Liebster Blog Awards

Ron Leighton – his blog is over here at Tales of the Shining Lands – nominated me for a Liebster Blog Award!

The Liebster Blog Award works as follows: 
If you are nominated and wish to accept this award and pay it forward (and back), do this:
1. Thank the person who nominated you on your blog and link back to them.
2. Nominate up to 5 others for the award.
3. Let them know by commenting on your blog.
4. Post the award on your blog.

I’ve decided to limit my choices to speculative fiction blogs, so here goes...

My five chosen nominees are:
Rebecca P. Minor’s blog “The Call of the Creator”
The Cheesecake Thickens - An entertaining blog by various writers.
P.A. Baines’ blog
Molly Evangeline’s blog
And H.A. Titus’ blog “Magical Ink”.

Finish List Update
This weekend (starting today) is a long weekend, which will hopefully give me a chance to finish the draft of the chapter of my dissertation as well as a proper draft for the academic article I’m busy with. I’ve made some good progress these last few weeks, but I really need a good chunk of time I can use without worrying about getting to bed early enough so that I’m not a zombie at work. At least with five consecutive days I’ll get a lot more done than in a usual weekend while still getting in a bit of a break! I’m also busy with a last edit for two fiction pieces I want to submit for publication and fleshing out the outlines of a third and fourth short story.

*Stock photo courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu/

Worldbuilding Wednesday – The Rise of the Fáll

In the previous two worldbuilding posts about the Midland Wars, I’ve covered the outbreak of the wars in part 1 and the forming of the Sanctuaries of the Keepers in part 2. This week’s post is a bit longer and covers the rise of those known as the Fáll in the Midlands, as well as the succession of Guldargan kings during these wars.

The Midland Wars – Part 3: The Rise of the Fáll

At the end of the bloody decades of the Midland Wars, the great kingdom of Guldargan had shrunk drastically, while Treddian, Aefterra and Tarathlon grew in size. Where Ealdfesten grew the most in the first forty years, much of the land had again been conquered by Treddian by the end of the Midland Wars.

The Death of Gile
Much land along the new borders of Guldargan was disputed territories and it is here that the Fáll of the Midlands came to be. These Fáll, as they called themselves, joined the bands of outlaws which had long roamed the plains. The Fáll were a dangerous rebel faction from the start and followers of Gile long after his body was buried beneath one of the battlefields of golden plain. For it was that Gile, son of Marcus, died seventeen years after taking the throne of Guldargan during a battle against Ealdfesten at the Great River. A legend of the Fáll held that his once loyal guard, Ryger, who had turned against him and went into hiding, had returned during that battle and had first drugged the king and then slew him during the night.

The eye-witness accounts of that battle, however, told that Gile had taken to the battle field for the first time on the sixth day. Knowing that he was fighting a losing battle, but having no where to turn and waiting for reinforcements, he realised that he had no other choice but to fight if he did not want his men to flee or to give up their arms.

Gile was escorted onto the battlefield by his personal guard and his men took heart, but before the sun reached its zenith in the sky and his son, prince Galdra reached the battlefield with reinforcements, the king fell.

Prince Galdra is crowned and the Fáll is created
At midday the prince reached the battlefield and the men of Ealdfesten was driven back for the time being. But a great blow had been dealt to the kingdom of Guldargan. In front of the soldiers of Guldargan and his personal guard, prince Galdra was crowned king by the Werlea-magician who had served the late king since the Midland Wars started. This was the first time since the Great Sundering that a servant of the Shadow crowned a king on the continent.

Galdra’s first order as king was to have the surviving members of Gile’s personal guard executed because they had failed to keep his father safe. He was a cruel man and ruler and much of Guldargan’s land was lost during his reign.

But it was also during Galdra’s reign that the Fáll rose to prominence in the Midlands. They were first a rebellious part of the soldiers of Guldargan, who called themselves the Sons of Gile. They also followed the Werlea and, while Gile had a black dragon tattooed on his face like the lords of the Werlea, they had the dragon tattooed upon their right arms. Because of this, they were called Fáll – the Fallen – by the others of the Midlands, both of Guldargan and the surrounding kingdoms who saw the folly in their ways. Even more of Guldargan’s lands fell into the hands of the surrounding kingdoms during this time.

