It is my great pleasure to introduce Tracy Falbe, author of Judgement Rising, and other epic tales. The beautiful cover of Judgement Rising is a particular favourite of mine.
How Humor
Can Help Readers Care About Characters
By Tracy
Falbe
My novels
tend to be pretty serious, like most epic fantasies, but I believe in letting
characters have good times too. I rarely send someone into battle without
throwing him a good party or letting him have a final night with his lover.
Sometimes
the mood is lightened with a few jokes among comrades. I don’t do this
specifically for the sake of comic relief. Although I love comedy and consider
it a high art form, I often dislike how comic relief is used. Tossing some
dopey antics into the middle of something very serious is just plain annoying.
When I use humor, I do it to make characters feel real. Letting sarcastic
comments slip and drinking too much at dinner are things that real people might
do when under stress. These lighter scenes tend to happen between the big
dramatic events. I try to let characters shine through during the quieter
moments because isn’t this when you really get to know people?
Most
novels rush characters from one big event to the next without much room to
breathe. I know we writers are supposed to keep readers hooked, but I believe
in pacing my fiction. I like to balance intensity with moments of genuine
living. My hope is that it will deepen the reader’s emotional ties with the
characters. When the reader remembers the good times, it will make the hard
times even more meaningful.
A
splendid example of a good time leading to dire events comes from the mighty
J.R.R. Tolkien. He started the modern tradition of a good party in fantasy
novels when the Fellowship of the Ring opened with Bilbo’s birthday bash.
Throughout my own novels I’ve presented everything from a royal banquet to a
bachelor party to wild revels in the forest to that most dangerous of affairs:
the family gathering.
One
memorable gathering from Judgment Rising has several amusing scenes when
Miranda meets her brother-in-law Atarek for the first time. Atarek has crossed
the Wilderness in search of his missing brother Dreibrand. Miranda is quite
excited to meet him, but her husband knows that her encounter with Atarek will
be alarming at best.
From
Judgment Rising:
Politely,
Dreibrand worked his way through the crowd, tugging Atarek who wanted to say
hello to everyone. As people smiled to Dreibrand, he noted how their eyes
bounced between Atarek and himself, making a conspicuous comparison. Jolted by
juvenile insecurity, Dreibrand hustled his brother along.
The
dawdling resistance from his debutant brother suddenly let go and Dreibrand was
trundled forward by his brother’s bulk.
Draping
an arm around his shoulder, Atarek pulled him close and whispered, “Hey Dreiby,
introduce me to those women. That curly-haired one looks fun.”
Dreibrand
spun in his brother’s embrace and knocked the arm away.
Interpreting
the intense flash of jealousy as only an older brother could, Atarek laughed
and wagged a finger at his brother. “You had her,” he surmised, delighted to
have blundered upon a sensitive nerve.
“Think
harder, Brother,” Dreibrand growled.
“Still
working on it then?” Atarek teased. Puffing out his chest, he headed straight
for the attentive group of women and children.
Before
Atarek said something inappropriate, which was likely, Dreibrand intervened.
“Atarek, this is Miranda, my wife,” he said.
Miranda
stepped forward with an inviting smile. “How do you do—” she began, employing
her best Atrophaney accent, but Atarek interrupted.
“Wife!”
He laughed and flung his arms wide like barn doors flapping in a heavy wind.
“Sister!” he sang and scooped Miranda off the ground. Atarek helped himself to
a lusty handful of her left buttock and kissed her on the lips. When he put her
down, she was wide-eyed and speechless. The pressure of his hand was still
fading from her well-toned rear, and she was confused by her inability to
react.
Dreibrand
separated them and took possession of Miranda’s nearest hand. He reproached his
brother with a stormy look, which amused Atarek mightily.
As you
might imagine, Atarek gets well into his cups at the ensuing banquet. Once he’s
intoxicated enough, he’ll even question the paternity of his brother’s sons.
Atarek is
one of my favorite creations. He’s funny, flawed, and full of heart. He taught
me that it was all right to goof off even in an epic fantasy. He’ll swing a
sword when he has too, but someone better get him a drink when he’s done. My
novels aren’t comedies, but some of my characters have a sense of humor.
There’s no sense if fighting for your life if there’s nothing to smile about.
If you’d
like to get to know Atarek, you can find Judgment Rising at your favorite ebook
retailer. Don’t worry that it’s the third novel of The Rys Chronicles. I wrote
it as a new point of entry into the saga.
