Say Anything Morning Show

Radio Interview, WZFG AM
Say Anything Morning Show with Rob Port
June 25, 2010, 2nd Hour

Program Download no longer available

Rob Port endorsement of Principled Action

Jumping in Pools Interview

I've done an author interview at Jumping in Pools that you can read at this link. Leave a comment to let me know what you think.

Guest Appearance on Glenn Beck

On Friday, June 11, I had the opportunity of appearing on The Glenn Beck Show. The Founders' Friday program was about James Madison, known as The Father of the Constitution. What a fun day. Glenn Beck is a gracious host and all around good guy. He is also surrounded by terrific people. You can watch the show at this link.

Dakota Voice also reviewed the program here.

Another Time, Another Place, Another story

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Another Time, Another Place, Another story

Another Time, Another Place, Another story from James D. Best

View more presentations from James D. Best.

The Beaufort Observer reviews Tempest at Dawn

Allen Ball Reviews Tempest at Dawn in his Ballpoint column

The real story of our nation's founding

"I find hope and confidence in the wonderfully written Tempest At Dawn, by James D. Best. Mr. Best sheds light on a time when it was necessary to revise the Articles of Confederation. He does it with eloquence. I wanted to read Tempest At Dawn, from cover-to-cover, after reading the first couple of pages. 

I felt as though I was present at the proceedings of the Convention and the private meetings of James Madison, George Washington, Roger Sherman, and others. You cannot help but feel pride as an American, as Tempest At Dawn reminds us of the impeccable integrity of our Founding Fathers. The delegates regarded one another with utmost respect and civility.

If you want to know the truth about the character of those gentlemen and you want to learn about the evolution of one of the greatest documents ever created by man—the Constitution of the United States—relax in your bed, favorite chair or recliner, and enjoy Tempest At Dawn, by James D. Best."

Read the full review

Another Time, Another Place ... Another Story

I will be making a presentation on storytelling at Trilogy Vistancia on April 22, 2010, 6:30-8:00 pm in the Tewa Ball Room. The event is not open to the public, but I have posted my presentation on Slideshare. I'm interested in any feedback.

Characters Matter -- Part 3

In a previous post I said that novelists should pay close attention to the personalities of minor characters. Cardboard secondary players make a dull story. That said, the most important element to engage readers is the character of the protagonist and antagonist. Antagonists are fun, and come in many varieties, but in this post, I'll discuss the protagonist.

Protagonists can be an action heroe like Dirk Pitt or the bride from Kill Bill, or cerebral like Sherlock Homes and Nancy Drew. Most of the time, however, protagonist fall between these two extremes, like Philip Marlow or Emily Pollifax. Even though protagonists are distributed along an unbroken and endless continuum, I classify them generally as wholesome heroes, flawed heroes, and antiheroes.

For wholesome heroes, think Roy Rogers, Luke Skywalker, Jefferson Smith, or any superhero before Hollywood started jerking them toward the dark side. Today, we seldom see wholesome heroes. Some see this as part of society's new-found cynicism, but I attribute it more to the demise of the standards boards that used to rule television and movies. In truth, a flawed hero is a more real character and certainly more interesting.

The flawed hero has ruled fiction since Odysseus, and has always been my favorite. When I was a child, Gene and Roy didn't appeal to me. I preferred Paladin and Josh Randall, the gun for hire and bounty hunter respectively. Flawed heroes come in many varieties, but they all struggle with something personal as they engage their adversary.

Recently, the popular media has become infatuated with the antihero. Antiheroes run the gamut, with many finding redemption as they sacrifice to save the day. The epitome of this trend toward increasingly nasty antiheroes would be Chigurh in No Country for Old Men. This reprehensible character is engaging, but not sympathetic. In the end, he is not redeemed, nor does he feel remorse. Walter Hartwell "Walt" White in the television series Breaking Bad is another example of Hollywood's facination with antiheroes.

The key to a good protagonist is an emotional connection with the reader or viewer. The audience must care whether the protagonist succeeds in his/her quest or endeavor. Wooden heroes need not apply. That's why the flawed hero dominates fiction. People identify with their failings and imagine that they too can overcome their internal misgivings to rise to the occasion. We all need heroes, and we all want to think that if the situation presented itself, we could indeed be heroic ourselves.

Book trailer for Tempest at Dawn