Maeldra is crowned king of Guldargan
King Galdra had three sons, two of whom died before king Galdra was buried. His third son, Maeldra, was crowned after Galdra was killed in an ambush organised by Maeldra, his most trusted men and some of the Fáll who believed that Galdra had strayed from his path as true leader of the Midlands.

During Maeldra’s reign darkness enveloped the lands of Guldargan. Now only a crippled kingdom ruled by a cruel man, a new leader arose in the lands north of the Great River. Called Ikaira, in remembrance of the first of the Tellerassar – who stood against King Markus the Elder – this man from the kin of Aldrich rallied the people who did not wish to follow the Werlea to him. Soon he became very strong and it was said that he held so much Talent that none of the Werlea spells had any effect on him.

Maeldra sired a son by one of the Vídolf who had joined the Fáll as seeress and sourceress. He was named Markus, after the old king of Guldargan. Soon the time would come when Maeldra and Ikaira would meet on the battlefield and Maeldra knew what a king bearing the glorious name of Markus would mean to the people of Guldargan.

The Battle of the Shadow Plain
And so it was that, in the fifty-fifth year of the Midland Wars, King Maeldra of Guldargan met the forces of Ikaira on Argavér, the Shadow Plain. The battle was terrible, but Ikaira was victorious and took up the crown of Guldargan. Maeldra was killed during that battle and the Fáll retreated into the Great Wood. A semblance of peace fell upon Guldargan for a short time and the skirmishes with the surrounding kingdoms petered out and many diplomatic missions were sent to the surrounding kingdoms. By Ikaira’s request, the Keepers of Théotriewe and Holt Haliern helped to bring peace to the north of the Midlands and secure what little was left of Guldargan.

But this was not the end of the Fáll, for they crowned Maeldra’s young son Markus their king and believed him the one true king of Guldargan as he was a direct descendant of King Gile. They built a great fortress on the blood drenched plain of Argavér and secured much of the land around it for themselves through their dark magic. Soon all the land under the Fáll’s control was called Argavér or the Shadow Lands.

Maps showing the kingdoms during the Midland Wars

Maandag inspirasie: Wêreld-boek- en Kopieregdag

Aangesien dit vandag Wêreld-boek- en Kopieregdag (en ook die aandenking van Shakespeare se dood) is, het ek op die kortfilm The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore – wat ‘n Oscar-toekenning ontvang het – vir ’n bietjie inspirasie so op die Maandag. En as jy dit klaar gesien het, kyk dit sommer nog ’n keer net omdat dit so mooi is!

En net vir die pret...

Monday Inspiration: World Book and Copyright Day

In honour of today being World Book and Copyright Day (and the anniversary of Shakespeare’s death) I’ve decided on The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, an Oscar-winning short film, for some inspiration for the week. If you haven’t yet watched it, today is the day to do so! (Otherwise today is the day to watch it again.)

And just for fun...

Friday Fiction: Mapping History & a Sneak Peek

I’ve almost finished three small maps showing the changing face of the Midlands during the Midland Wars. Planning on adding the final touches this weekend (like adding colour) and scanning them in properly to post next week. The maps show the changing borders of Guldargan and the surrounding kingdoms mentioned in the posts covering the First Strike and Sanctuaries.
The Maps can be seen here.

Other writing news
I mentioned on Twitter during the week that I’m on the fourth draft of a WIP. I really love this piece, but am not really getting it just the way I want. I’ve changed the beginning a few different times and then realised the chronology I was trying to use is not working for such a short piece (about 2000 words). I’m really hoping that I’ll get a chance to work on it this weekend and finish the fourth draft. Here’s a sneak peak of the WIP at the moment:

I awoke at a sound outside the car window. A child wailing? It took a moment for my mind to clear. The dreams of death, makeshift pyres and graves faded slightly. Maybe it was just the wind. I kept my head down on the sweaty seat, pressing my body closer to the seat. I didn’t really want to find out. But the sound continued. Inside the car it was still dark. I rolled down the window ever so slightly, keeping my head down. Cold wind struck me. The wind, then. Not a child. Not this time.

