ThursdayThirteen - Why I Love Dragons

This Thursday Thirteen are a few thoughts on flying, and why I love to fly with and write about dragons.

1. 
   I come from an aviation family. My father trained as an airplane mechanic, then became a flight engineer.
   
   
2.  I always wanted to fly.  My farm had a back 40 acres planned for a landing / takeoff strip. When in school my after-school activities included private pilots training.
   
   
3. Despite the legacy of the Women Airforce Service Pilots who served as ferry pilots in World war II and the trailblazers of the  Ninety-Nines Organization, which included Amelia Earhart as one of their founders, at the time of my search for the sky, the main path to a uniform and wings for a woman was as a stewardess. Let's just say I was strongly encouraged not to become what several family friends (all flight crew members or stewardesses themselves) called a glorified waitress. Good thing I listened. You can only dump hot coffee on someone so many  times before you get fired. (just kidding.)
   
   
4. I was fortunate that I have lived where airplanes were a common sight. My childhood farm was in the traffic pattern for Newark Airport. On clear days the planes flew low enough you could tell their airline by the tail insignia and colors. There were two small airports within a few miles.
   
   
5. Later, my home was not only across the water from the Twin Towers, but beneath the flight pattern for LaGuardia Airport. More than stars twinkled at night. When walking the boardwalk you could track the ribbon of light formed by the stream of planes heading towards the airport.
   
   
6. A tale written by the young me was put to paper while watching fighter planes land at Clark Air Force Base in the Phillipines. Of course that was before the area was buried with volcanic ash by Mount Pinatubo, shaken by earthquakes, and battered by sheets of rain from Typhoon Yunya. Decades later that youthful effort was unearthed from the bowels of a drawer, reworked and expanded to become FIRST MISSION, FINAL DAY in the anthology, Hearth and Sand: Stories from the Front Lines and the Homefront.
   
   
7. LIVE OR SURRENDER TO TECHNOLOGY, a story based in the near future, honored my father with the tale of a man's final flight. Passengers on tomorrow's trans-continental orbiter discover what can happen when humans abdicate control. When the artificial intelligence pilot changes the flight schedule, one passenger, a holdover from an earlier time in aviation, shows the resilience of human spirit as he overcomes the errant technology to save the doomed flight.
   
   
8. While on my childhood farm, I would watch hawks gracefully soaring above the fields on the thermals.
    

9. 

   Image by kamyk293 from Pixabay

   Flight slipped into my tales in another way besides dragons. Fire and Amulet featured a mythical bird called a helwr. The large black birds with lethal curved talons were inspired by eagles and hawks. Helwr's large orange eyes seem to blaze with energy. The birds also have a sense of loyalty and duty. When Tywyll's mistress was kidnapped, the bird marked her captor with a talon across the cheek. Then it searched for years to find his mistress. More on Tywyll can be found at the post H is for Helwr.
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. 
    And then there are the dragons. In the Dragshi Chronicles, for special humans, the path to dragon wings came from being born with a twinned dragon soul. Once the dragon awakened, the human and dragon share a single form in time and space. The humans gain long life spans and the freedom of the skies. The dragons get a friend to translate the world of humans.
    
    
11. If you are small enough and have a dragshi friend (or been in service to the dragshi) they may make a cage of their talons so you can fly with them.
    
    
    
    
    
12. Another way to achieve the freedom of flight is to have a true dragon willing to put a nugget of his magic into a tearstone. Those possessing the jewel and the appropriate knowledge can take on dragon form. For more, read Fire and Amulet.
    
    
13. I did draw a line about one thing pertaining to flight. I prefer to watch a hot air balloon floating across the hillside rather than going up in one to be subservient to the winds. A standing joke in my family dealt with parachuting  and was the comment, "Why jump out of a perfectly good airplane." To a man, they would prefer to land the plane.
    

I hope you enjoyed this Thursday Thirteen. I hope you will come back again. If any of my published titles intrigue you, click on the cover in the banner or for the series, the pull-down menu for blurbs, excerpts, a free read of the first chapter, and of course, buy links.

And of course, be sure to visit the other thirteens.

~till next time, you're invited to hang out with mages and fly with dragons. Helen

ThursdayThirteen - He Ruled The House

 

 

This Thursday Thirteen is a list about someone who ruled my house.

1. First, his name is Cat, Tighe Cat. 
2. Because of his tuxedo coloring, he considered himself aristo-"cat"-ic and demanded to be treated as such.
   
3. He let us know there are health benefits to allowing a cat to own you. And that we could thank him later. Preferably with cheese and a snack.
   
