Eneh Akpan Writes

Saturday, January 19, 2013

15 Tips On Adding Suspense to Your Scenes

An indispensable tool when amping up your plot, suspense can make your story memorable or prove it to be totally penny dreadful. It is unarguably a very important part of writing fiction. And it's no wonder, a lot of experienced insiders have spoken about the necessity of adding suspense to your scenes and allow it to carry the story to the heart of the reader. Read on, you might learn a thing or fifteen but it sure won't hurt.

Photo: nashvillearts.com

The courage to imagine the otherwise is our greatest resource, adding color and suspense to all our life.

― Daniel J. Boorstin

Suspense is like a woman. The more left to the imagination, the more the excitement. Although I do not profess to be an authority on women, I fear that the perfect title [for a movie], like the perfect woman is difficult to find.

― Alfred Hitchcock

In suspense novels even subplots about relationships have to have conflict.

― Jeffery Deaver

There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human's mind against the Enemy.

― C.S. Lewis

For success, the author must make the reader care about the destiny of the principals, and sustain this anxiety, or suspense, for about 100,000 words.

― Ken Follet

We all live in suspense, from day to day, from hour to hour; in other words, we are the hero of our own story.

― Mary McCarthy

Show me a character whose life arouses my curiosity, and my flesh begins crawling with suspense.

― Fawn M. Brodie

Even cowards can endure hardship; only the brave can endure suspense.

― Mignon McLaughlin

Suspense is very important. Even though this is humor and they're short stories, that theory of building suspense is still there.

― Sergio Aragones

As for suspense, I like to write books that draw you into the hero's plight from the opening pages, where people put their lives on the line for something - a belief, a family member, the truth.

― Andrew Gross

The rules of suspense are that you do know, and you just don't know when.

― Gus Van Sant

Tradition is the enemy of suspense.

― Steven Moffat

You have to go out of your way as a suspense novelist to find situations where the protagonists are somewhat helpless and in real danger.

― Nelson DeMille

Tension and suspense come from characters whose goals conflict with each other.

― William G. Tapply

I'm fortunate to be a coward, to have a low threshold of fear, because a hero couldn't make a good suspense film.

― Alfred Hitchcock

Akpan

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Startling Similarities Between the Necronomicon & the Shepherd's Journal

Updated: June.16.2015

Did the makers of the Disney animated feature film, Atlantis: The Lost Empire borrow the peculiarities of Lovecraft's fictional grimoire of magical rites and forbidden lore, the Necronomicon?

While researching for a new article, I came across a booklet, The Mythical World of Atlantis. The Lost Empire from Plato to Disney, a companion to the animated Disney film I mentioned earlier. I thought maybe I'd do something different, a blogpost discussing the myth called Atlantis.
After flipping casually, through the pages towards the end of the book I came across stunning similarities between Disney's fictional book, the Shepherd's Journal, which is a detailed account by an Arab shepherd of his encounter with Atlantis and H. P. Lovecraft's Necronomicon. The compulsion to do this article was so strong I had to blog or drop.

1. The Mad Arab Persona
"The dreaded Necronomicon of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred."

Lovecraft,

At the Mountains of Madness

"The Shepherd's Journal is attributed to a shepherd named Aziz, and was first thought to be the writings of a mad man."

The Mythical World of Atlantis

2. Similarity in Author Names
The Necronomicon is of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred.

The Shepherd's Journal is of the mad Arab Aziz.

Abdul is not a full name but a short form of a longer name Abdullahi. On the other hand, it could be the abb. for ABDULAZIZ 0r better yet, ABDUL AZIZ. See the connection?

3. Similarity in Original Book Titles
Both books had two titles and there's similarity between the first titles.

"Original title (of the Necronomicon) Al Azif-azif being the word used by Arabs to designate that nocturnal sound... supposed to be the howling of demons.

Lovecraft,

History of the Necronomicon

"The Greeks were the first to study the (Shepherd's) Journal, the known as the Scrolls of Aziz."

The Mythical World of Atlantis

Seen the rhyming names? Al Azif and Scrolls of Aziz?

4. Both Arab Authors Found an Underground Civilization
"Of (Abdul Alhazred's) madness many things are told. He claimed to have found beneath the ruins of a certain nameless desert town the shocking annals and secrets of a race older than mankind."

Lovecraft,

History of the Necronomicon.

"The Shepherd's Journal attributed to a Shepherd named Aziz proved to be a detailed account of the shepherd's unbelievable encounter with a vast underground civilization."

The Mythical World of Atlantis

5. First Translation For Both Volumes was Greek
"In AD 950 the Azif (Necronomicon) was secretly translated into Greek"

Lovecraft,

History of the Necronomicon

"The Greeks were the first to study the (Shepherd's) Journal and revealed them to be more fact than fiction."

The Mythical World of Atlantis

6. Links with Constantinople
"Translated into Greek by Theodorus Philetas of Constantinople."

The Necronomicon
Photo: villains.wikia.com

Lovecraft,

History of the Necronomicon

"A Turkish fortune hunter stole the scrolls from the libraries in Constantinople."