And today there's also more maps over at Kammastories.

(Stock photo courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu)

Worldbuilding Wednesday - The Midland Wars

(To read part one of the Midland Wars, click here.)

Part 2 - Sanctuaries

When great swathes of the Southern Fields burned in war, the survivors went to the Keepers of Eamidthéo, the great Keepers’ House which stood beyond the river which was then called the Agréarg*, but in later ages would be called the Ameragh River, in honour of the Lady Ameragh** after whom this House was also later named.

The people chose two leaders to go ahead and speak to the Keepers, one from Guldargan and one from Treddian. They crossed the wooden bridge and asked to speak to the Wíslic. As they told their story to the Wíslic and the Elders of the House, the Keepers took pity on them and decided that a sanctuary would be made for the people. But, knowing that there were a very many people in the Midlands who were suffering, the Keepers decided that the refugees would be given land free of charge if they would agree to share their surplus food with the others of the Midlands, regardless of the kingdom they belonged too. The two leaders returned to their people and told them what the Keepers had said.
Many had been disillusioned by the cost of ongoing wars of greed they cared little for and said that they would share what surplus they had with others in need if it would mean that they could live in peace. But others were unhappy and said that they would just become the Keepers’ slaves. These people moved further east, towards the mountains, where they settled close to the border of Morgeneard.

Those who wished to stay moved across the river to the lands east of the House of the Keepers. Here they formed a new people and built new homes. Through their hard work the land produced a bounty of food and they were able to keep many in the Midlands from hunger and starvation during these dark years. They were the first who were known as the People of the Keepers to those of the Midlands and beyond and some of the greatest healers and scholars have come from among them.

During this time the Keepers of the Midlands guarded their lands and those parts now known as the Sanctuaries closely. While the Eastern Keepers – on the eastern coast of the Continent – had long since had their own guards and soldiers and all the Eastern Keepers were taught some form of self-defence or the use of a weapon, the Houses of the Midlands only served as repositories of knowledge and though many diplomatic talks between kingdoms or parties were undertaken, they had not needed to resort to violence. In the future, however, and most notably during the battles with the Fáll, they became an integral part in the keeping of peace in the Midlands.  

Sanctuaries were formed around the Houses of the Keepers of Eamidthéo in the south as well as Théotriewe in the north. The Keepers’ House of Holt Haliern, however, had been hidden in the Great Wood for many centuries and there was no land around it which could be made a Sanctuary quite like that of the other houses and only took in a few people which they would then lead to one of the other Sanctuaries. Holt Haliern, however, already had one of the greatest of libraries in the Continent and scholars of all the kingdoms embroiled in war sent their most prized texts and copies of their texts to the House for safekeeping.

Photo courtesy of nkzs at http://www.sxc.hu

*Agréarg (a-gree-argh) was an ancient name, literally meaning “River of the Grey Mountains”, the Grey Mountains being the name of the southern part of the great mountain range which formed the border of the Midlands in the east – from the border of Morgeneard southward. 

**Ameragh was the Wíslic of Eamidthéo, who calmed the dragon Skáhag. Read more about her here and here. She is remembered in the sad song “The Maiden of the Stars”.

Maps, maps and more maps!

I'm putting some finishing touches on a few small maps to illustrate this part of the history - holding thumbs that I'll have them finished by Friday... otherwise I'll have them ready for next week's Worldbuilding Wednesday. 

’n Vraag oor fantasie en inspirasie vir die week

Voordat ek begin om allerhande stories te plaas, het ek dit goed gedink om met hiérdie inskrywing oor fantasie fiksie weg te spring.

