A recent episode of Castle had a long list of things, well, going wrong.  One character felt it was a sign, that what they were doing wasn't meant to be.  But another quickly stepped up and said quite the opposite.  That it means what they're doing is worth fighting for.  That the other person wasn't looking at it in the right light.

Instantly I was reminded of another episode, this one from Babylon 5.  The poor guy had earned the name "Jynxo".  Why?  Well, he had worked on every Babylon station, and every time he left, something bad happened to the station.  The first three were destroyed soon after he left during construction, the 4th vanished altogether once it was completed.  So he and others were convinced if he ever left Babylon 5, it too would go boom.

When explaining this to another person, the man said simply, "I think they gave you the wrong nick-name.  They should have called you 'lucky'.  To have avoided disaster so many times."

Jynxo replied, "I never thought of it that way."

"We never do."

Now think about that for a second.  How often do we look for the signs against, for the negative trend?  I bet you'll find the man is right.  We never think of it as something other than a reason to stop, or fear.

Not sure we can blame ourselves.  Life has a way of throwing its worst at us.  We find a wall, and every time we get close to get past it, the wall grows bigger, thicker, wider, whatever, to keep us at bay.  Not sure I can blame anyone for turning around after the tenth time almost doing it, only to be turned aside.

Yet, one line won't go away.  It's from that famous professor, you know, "The Last Lecture" guy.  He said something in that lecture that stuck with me.  "The walls are there to test how much we want things."

I've faced a lot of walls in my journey to publication.  If my Kickstarter fails, I'll have a massive one to face.  Yet, none of them have stopped me yet.  I want it too much.  And I don't see it as a sign to give up.  I see it a reason to keep fighting.  For one thing, it's a story on its own-right.  A tale to tell friends and family I don't yet have about the things I faced.

But a reason to stop?  I've thought about it.  There have been times I don't want to keep on fighting.  They don't last long.  The period of writer's block will inevitably fade, one way or another.

So I would say this; the next time you're facing wall after wall, ask yourself how much you want it.  Actually, first ask yourself how you're looking at it.  Would you call yourself "Lucky", or "Jynxo"?  Why?

The answers might lead you down a road to renewed vigor, and the will to keep going anyway.

Just because I have "Luna, the Lone Wolf" ready for editing and publication does not mean I'm idle.  I have other ideas tucked away, and when I need to get out of Luna's head for a while, I do some work on those.  In particular, I've been doing research on my fantasy worlds yet to be born.

I've been having trouble getting the tech side of things down.  Perfecting the tools and equipment my worlds use.  So, instead of pridefully marching on, I asked an accomplished fantasy author, and dear friend, for any tips she might have on how to guide my research.  This was the response.

“I suggest you start with something light but thoughtful: Diana Wynne Jone's book The Tough Guide to Fantasy Land.  It's set up like a travel book and, if you read between the lines, includes a lot of information on the mistakes people make.

Just remember.  Every single item you have implies an industry behind it.  Even something as simple as a clay pot tells you something about geology, ecology, cultural needs etc.  A sword implies not only a source of iron, but the knowledge of how to work iron, the materials to burn to get a hot enough fire etc.

Hope this gets you thinking.”

Get me thinking?  I had a map of flight plans that would overwhelm LAX!  I never thought about it from that angle, but it makes total sense.  If they know how to make high end and/or highly complex metal works, they must be quite advanced in that field.  Heck, just their underwear could speak volumes about the world.  Think about that.  You’re unmentionables are an indication of the world you live in?

Okay, be honest, how many of you just went looking into your underwear drawer, or down at your waist, thinking about what you’re wearing at the moment.  Now now, don’t be shy.  I did too.  It’s incredible, yet so true.  Every little thing is an indication of the world.

That’s what helps a world live.  I've talked before about making a world real, but never about exactly how to pull it off before.  Oh there's plenty to worry about.  Culture, characters, places, events, politics, but it's the little things that matter.  The tricorder in Star Trek.  They needed the tech and materials to make it work, which affects all the technology they use.  "Sting" from the Lord of the Rings books.  It still had to be crafted, and infused with whatever magic makes it glow.  Even the saddle the king's army of whatever uses.  How it's made speaks to how good... or bad, their crafting is.  They had to know how to make these things, and make them do what they do.

Magic isn't an excuse either.  They still had to know how to do it.  You can't just go off and say, "oh with the proper spell they can bend metal to their will".  No.  Magneto from X-men still has to know metal CAN do whatever he wants it to before he can make it do it.

Okay, it's going to mean a lot of effort.  The moment someone pulls out a compass, you have a whole slew of science you have to ask if your world knows.  You'd be surprised how much that simplest of devices could affect your world.  Just how much do they understand about why it works?  What else could they do with that knowledge?

Yeah, it's a lot of work.  But then at the same time, it gives you more options too.   Perhaps your main character invented the compass, and is able to use what he knows somewhere else to surprise the bad guys.  You see how that works?  Every detail matters.  Every piece gives you insight into what can or cannot be done.  You gotta define the box before you can think out side of it.

Just don't forget those undies!  There's nothing worse than wet stuff trickling down your hero's leg during his climatic sword battle with the big bad leader dude in black armor.

Wait!  What kind of armor?  What weapons?  You sure they know how to make all of it?  What else could they make with that level of technology?  Does it give your hero an advantage somehow?

*Hands out aspirin*  You're welcome.