Knowing how to describe our characters' physical appearance in a way that makes them easy to imagine from the moment they first walk onto the stage, that, my friends, is one of the trickiest parts of writing, especially when you have such a large cast. So many people to describe! And it's important to make each one unique and distinct. From wardrobe, voice and style of talking, their way of moving and walking, their face shape, eye color, complexion, body type, etc. there are a lot of moving parts to juggle to make a character come alive.

But one technique that makes it soooo much easier is to sort of model the look and sound of our imaginary people after real ones out there in the world.

For inspiration, and to get the creative juices flowing, we keep a binder and a Pinterest board that's full of famous and not-so-famous faces ~ models and actors who we think most resemble our characters. It's fun to scour the internet looking for images. As you no doubt will have noticed, in THE BLACK FORTRESS, we significantly expanded the depth and breadth of the villains. There are over a dozen bad guys. Muahaha!!! And Zolond (or "Big Z," as Gael has dubbed him) is the boss of them all. (Well, the mortal ones, anyway.)

Our model for Zolond, the leader of the Dark Druids, was none other than the famous English actor, ​Terence Stamp. In particular, his performances in The Haunted Mansion and Bowfinger were perfect for the deadpan yet surprisingly intense and intimidating Dark Master. This guy is just awesome!

Check out the 2 clips below and let us know if this is how YOU pictured Zolond. Did the unusual casting of an old-man super-villain work for you? We enjoyed developing his off-the-wall character in this book ~ and his retinue of trusty reptilians. :>

​Good thing we didn't just leave it there! We took a moment to check it out with a little quick research, and, wow were we surprised! Modern blowtorches date back a hundred years before Jake's time. PERFECT!

​The blowtorch pictured here is what Archie's would have looked like. But how on earth were we to describe the scene as Archie got it burning? We know nothing about blowtorches. YouTube to the rescue. The below video was indispensable in making it sound like we knew what we were talking about, lol, when describing the scene. (How did anyone ever write a book before the internet???)

You'll have to wait till you get to that part of The Black Fortress to find out how he used the blowtorch to save the day. But one thing is certain. The boy genius has always got some trusty gadget in his toolbox to help his friends out of a jam! :)

THE BLACK FORTRESS has many different storylines woven together all through the novel. Each of these threads adds its own unique feeling, mood, and atmosphere to the overall story. We used music to inspire us and get the creativity flowing for each of these different layers. Below are the main songs that we listened to while writing the book - literally hundreds of times, lol.

We often picture The Gryphon Chronicle as a movie in our minds as we write, so you'll notice these songs are all very theatrical and could easily be the musical score behind the scenes if THE BLACK FORTRESS ever were made into a movie. Fingers crossed! Let us know what you think in the comments. Happy listening!

​PS: We highly recommend using headphones for maximum immersion. :)

We have two songs for Jake. Both are heroic, proud, and intense (just like Jake!). Beyond Good and Evil fits especially well at the beginning of the book when Jake is peering down at all the party goers at the Harvest Home festival from the high balcony. And Sands of Time is just general Jake. These are both by the great Audiomachine.

Dani's storyline is light, playful, and fun, and full of curiosity. This song Mushroomville by Brandon Fiechter fits the bill for us as Dani is trying to adjust to her new circumstances at Merlin Hall.

Sometimes the Guardians have to kick some butt. *grin* This awesome epic song is called Protectors of the Earth by Two Steps from Hell.  Powerful song with a very appropriate title. It'll make you want to slay orcs.

For the tender, sweet, and uplifting moments between Izzy and Janos, we listened to Reaching by Audiomachine. She just knows there's a good guy in there somewhere... He's not so sure.

Sinister, twisted, and cold, Destroyer on Audiomachine's Existence album really fits the bill to get us in the mood for writing wicked Wyvern's scenes! Muahaha...

A powerful piece for the crafty, diabolical Shemrazul. You've heard it a million times, and it's kind of cliche at this point, but O Fortuna from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana totally fit the bill for us. We NEVER get tired of listening to it!

Particularly their delicate dance as they negotiate war and peace. This is Black Cauldron by Audiomachine.

The last two chapters of The Black Fortress took FOREVER to write, we don't mind telling you. But Skyrim's The Song of the Dragon Born inspired us and kept our spirits high through many re-writes. No idea what language that is, LOL, so if somebody knows, please tell us! 

We hope you enjoyed this musical tour through the pages of THE BLACK FORTRESS.  ​Let us know in the comments if you think these songs work or if you have any other suggestions. Which is your favorite? We'd LOVE to hear your thoughts on our selections.

THE BLACK FORTRESS opens at Merlin Hall the evening of the Harvest Home. A traditional English celebration dating back to ancient times, the Harvest Home takes place annually in late September, usually during the full moon. It's a festival to give THANKS for the seasons bounty. 

One of the customs we found really fun is the Harvest Home tradition of making corn dollies out of the last husks of the season. These figures are supposed to represents the spirit of the field and are saved until the next seasons planting. 

Have you ever made corn dollies? Sounds like something the kids would really enjoy, especially on Thanksgiving. Perhaps a clever way to keep the kids out of the kitchen for a little while, lol. We can assure you Dani had tons of fun making these for the Harvest Home. Here's a short how to video on corn dollies. Looks easy enough. :)

Excerpt from CHAPTER 2:

​Wyvern stopped when he reached the outer band of gold-carved symbols, and there, he went down on one knee, bowed his head, and pressed his fist over his heart. “I am here in answer to your summons, oh, Horned One. What is your will?”

He heard the sound of fire whooshing up from the pit. Quickly jumping to his feet, Wyvern backed away to avoid getting singed.

A column of flame blazed up from the depths as Shemrazul rose from the pit. Wyvern lifted his head and found his father towering up out of the flames.

Looming over him, Shemrazul’s face was not easy to look upon. Grotesque, long, and cruel beneath the span of his horns, it was the stuff of nightmares. Especially those yellow eyes, with their pupils slit like a serpent’s.
​
The eyes glowed with pride as the demon gazed at him. 

In THE BLACK FORTRESS Shemrazul's character and personality come to life as he takes on a much larger role than he had in previous books. Before this book, he had only made a couple of brief appearances.

Having a demon or the actual devil as a character in a children's book can be a bit dicey. We didn't want him to be too scary, after-all we do have kids as young as 6 or 8 reading our books, but we also didn't want him to turn out soft and comical. We ended up with a pinch of the fearsome Balrog that Gandalf battled in THE LORD OF THE RINGS, a dash of the character called Darkness, played by Tim Curry in the 80s fantasy classic, LEGEND, and a whole lot of our own imagination.

Do you picture Shemrazul like either of these Hollywood demons? Or do you have some other image in mind? Please share your thoughts.

Check out these Balrog and Darkness clips below. Parental discretion is advised. And, hey, keep an eye out for a young Tom Cruise in the Legend clip. :) Funny!!!