’n Ruk gelede het ek ‘n vraag aan my mede Anomaliane gestel op Where the Map Ends. Dit lees as volg:

Hallo almal,
Ek wonder al ’n ruk hieroor en ek weet nooit regtig wat is die beste antwoord wat ek vir mense (Christen of nie) kan gee wanneer hulle vir my vrae het nie.
Sien, daar is nogal baie mense wat blykbaar glo dat, wanneer jy van fantasie (of wetenskapsfiksie) hou jy nie ’n Christen kan wees nie. Nou, ek weet óns almal weet dat dit net nie waar is nie, maar wat is die beste manier om dit aan mense te verduidelik?
Ek het ’n paar vriende wat slegs feëverhale of selfs net heksery en die bose sien en dink dat, omdat ek van fantasie hou, ek myself met daardie soort goed besig hou. 
Ek het al aan hulle gesê om van my goed te lees indien hulle bekommerd is – indien bose en heksery genoem word is dit die “slegte ouens” wat dit gebruik, nié die held nie. Baie van die stories in my wêrelde (soos Airthai) ontwikkel ook langs die lyne van goed en sleg en hoe om “slegte” mag te weerstaan. Vir my maak dit sin dat die held/-in teen groot struikelblokke te staan moet kom, want anders is dit nie die moeite werd nie.
Ek hoop dit maak sin! 
Marsh

Ek is seker ek is nie die enigste een wat al hiermee gesukkel het nie. Die Afrikaanse literatuur het ook nie veel fantasie of wetenskapsfiksie nie en alhoewel ander mitologieë (meestal Klassiek) soms in die letterkunde gebruik word, is daar geen hoë of epiese fantasie waarvan ek weet nie. Toe ek my Meestersgraad oor die invloed van Noorse mites op die Afrikaanse literatuur begin het, het ek gou gevind dat ek dit moet uitbrei om Nederlandse letterkunde ook in te sluit sodat ek genoeg tekste het om te studeer! En selfs net met hierdie studie het mense my al gevra of ek in daardie gode glo en wanneer ek weggedraai het van God af!

Dus, wanneer jy ’n Christelike fantasieskrywer is… en jy mites gebruik om ‘n punt te bewys of jou eie mites opmaak… wat sê jy aan hierdie mense?

Ek het hierdie wonderlike antwoord van Sean Rackley ontvang wat ek graag met ander wat dalk in dieselfde bootjie as ek sit wil deel:
Die manier waarop ek hierdie vraag hanteer is om dié wat ook aan die gesprek deelneem Jesus se vergelykings as spekulatiewe fiksie te sien. Dan is die sprong na fantasie en wetenskapsfiksie nie so groot nie. Jesus het die Waarheid aan ’n sterwende wêreld verkondig deur stories te gee waarby hulle kon aanklank vind (ek wonder soms of die stories nie waar is nie as mens kyk na wie die outeur is, maar ek dwaal nou van onderwerp af). Hy het byvoorbeeld ’n landbougemeenskap geleer deur meestal lanboustories te gebruik (soos byvoorbeeld ’n boer wat saad saai).
Ons gehoor is bekend met dinge ver verwyderd van landbou (dus kan die vergelyking van die saaier oorvertel word as ’n kolonialiserende gemeenskap wat veraardsing uitvoer met verskillende resultate op verskillende planete, of as ’n ridder wat sy ryk beskerm teen voëls wat saad steel, klippe en dorings wat per toeval drake, golems en donker elwe – met gepunte pyle is). Gooi ’n paar nodige storie elemente in om dit meer as ’n paar paragrawe lank te maak en voilà! – ’n storie is gebore.

Mense stem steeds nie altyd ooreen nie, maar op daardie tye herinner ek myself daaraan dat God my nie geroep het om te stry hoekom ek skryf nie, net om te skryf. Selfs indien ek die enigste persoon is wat nader aan God kom deur my fiksie en poësie het ek my werk gedoen.

Hierdie stuk het die eerste keer hiér by Hersenskim verskyn. 

Inspirasie vir die week
’n Bietjie musiek om die litte los te maak so op die Maandag – Bon Jovi se “It’s My Life”.

Monday Inspiration – It’s My Life

I love this great song by Bon Jovi to start the day or the week with – definitely an energy boost!

And in other news, I received a nomination for a Liebster Blog Award! What this space for more information and my own nominees.

