Cellar Beneath the Cellar’

While you’re at it, please send up a prayer for us. We need one.