Infusing Character into Places and Objects! Plus Horror Movie Trivia, Movie Review, Sharcano, and the Ninja News.

Today I am a guest at Untethered Realms where I explain how to bring a character full circle. (Without going in circles, because that just makes me dizzy.)

MY guest here is the awesome and talented author, Christine Rains!

PERSONALITIES OF THEIR OWN

If you're welcome on the 13th floor, the door will open for you. You'll find comfort and protection from whatever is troubling you. The lights will dim or brighten to match your mood. Doors will lock to keep you safe or open to allow you freedom. If there's a stubborn reporter messing up your immaculate apartment, well, you best get out the rubber gloves and cleaning supplies.

The 13th floor is as much a character in the series as the tenants who live there. It isn't the first of its kind either. There are famous fictional haunted places like Stephen King's Rose Red or the Stanley Hotel in The Shining. I'm sure many of you know the tale of the Amityville horror house, and let's not forget Hogwarts. These places have personalities of their own, and sometimes become more memorable than the human cast of characters.

Buildings aren't the only things that are sometimes brought to life. I can list a few sentient spaceships that I adore: The TARDIS (Doctor Who), Nostromo (Alien), and Moya (Farscape).

Yet it isn't only the spirit in the buildings or ships that make them memorable. There are many more that gain life as a character through the love of the rest of the cast in the stories and the readers. Here are some famous ones: Tara from Gone With the Wind, the U.S.S. Enterprise (Star Trek), the Millennium Falcon (Star Wars), and Serenity (Firefly).

Places and vehicles are just as important to a story as the characters with a beating heart. I find a lot of writers do this unconsciously. Just like people name their cars or get teary-eyed when they move because they'll miss their old house. Since these things are so much a part of our lives, we imagine them with personalities of their own.

What's your favorite fictional place or thing that you consider a character?

The 13th Floor Complete Collection – out now! Find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and on Goodreads

Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not writing or reading, she having adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of Untethered Realms and S.C.I.F.I. The 13th Floor series is her first self-published series. She has eight novellas and twenty-one short stories published.
Find Christine: Blog, Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Ninja News

Nick Wilford is celebrating two years of blogging with a huge giveaway that includes a full manuscript edit. Check it out!

WITCH TIME, volume 3 in The Cindy Chronicles is now available from RaShelle Workman. 

RaShelle’s books have sold around half a million copies – she rocks!


Pacific Rim comes out on DVD Tuesday! 3D Blu-ray, here I come…

If you’re looking for some cool Halloween t-shirts (or any occasion) check out Jeremy Hawkins’ store at the Netoshop.

Lots of new designs! And of course, my favorite…

And this news from Curiosity Quills Press - they signed screen-writer/director Jose Prendes and revealed the cover for his new novel, Sharcano.
Yes, it’s for real!

Movie Review

My wife and I ended up spending Friday night with friends, so we didn’t get to the theater to see Captain Phillips. However, we did watch a horror flick from NetFlix.

Mama
Executive produced by Guillermo del Toro – a man and his girlfriend find themselves caring for his nieces who were left alone in the wilderness for five years… or were they? Starring Jessica Chastain from Zero Dark Thirty and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from Game of Thrones.
An effective movie, it follows the Spanish horror film style of a sad and tragic storyline. There were some plot holes, including the fact the girlfriend was completely unqualified to take care of the girls. (Not to mention one of the girls should’ve stayed in therapy for a very long time.)
Fortunately, the director is skilled enough that these don’t completely ruin the film. It’s very creepy with some unusual effects and scares, especially the portrayal of ‘Mama.’
If you’ve ever considered adoption, this film will make you think twice!
Available on NetFlix and worth the rental.

Horror Movie Trivia!

Guess the horror film from the quote:

1 - “When there’s no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the Earth.” (1978)

2 - “Be afraid… Be very afraid.” (1986)

3 - “Smile, you son of a b____!” (1975)

4 - “I will not be threatened by a walking meat loaf!” (1981)

5 - “Who’s laughing now?” (1987)

6 - “Mrs. MacNeil, the problem with your daughter is not her bed, it’s her brain.” (1973)

Answers on Wednesday!

Do objects and places in your stories possess personalities? Have a favorite? Picked up one of Jeremy’s shirts yet? Getting Pacific Rim this week? Have you seen Mama? And do you know any of the trivia answers?

Don’t forget to visit Untethered Realms!