Kammastories en kammalande

Welkom by die eerste inskrywing hier by Kammastories, ’n hoekie op die internet vir allerhande stories, sketse en verbeeldingsvlugte. Reeds vir meer as ’n jaar blog ek by Hersenskim oor stories, boeke en ’n kammawêreld genaamd Airthai. Hier en daar het al ’n paar stories in publikasies verskyn, maar met die dat die oorgrote lesers slegs Engels magtig is, was dit moeilik om die Afrikaanse teks by die Engels in te werk sonder dat die inskrywings lomp raak. Dus het ek besluit om hier ’n plekkie te skrop vir die Afrikaanse stories – veral aangesien meeste van die kort fiksie van Airthai oorspronklik in Afrikaans geskryf is.

Soos op Hersenskim, sal inskrywings op Kammastories gewy word aan skryfwerk, stories en boeke op Woensdae en Vrydae en mooi en inpirerende liedjies, poësie en musiek op Maandae. (Sommige van die inskrywings hier en op Hersenskim sal steeds ooreenstem*.)

Maar, intussen, hier is ’n bietjie inspirasie vir die naweek – Prime Circle se liedjie “My Inspiration”.

*Soos byvoorbeeld die week se liedjie of gedig.

Of Fingers, Pies and Inspiration

Sometimes, there is such a thing as too much pie. Especially when you have fingers stuck in them. Although I picture the ones I have fingers stuck in more like a range of different kinds of pie and some of the experimental fillings aren’t working as well as I’d hoped. And now I’ll stop with the pie-metaphor and get to the real news:

Kammastories*
Kammastories will be a new blog filled with stories and spinned yarns – but these will all be (as far as possible) in Afrikaans (if you are new to this blog – Afrikaans is my mother tongue**). Many of my shorter pieces of Airthai worldbuilding and fiction were first written in Afrikaans, but, while this blog has some Afrikaans content, I find that my readers predominantly have English as their mother tongue or as an additional language, but do not understand Afrikaans. Therefore, rather that simply having the same posts in both languages on one blog – which may become very confusing – I’ve decided to split them, but still have some of the same blog posts on both, or the same story in both languages. I also want to write more fiction in Afrikaans, and this will give me a specific platform for those pieces. Which brings me to “Small Mercies”.

This short-lived blog – which I just feel does not work on its own – will rather be incorporated into my usual posts here on Hersenskim and will give me more freedom than just saying that I’ve been surrounded by books for another week or to stay on such a narrow subject. That said, I am not quitting my Finish Year list, but will just go about noting progress on finishing that list a bit differently!

Plans for Hersenskim
The format (or, rather, the order) of the posts here will change slightly – I’ll start Monday with some Inspiration†, Wednesdays will remain days for Worldbuilding and Fridays will have posts about fiction, book reviews, writing and other bookish endeavours. I’ll also give a short update on Finish Year at the end of the Friday post.

Weekend Inspiration
But, to get everyone in weekend mode and give some inspiration (albeit a bit louder than usual), music by a wonderful South African band called Prime Circle. Here’s their song “My Inspiration” – enjoy!

*”Kammastories” means “fantastical stories” or “fantasy stories” in Afrikaans. Cue evil laugh of glee!
** Or now you now why my “Friday Inspiration” posts also have an Afrikaans translation…
† Simply because you need inspiration more at the beginning of the week than at the end of it!

Stock photo courtesy of www.sxc.hu 

Worldbuilding Wednesday – The Midland Wars

The ‘short story’ called “The Price of Freedom”, which was supposed to take place after the story “A Dragon’s Freedom” in order to move the overall story of Airthai forward a bit*, turned into more of a novel length work… but the stories of the kingdoms and peoples of the Southern and Midlands doesn’t end there.
After Gile received the crown some of his men decided that they could not longer follow him and the surrounding kingdoms saw an opportunity. And the paw-paw kind of hits the fan** for Gile – especially when he learns that he won’t be getting his hands on any more dragons and he only knows one order in their tongue (now quite useless, thanks to Ryger). This brings me to a time of great change in the kingdoms of the Midlands.