   
   
4. Tighe was the inspiration for felines that inhabit the world of the Dragshi and that of the Windmaster Novels. 
   
5. On clear, winter days he would stand at the kitchen door demanding to go outside. Until I opened the door and cracked the screen door. The cold air hit his nose and he turned and tail up strode away giving me the "Are you crazy?" look.
   
6. Would not take as an answer when he thought it was time to get up and we didn't. Of course, his time when when the first bird chirped.
   
7. Tighe loved to explore. During his time as a barn cat, he would often disappear for a day or week ... or two. It turns out he was at the next farm down the road. Apparently he preferred the feed and easier life they provided.
   
   
   
   
   
8. When his original owner moved into an apartment, the tiny ball of fluff that was Tighe as a kitten, went missing. Everyone thought he had fallen off the second floor balcony. It turns out he hid in the box spring and when decided we had fussed enough, popped his head to give us a rasberry.
9. Later, when supposed more mature, he squeezed himself through a hole in the wall where a pipe was being replaced during a bathroom renovation. When tired of exploring the space between floors, he demanded to be let out. But refused his hooman's help, jumping out of reach over beams every time they reached for him. Lured to the edge of the hole cut in the ceiling by a can of tuna fish, he finally lingered long enough to be snatched. 
10. He traveled by plane to Florida. (And did not spend the entire time in his carrier. He was so quiet and stealthy no one knew he had opened the door or objected when he stuck a paw out.) 
11. Going to a kennel was not acceptable. He tolerated being spoiled for a week with his fur grandmother, but preferred camping in New England. Except when there was an attack dog demonstration going on where we were camping. He shrank into a tiny ball and although well-trained to walk on his leash, refused to leave the crook of my arm until the dogs left.
    
12. Tighe's favorite vacation spot was the deck of his fur grandmother's lakeside, mountain cabin.
    
13. Like many a small child, Tighe had his own version of "Are We There Yet?" In additional to the verbalization, he would stand up when a red light was encountered. But he truly showed his "hurry up" attitude when he sensed the salt marshes several miles north of our house.

I hope you enjoyed this Thursday Thirteen of the feline who ruled our house for more than fifteen years and that you will come back again. 

 

If any of my published titles intrigue you, click on the cover in the banner or for the series, the pull-down menu for blurbs, excerpts, a free read of the first chapter, and of course, buy links. And of course, be sure to visit the http://newthursday13.blogspot.com/ to see other thirteens.

~till next time, Helen

ThursdayThirteen - Trials and Tribulations of Naming

This Thursday Thirteen is about creating the names of fictional characters. A note. Since I usually write fantasy and science fiction, not all the tips apply to other genres.

1. Keep the names unique. Don't have characters named Jay, Jake, Jacob, and James in the same work. Too similar names can make it too hard to keep the characters straight and confuse them to the point where they are thrown out of the story.
   
2. Track names. Although a pen and paper works, a digital spreadsheet makes sorting names easier. Seeing the characters in alphabetical order helps prevent repetition.
3. A two-part character database based on the spreadsheets forms the basis of my tracking system. Part one is the spreadsheet with a complete list of the characters with a few important pieces of information such as physical description and a brief personal history. The second part features only the mains characters and goes into detail about the main characters and their traits.
   
   



4. Keep a pad close at hand to capture names that catch your interest. If a name from television credits seems appropriate for a current or future project, make a note of it.
   
5. Your character’s name can hint at their personality. One of the ways I do it is to take one of the character's traits, then convert it into the language the world is based upon.
   
6. Careful when choosing a name. You don’t want to give a character a name that sets up the wrong expectation in your readers. Or if you do, then it needs to be clarified in the beginning of the novel. No serial killers called Fluffy, please.
   
7. An exception to the no similar names rule is when a names is used to indicate a family relationship. In the Windmaster Novels, Lord Dal's mother is Eilidh. named after her grandmother. When the grandmother is referenced, it is as MarEilidh. The names are similar enough to accomplish the desired effect, yet different enough that the readers wouldn't get confused.
   

8. Two of my favorite resources for creating the names for a character are a English-to-foreign language dictionary and a baby name book. Sometimes the book is supplemented by an online list of popular baby names. 
9. An online random name generator is another valuable resource.
10. When using a name generator, be careful to select names that not only work with your setting, but can be pronounced by humans without stumbling over their tongues.You want your reader to enjoy the story, not focus on the pronunciation.
11. Don't make all the character names long, multi-syllable. It can exhaust the readers.
12. If you've found a name but it doesn't quite work, reverse a couple of letters to create a new sounding name.
13. A final consideration is whether or not the name has been widely used or is a contemporary popular character. Googling the name can save you embarrassment or possibly even a lawsuit.

I hope you enjoyed this Thursday Thirteen. I hope you will come back again. Click on the cover in the banner or for the series, the pull-down menu for blurbs, excerpts, a free read of the first chapter, and buy links. And of course, be sure to visit the http://newthursday13.blogspot.com/ to see other thirteens.