The Mythical World of Atlantis

7. Both Tomes Held at a Library
"They had stopped him from consulting the dubios old books (Necronomicon) on forbidden secrets that were kept under lock and key in a vault at the university library."

Lovecraft,

Dreams in the Witch-House

"Scholars of the day thought the journal of no particular historical significance and it was given to the British Library.

The Mythical World of Atlantis

8. Both Books Identified with Clergy

"The work both Latin and Greek was banned by Pope Grogory IX in 1232."

Lovecraft,

History of the Necronomicon

"In the year 1589, Pope Sixtus V rechristened the book the Shepherd's Journal."

The Mythical World of Atlantis

9. Both Volumes Form Part of Millionaires' Collection

"A fifteenth century (Necronomicon) is persistently rumored to form part of the collection of a celebrated American millionaire."

Lovecraft,

History of the Necronomicon

"The (Shepherd's) Journal remained in Iceland until the Whitmore-Thatch expedition retrieved it and brought it to Washington for study."

The Mythical World of Atlantis

It is now held in the Preston B. Whitmore (the millionaire who funded the expedition) archives.

10. Both Texts Promise Evil

Lovecraft states again and again in his stories the evil unleashed just by reading the Necronomicon. The Mythical World of Atlantis tells tales of woes befalling those who came in contact with The Journal.

"Reading leads to terrible consequences."

Lovecraft,

History of the Necronomicon

"All that was known (or handed down through the oral tradition) was that the journal was a book of great power-and possible evil."

The Mythical World of Atlantis

The Shepherd's Journal.
Photo: viewitem.eim.ebay.ru

11. The Yucatan Connection

Lovecraft's story The Temple is similar to tales of Atlantis because the temple is part of an ancient underwater kingdom. One of the characters in the story gives a detailed account of how a remnant of Atlantis in the form of a very odd bit of ivory carved to represent a youth's head crowned with laurel found in the coat pocket a dead sailor steered their submarine to the underwater temple. His manuscript was Found On The Coast of Yucatan.

"After the Viking expedition was destroyed the currents (of the Atlantic Ocean) carried the Journal all the way across the Atlantic to the Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.

The Mythical World of Atlantis

12. The Crystal

"In the coffin lay an amulet of curios and exotic design, which had apparently been worn around the sleeper's neck...a small piece of green jade. We recognized it as the thing hinted of in the forbidden Necronomicon of the mad Arab Alhazred."

Lovecraft,

The Hound

"Milo helps Kida uncover the nature of the Heart of Atlantis: it supplies the Atlanteans with power and longevity through the crystals worn around their necks.

Wikipedia,

Synopsis of Atlantis: The Lost Empire

I know, I know, it sounds like the ravings of a mad man. But so did the Necronomicon and the Scrolls of Aziz and people killed to get their hands on 'em. However, does it not strike you funny that the similarities between the two fictional grimoires is so spectacular?

It's indeed possible the writers of Disney's Atlantis' intention was not to make a reference to Lovecraft's fictional book then again, who knows for sure?

Keep your pen bleeding!

Akpan

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Why Fantasy Holds The World Spellbound

Fantasy has a come long way and deserves the worldwide acclaim it seems to have accomplished. Burrowing its roots deep into the fabric of fairytales, myths and legends, the genre has exploded into mainstream literature and film and garnered worldwide appeal among fans from diverse walks of life.

It's likely no other genre or subgenre (since fantasy is by right a sub of a larger genre called speculative fiction) has even come close to attaining fantasy's level of success. A genre which has garnered fans from people encompassing all age groups.

What's more amazing is the genre's ability to stimulate interest across a multicultural threshold and sustain an appeal that stretches beyond and even obliterates the generational borderline. The generation in question transcends age to gender to time and space.

Photo: offsidewallpapers.blogspot.com

One assumes this level of achievement is possible largely on the basis that fantasy usually creates its own world and its own setting which somehow makes its plots not dated. The idea of a fantasy world gives the genre an edge. Although, we exist in a constantly evolving universe the plots of fantasy stories are allowed to maintain their original state and are controlled by their own peculiar (magical) laws.

Fantasy as a form of literature can be compared to the hip hop genre of pop music. In recent time, the music genre has pretty much infiltrated the camp of every other form of music. Today, there's hip hop gospel, hip hop soul, hip hop jazz, hip hop reggae, hip hop dancehall, hip hop whatever (that's not any type of music I know of). There's even a blend of hip hop called Naija hip hop-which is a fusion of Nigerian indigenous music with elements of hip hop. Fantasy takes every other genre in its stride. Take a look at some of the subgenres spurned from this fantastical art.