The Midland Wars – part 1:

First strike
The kingdoms of Ealdfesten and Guldargan already had a disputed border to the east of the capital city of Guldargan and when Ealdfesten learned that Guldargan no longer had any dragons, they were the first to launch small raids beyond their border.
When Marcus passed away and Gile became king, it was not even a fortnight before Ealdfesten attacked Guldargan with a large force of men and pushed their own border westward to the main city.

Through the next six decades various battles and wars were fought and the borders of the kingdoms of the midlands changed dramatically through these years. These wars are collectively known as the Midland Wars and would change not only the kingdoms and their people, but also the Keepers and their function in the Midlands for good.

After Ealdfesten’s attack, the kingdoms around Guldargan now took their chance and Aefterra – to the northeast of Guldargan and north of Ealdfesten – attacked Guldargan as well. While Treddian at first stayed an attack on Guldargan, they did attack when Ealdfesten had conquered all of the southern lands of Guldargan and had reached Treddians eastern border. The Keepers of Holt Haliern and Eamidthéo tried in vain to reach a compromise with Ealdfesten, but they would hear none of it and the bloodshed on the Southern Fields was great and the men from Ealdfesten burned a great swathe of the land as well. Because it was autumn and quite dry, the fire spread fast and many who were not soldiers lost their lives and many others their livelihoods. These people were both of Treddian and Guldargan (before Ealdfesten conquered the land), but with nowhere else to go, they made their way to the Keepers together to look for help.  

Next week: The Midland Wars, part 2 - Sanctuaries

*To get the “middle part” between “A Dragon’s Freedom” and “Yet untitled story” told… Stories just love getting out of hand!

**Yes, this is an accepted rendering of the “item + fan idiom”…

Ageless Words – Before the throne

This is one of my favourite quotes:

“Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer; Death is strong, but Life is stronger; Stronger than the dark, the light; Stronger than the wrong, the right; Faith and Hope triumphant say Christ will rise on Easter Day.” – Phillips Brooks

Easter is both a time of death, suffering and a stone tomb. But, more than that, it is a time of life, of renewal, of forgiveness and hope.

When you look around you – whether it is the daily news or perhaps even your own circumstances – it is very easy to forget that there is still good in the world. Days may be dark – but there have always been dark days. Chaos seems all around – but has it not been like that for centuries? Light will triumph in the end because it has already triumphed. There is no need to search for immortality and everlasting joy, because it is already within reach – just beyond the doorway, just beyond the curtain. The Light has already triumphed and the tomb is empty. Death is nothing now.

rume roderas; þæt is rice god,
sylf soðcyning, sawla nergend,
se us eal forgeaf þæt we on lifgaþ,
on deft æt þam ende eallum wealdeð
monna cynne. þæt is meotud sylfa.

The God of glory, the God of all strength,
made the wide firmament
and the kingdom of heaven.
He is the true King,
The Keeper of souls,
The One who forgives,
the One who bestows life here and hereafter –
the Ruler of mankind.
He is the One who is.
~ From “Maxims I – B”, translation by Brigit Pegeen Kelly. 
Quoted from The Word Exchange: Anglo-Saxon Poems in Translation, eds. Greg Delanty and Michael Matto. Published by W.W. Norton & Company.www.wwnorton.com/books/ 

Before the throne

In my room I will bow before the throne
And be still and search for words
In the tongues I know
To exalt and praise and plead.

I will go into my room to be alone,
I will be still and think only of this
And realise that there is an ear that will hear my words
On the throne that none can see.
I will think of ancient stone and desert lands harsh to withstand
And buildings great and grand.

But not there, not there will I go, not where all can see
A lone person praying. A broken person pleading.
I will be still and know that here my words are like
A song of praise that I can but imagine and not sing,
That stuttering words will become sweet music,
That simple words will be given flight,
That all asked from the Prince will be answered,
That the Spirit will fill the simple room where I am,
That the King will place his hand on my shoulder,
That I will go from this room with new life.

Tears will be dried,
New life will enter me.
New love will enter me.
New peace will enter me.
I will be unbound and look at the world anew.

I will go into my room to be alone,
To plead, to praise, to humbly ask for new life.
~ Written by Carin Marais

May you have a wonderful and blessed Easter weekend!

