Dearest God
Or whatever good spirit
Of worlds and blessed nothing
Of blackness and stars
Lives yet
In this strange place (more…)

So, just for fun, I thought I’d chat a little about fantasy map drawing! But before we do, let’s talk about the mapmakers themselves.

In the real world, people who make maps are called cartographers. But since we are talking about fantasy map drawing, why don’t we come up with a fantasy name for this sort of thing.

Let’s start with the word “fantasy.”

Well we all know that fantasy means make-believe and since we are going to draw make-believe things in our maps we’ll use that as our root word. Now let’s add the word “graph.” In this context, graph means map. Put them together and look at the strange word we’ve just made up.

Fantagraph.

See how easy it is to take two perfectly good words and make them completely incomprehensible? But since fantasy means make-believe and graph means map — what we have here is a make-believe map.

Real map

Make believe map

You get the picture?

Now since we all want to learn how to draw fantasy maps, let’s come up with a fantasy name for ourselves. (more…)

What would happen if only women could live forever? If, by some unique trait, they were able to extend their lives indefinitely and men could not?

Well scientists may have discovered just such a possibility.

According to a recent AP article, scientists say they can now create embryonic stem cells by stimulating unfertilized eggs. With research emphasizing ways to create stem cells without destroying embryos, this approach is currently one of the most ethical. The cells from these eggs could then be used to rejuvenate any tissue in the body.

As many scientists feel this would produce significant increase in lifespan, individuals would, potentially, be able to extend life indefinitely.

But ONLY for the woman that particular egg came from. For, according to the article “such an approach could not provide matched cells for men, of course.”

Imagine, for a moment, a society in which women were immortal and men were not. Now what sort of world would that be? Would the physical advantage men have over women evaporate in an instant? Well this recent breakthrough might just have that result.

(more…)

… Now also during this time I received a strange gift.

A book with blank pages.

What sort of good is a book with blank pages? Is it any good to an 8 year- old - boy?

I didn’t really think so. It sat on my desk collecting dust for about two years. But, eventually, I did pick it up and put a few things in it.

The blank page begs at least something. The call of mystery on my desk had finally become loud enough for me to hear. (more…)

I’m going to step away from talks about myths and writing philosophy for a little while to share with you some of my story becoming a writer. Hopefully, it will be helpful to those of you who are interested in writing or doing anything else that may seem difficult. As I’m by no means perfect please take what lessons may be helpful to you and leave those that are not.

*                *                *                *                *                *                *

In my experience, nothing worthwhile has ever really been all that easy. Even from the very beginning. You see, when I was young, I had trouble learning to read.

I still remember the first grade very well. I’d learned abc’s and to read a few words here and there. But I was shocked to find that, upon entering school, nearly everyone in my class already knew how to read.

I remember coming home with my ‘Dick and Jane’ book. I’d sit on the couch and stare and stare at it — hoping the words would miraculously fly off the page and into my mind. (more…)

Of all numbers, 666 probably has the worst reputation. But what’s so bad about it? Why is 666 deserving of such infamy? It is just a number, after all. What could 666 possibly mean other than six hundred and sixty six somethings?

Well, interestingly enough, an individual 6 does have a certain mystical meaning. (more…)

Far off the Faeland’s west coast, a great storm constantly blows. Centered on the wreckage of Arnen Tor, the seat of Vyrl’s power from another age, this storm sends its outriders like armies to crash against rocky shores. Squalls, their bottoms painted with lighting, fling themselves against the coast in intermittent gales.

The squalls come and go but are most intense in springtime as the world struggles out of chill and darkness. Then great waves rise up — tall as hills — and on them are born thousands of white and green blossoms. Shaped like starbursts, they roll in the heaving tide. Many are buried in sand or broken on the jagged shore. Others are drawn deep by ocean currents where they eventually water-log and drown. (more…)

Could this have happened?

Twelve Thousand Years Ago

It was a time of rapid global warming. In a decade, average world temperatures rose 9 degrees. Vast glaciers covered the northern hemisphere continents. More than two miles deep in some places, these ranges of ice together took up more space than all of North America.

The heat brought catastrophic change. On the icepack, lakes formed. At first they were small, shallow. But they rapidly widened and deepened until many drilled all the way through the ice meeting ground and rock. Water is denser than ice so it pressed beneath the field flowing out from the great glacier’s base.

Melt rate increased. First doubling, then tripling. Cracks grew and filled with water.

Then, one day, a threshold was reached. With a massive roar, the glacier surged forward. (more…)

Since I’m on the topic of peeves, let’s get to a matter that’s very close to my heart: agents. To a writer, they represent a sort of literary Holy Grail. The quest to find a good one can be endless and seemingly impossible. Most agents themselves, like the Wizard of Oz, are rarely the people you expect them to be. More often than not, they will ignore you, talk down to you, invalidate your work. At best, they’ll take 15-20% of your hard-earned profit.

The myth is of the agent who coaches, provides excellent feedback, supports creativity — an all and all friend to writers. This everyman will promote you, believe in your work and find you a damned good editor. And though undoubtedly agents like these exist, in my experience, they are the exception rather than the rule.

Let me share with you some of my agent experiences. (more…)

I usually don’t rant. In all, it goes against my better nature. That said, I’ve been horrified by the number of academics flooding fantasy with ‘expert’ opinions recently. For my part, I’d like to make some small contribution to dispelling these misnomers. If they’re not dispelled the freedom the genre currently enjoys will slowly fade and we’ll all be stuck. For the ‘experts’ are now telling everyone what’s proper and improper to imagine. (more…)