Fantasy Subgenres:
By Theme: Comic fantasy, Dark fantasy, Contemporary fantasy, Heroic fantasy, Magic realism, Fantasy of manners, Mythic, Paranormal fantasy, Superhero fantasy, Sword and sorcery;

By setting: Epic/High fantasy, Low fantasy, Hard fantasy, Historical fantasy, Prehistoric fantasy, Medieval fantasy, Wuxia, Urban fantasy, Paranormal romance;

And by extension, Science fantasy, Juvenile fantasy, Romantic fantasy.
Courtesy: Wikipedia

One would suppose a form of storytelling with themes and basic elements which are offshoot of folktales and myths should have such impact on both the worlds of film and literature. I mean its like growing up with MJ. You came into this world (If you're like me) to witness young MJ as a superstar, you grew up with MJ still doing his thing and wham! you're on your own footing the bills and MJ (who is not so young anymore) is still THERE doing his thing. I mean, he's gone now but you do get the picture, do you not? You don't expect an artist born yesterday to take the floor from an icon attached to your earliest memory of music.

Photo: fanpop.com

Fantasy fiction is a little bit like that. A lot of grown ups bought Disney's Cinderella on the pretext it was for the kids (yeah, the kids, right). But deep within us all was a secret longing to see just how close to papa's description of Cinderella Disney's version really was. The basic ingredients of the fairytale: heroic children, ladies-in-distress, mythic creatures like dragons and the like, also make up the plots of tales of the fantastical. Plus, fantasy stories like the Arabian lit, A Thousand and One Nights guarantee that the genre will always have that multicultural appeal.

Fantasy has been around for quite awhile and without any doubt, is one of the first form of literature. The genre's constant rising popularity is a pointer that fantasy will forever have this world under its spell.

Keep your pen bleeding!

Akpan

Friday, January 11, 2013

Grub

This poem is about a character struggling with his inner critic; that negative voice that tries to seduce us all to the down side. And guilt-trip us with thoughts that we can't make it through the storm. He wins the battle and the poem's about his victory.

Photo credit: marvinleblanc.com

He said I couldn't make it,

He said he was me and he's weak.

But he was wrong,

Trying to seduce me to grub.

Watch me step on a pedestal and feel the storm cease;

I am the lyric of the silence of the seas.

I'm fly on the side, I'll get mine, if you please.

Step up to a fight and not back down on my knees.

The winds oppose me but my faith ain't my feelings.

My mind roars with panic still ama rake in the winnings.

No tripping. I'm repping new beginnings

I steer my course on the strength of immutable things.

He said I couldn't make it,

He said he was me and he's weak.

But oh, boy was he wrong,

Trying to seduce me to grub.

I know all about losses; I know the pain that gives on gain,
And when I chance that river, things ain't gon' be the same.
I hear your voices but it only makes me wanta breathe again.
Thoughts can't pull me down unless I consent to the bargain.
I lift up my head and savor the freshness of the rain
And dance into a strong morning light that calms my strain.
You know joy when you see it, can't kill it. It can't be feigned.
So, hear me say ama get it. Heed. Cause my eyes are trained.

  He said I couldn't make it,

Inner critic said he's me and he's weak.

But oh, boy was he wrong, (cause I'm strong)

Trying to seduce me to grub.

Akpan

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Things We Lost In The Fire

A Poetic Essay

Photo: colourbox.com

We grope in darkness and call out for light only to get answered by strife.

It's not unheard of old aches returning to taunt fairly healed scars. Sometimes, Fate could be that absurd. But that's just the way it is, lifting the songwriter's words.

History cannot be unlived. But if faced with courage needs not be relived again. - Maya Angelou.

And it's been said, the past makes us what we are. (I think I heard that in a Jet Li flick) But how do we erase the marks of the scar?

Mistakes are the bane of our existence and extremely unavoidable. Still, the greatest glory in living is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall. - Mandela

A dream deferred could provoke the greatest pain ever discovered especially, a dream rooted in the most sensitive spot in your heart. The adversities that engage us and almost rip us apart beyond repair hold within 'em the seed of our ressurection.

It's impossible not to feel injured when all you hoped to achieve shipwreck inches from the shoreline.

Some come out of the fire, squeak and clean, others just crash and burn still, some step out unscathed but lose everything they invested an entire life to build to the fire.

The pains uncovered are the footprints of unfulfilled dreams; the agonies of darkness visible; the frustrating emptiness of might-have-beens.

We grasp for a reality that blurs into fantasy before our very eyes; to substance swallowed up within a shadow and step out to face the days of our lives in defeat. At this point, the soul is deprived of every single reason to wrestle annihilation. Time crawls, eternity speeds along and life through your bloodshot eyes is a blur of rage.

We are made to concede defeat; made aware that some of the stuff we lost will never be regained-a loved one, opportunity to go to college, friendship that never was and prospects that fizzled away on the fringes of dawn. But the glory of life is not in recapping a trove of hurtful memories but in purifying them to the point that they act as catalysts to personal excellence.

Life, living, must be perceived as one constant sacrifice. And that gives the impression that at some stages in life one must be willing to let go of something, (precious, yes! But that's the point of sacrifices, isn't it?) to offer up something in the game of life.

Things that we lost to the fires of desire often help us, drive us to the limits of our genius. And concealed in the disguise of pain are the blessings of sacrifice!

Akpan