Worldbuilding Wednesday – How to build a world

Or, How to make stuff up in many relatively easy steps
While pulling some threads together for a new piece of Airthai-history, taking place between two stories, I read some of the old ‘articles’ and short stories I wrote about the world and the changes which has come about as the world expanded from a forest (Jungians would probably have a field day…)  to a city called Brenoth and now many kingdoms, some of which are still undiscovered. I can’t give a done and dusted how-to list about how to build an instant fantasy world, but I can explain how I go about it. I’ll also be posting some extra short stories*  about some of the events and people which have shaped Airthai. 


Early days
When I started writing about Airthai, it was with a story idea which popped into my head: a great house of learning in the centre of a great wood. This would become Holt Haliern and it would be inhabited by “Keepers” or “Guardians” coming from the different surrounding kingdoms. Soon the ‘bad guys’ showed up from a place called Brenoth… If you have read “A Dragon’s Freedom” or “The Price of Freedom”, you’ll probably ask where this ‘Brenoth’ is. Well, it’s a couple of centuries in the future, waiting to happen!


Build it, and the stories will come…
What I am trying to show is that I didn’t sit down with a blank WikidPad file (O, WikidPad, how I love thee) and typed “The Creation of the World”. Perhaps it would have spared a lot of rewriting and re-invisioning, but it would also have spoiled the fun. And that what it is supposed to be, after all. As the story I was writing at the time grew, I wrote extra stories, extra ‘articles’ and answered many questions posed, like “Why are these guys bad/evil?” “Why doesn’t kingdom A trust Kingdom B?” 
I had a vague idea of what the world was like, but I only really found out about the world as characters and stories grew. ‘Seat-of-pants’ worldbuilding, if you will. Slowly pieces of the world fell into place. Some were big and ‘mythical’ pieces like ‘The Creation of the World’ and some were ideas I thought was just cool at the time. For instance, ‘dragon tears’ were just supposed to be cool stones which glowed. Only later, when writing a fairy tale-like story (Aune and Everard), did a real dragon show up and I realised that I needed to find out how dragons fit into the story of Airthai. And so, Skáhag and the dragons of Airthai were born… and kind of took over for a while.


Next week: The Midland Wars, part 1


Ps. Next week I’ll also have more info about Secret Project 1: Kammastories**

*Real short stories, not the kind you plan to be about 6,000 words long and end up almost 32,000 words long.
**And I will save my maniacal laugh of glee for next week as well.

Poetic Tuesday: Gold's Call

Gold

In time long past the stories were told

Of brave men searching for lost gold.

They searched from sea to shore

But ne’er did they find the golden ore

Until one day they stumbled on golden vein

Far below the stars.

The men stayed there and mined the gold

And said no word ‘till they grow old

And all then swarmed by gold intox’d

To hills of gold whence fortune sprung

And searched and mined and ruined the land

Far below the stars.

But veins do often dry when tapped

And dry did vein become after years

And all left the hills of gold,

The place where they grew old

And sought a new horizon

Far below the stars.

The land fought back and closed the holds

That old men mined to search for gold

And grew slow upon the heaps of stone

So that green became the horrid bone

Until the land had conquered gold

Far below the stars.

And so the ages passed once more

Without a single thought of ore

In the valley lying still

Where no one will search until

They stumble on a golden vein

Far below the stars.

This poem was written about the same time as the first draft of the story which became "The No Good Killer". Unfortunately, I can't quite remember what exactly I had read about gold mining which led me to write these pieces. Something which have left quite an imprint on my mind is the many mine dumps around Johannesburg (living in the "City of Gold" does have its drawbacks. For instance; the streets are not paved with gold).

These are some photos of mine dumps outside Johannesburg, taken on a trip from Bloemfontein[1] to Johannesburg about two years ago. (The photos show the transition of the open plains of the Free State until you reach the city with its millions of people. More as a reference for me than a great piece of art.)

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[1] Yes, the Bloemfontein where Tolkien was born. And, yes, I did ‘squee’ a bit about it when I was in the city. Unfortuantely I didn’t have time to search for the plaque commemorating his birthplace, as I was working very long hours.