~till next time, Helen

2021 W : Welcome

 

How someone talks can provide insight into their personality and background. A soft, "Hallo, the camp," is a different greeting than a boisterous, "Yo." Not to stereotype, but one could be a cowboy from the American West and the other a teen from a contemporary, metropolitan city.

A typical greeting in the fantasy world of The Windmaster Novels or that of the dragshi is, "Fair Day." An alternate greeting, especially between strangers or to those on a pilgrimage to the Temple of Givneh is, "Well, met." It also serves as a response to the welcome of, "Greetings, traveler."

Not all welcomes are friendly. To remember someone's deed the "length of my days" or to continue to do something, "I will track you the length of my days," is a threat that forebodes danger or trouble in the future. 

Beyond hellos and good-byes, in the world of the dragshi, the formal acknowledgement of indebtedness can have even more far-ranging implications than a threat. The excerpt from Dragon Destiny that follows is Anastasia's presentation of Lord Branin of Cloud Eyrie to the leaders of her clan.

“Father, Uncle Elem, members of the Clan Miller,” Anastasia called, sending her voice across the clearing. “May I present Lord Branin Llewlyn, from Cloud Eyrie in the Valley of Mist. Not only did he save me from a pack of gryphlors, he is the one who alerted the camp.” Taking a deep breath, she continued in formal greeting, “We owe him a great debt.”

She held her breath and waited to see how her father and uncle would take her binding the clan to the dragshi standing behind her.

“Sire, you are doubly welcomed to our fire,” Yunka said giving the visitor a bow worthy of the highest courtiers of Nerelan’s capitol city. “For saving my daughter’s life, I owe you a debt that can never be repaid.”

Stepping forward, Elem swept out his arm to encompass those standing in the clearing. “M’lord, Clan Miller owes you a life debt, so I, Elem, leader of the clan so swear. Ask of us what you will, and if it is within our power, we will serve you.”

The ending of this post are some of the farewell blessings you'll read in The Windmaster Novels, the Dragshi Chronicles, and Imprisoned in Stone. Some are sailor-oriented, while others are given by those with special powers.

 

&#9829 &#9829 Deep peace of the running waves to you.

&#9829 &#9829 Fair winds and following seas. Safe journey Sea Falcon (or the desired vessel's name).

&#9829 &#9829 My son/daughter/child, go with my blessing and that of your clan. Bear your name with pride and honor.

 

And my favorite,

Safe journey to all who travel in your shadow.

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~ It is my wish that the above blessings bring you luck. till next time, Helen

2021 T : Time

In the modern world, the measurement of time can be taken for granted. Devices from cellular phones to computer screens, a roadside sign or a cheap digital watch alerts us of actions to be taken or appointments made. Just as in the real world, a fantasy world needs to have descriptions for measurements. If an invented measurement of time or distance, the unit needs to be understandable--and comfortable--for the reader. Measurements different than the familiar could be jarring to a reader and possibly even throw them out of the story.

One thing that is common to most worlds are heavenly bodies. The stars may have different configurations and more than one moon, but they provide an easily understood guide for the characters (and the reader) as they traverse their world much as the stars did for the sailors of old.

Now that the characters have a map how to measure the length of a journey. Historically, the marking of time comes from important event such as full moons and planting or harvesting seasons. A full cycle of the seasons is a year. For the Windmaster Novels, a slightly different term was used to represent a cycle of the world. Turn replaced year.

The heavens are again used with the measurement of a full moon. Since there are two moons in The Windmaster Novels, not only do you have the recognition of the time between full moons, but also the less frequent conjunction of both moons being full at the same time and appearing to coalesce into a super moon.

A week can be a sevenday or ten day depending on the world.

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

At an individual level, a character can use the candlemark to determine how long they have been at a task. A candlemark is how long it takes a candle to burn down between marks notched into the sides for measuring shorter time periods. I particularly like the visual of the candle burning low when the character is researching in an archive. 

Image by Momentmal from Pixabay

Public life can be measured using bells to alert the town, large group, or ship of the time. This works well as long as the keeper of the bell is accurate through the use of an hourglass.

To mark shorter breaks of time, heartbeats or breaths. They may not be quite as accurate since they can both speed up with activity. I wouldn't want to use them to determine when to charge as part of a coordinated battle plan, but to show the reader the passage of a few moments they are more than sufficient.

To read the stories and see the various combinations of time and space, click on the covers in the banner for excerpts of what the music helped create.

 

If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.

To make following the hop easier, here is the link to all my posts. Just remember, the next day's post isn't live until midnight.

~ till next time, Helen

K is for Killing a Character

In fiction, especially in the fantasy genre, characters can be ill-treated. There are dungeons and battles. I admit to imprisioning characters. Epic battles between the two mortal enemies often end with the death of one or the other. And, I tend to pen tales where the bad guy gets his comeuppance in the end.

But there are more characters than just the main couple and the forces they oppose. There can be parents and friends, sword carriers and those recorded in the annals of history.

When I started writing, there were a few inviolate rules. Main characters don't get killed, they live to fight another day. You don't kick the dog or beat the child. Now have I ended character stories? Yes. The love story between Lasair and Cailin, whose legend is recounted in the novella, FOREVER BOUND, one of the tales in First Change: Legends From the Eyrie is one such event. The dragshi are more than just a man or woman. Each are two beings–one a dragon, the other a human–sharing one body in space in time and able to change forms with the other at will. One additional fact? Like the true dragons, the dragshi mate for life and cannot live without each other.

Some characters, like Turnaimh and Gremeille in Hatchling's Mate, die off-screen to show its impact through more of the characters. Others are more immediate.

From Windmaster Legacy, an excerpt of the murder of the golden mare, Zethar.

Her head bowed, Ellspeth allowed the tears to run freely down her face. Their salt burned where Third’s blows had cut her skin. “Water gods, give Zethar a smooth sail to the other world,” she whispered. “Let her and the foal graze amongst tall grass.”

Ellspeth remained frozen in place as heartbeat after heartbeat, the mare’s life-force fled. Finally, an empty blackness filled what had once been eyes full of life. Although she had never experienced it, she recognized the signs of berserker rage growing within her.

“Your lives are forfeit!” Ellspeth screamed at those around her. “Zethar wasn’t a horse you could dispose of at will. She was a fàlaire, a magical creature. And she was with foal. You ended two lives.”

Instead of fighting the insane anger, Ellspeth gave in to it and used it to enlarge her powers. All threat to her own child submerged beneath her fury over the loss of Zethar’s foal. In Ellspeth’s mind, her fingers grasped a flaming sword. The tip of the weapon caught the dissipating life-force of the fàlaire. Flicks of the blade twirled the energy together into a swirling column of bright red. Now bound into a solid mass, the flare roared skyward.

Even though Ellspeth recognized the figure who strode through the stunned men, she made no move to evade Bashim. Only when he kicked her away from Zethar did the battle madness lessen.

Killing a character can be done. However, regardless of whether it elicits a, "He deserved it" or a tear, the author takes a chance. More info on the topic can be found at How and When to Kill A Character.


For excerpts and buy links for First Change or Windmaster Legacy, click on the cover in the banner.

Click on the button to find my next post in the challenge.  Remember, it won't be live until midnight after this entry

 

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~till next time, Helen 

XPost - Oops, Just Killed A Friend

I hadn't thought of what we do to our characters in the manner that Alon Shalev (@Elfwriter) did in his post. Usually I kill the bad guy and only torture the hero. However, Elveswriter explains why we mourne for our characters. Even if they live in the book, at the end we close the chapter and our relationship ends.

If you've ever killed a character (or contemplated it), read on. ~till next time Helen

ElvesWriter

Wow! Killing a friend ain’t easy. You think you’re ready for it. You have planned the dramatic demise, executed to perfection, but when it gets right down to it, it is soooo hard.
 
And when they are lying there dead, with an arrow though their heart, or an axe wound in their head, you think you can just walk away. But what do you still have to do?
 
Press the Save button.

Do you get the irony? Your friend lies dead on the page, their blood still wet, and you are totally responsible for it. Sure you didn’t wield the axe, or aim the bow, but you created this person, this character, this hero.
 
He trusted you, allowed you to move him from one part of the kingdom to the other. He has seen you put him in a tight jam and always…

View original post 275 more words

The Home Front -- A Different Side of War

Programs by local experts are great ways to acquire information. A favorite tip of mine is to take a topic and look at it differently--to write about a different aspect.
 
Traditionally, Memorial Day and Veterans' Day programs cover an individual soldier, a unit, or a particular battle or conflict. To change the perspective, consider what “Total War” was like for those who were left behind in town when others went off to fight in distant parts of the world, to defend our way of life. All residents were involved in different ways from selling war bonds, to planting victory gardens, or even working in factories.

Letters connect home and hearth. They may be saved in a shoebox in the back of the closet, and  years, or even generations later, published in a book. One of my favorites is Upon the Tented Field: An Historical Account of the Civil War as Told by the Men Who Fought and Gave Their Lives.

Others letters including a father's advice to his son were included in Hearth and Sand: Stories from the Front Lines and the Homefront. (buy links.)

To all who served on the frontlines, thank you for your service.


~Till next time. Helen