Divisions of the Aestari
Alone among the races, the children of blessed Ainii avoided the curse of aging death. In the dawn of the world before time began, she shaped the Aestari as a…
The Pilgrimage to the Boards
One of the great joys in writing is when the story surprises you. Usually, this epiphany happens in the moment of writing, but sometimes it is only a thing you…
Words that have Inspired Me
After writing last week’s article about the quotes that head each of my chapters, I got to thinking about the real world quotes that have been meaningful to me. I’ve…
Concerning Chapter Quotes
“And on that final day, Cydion, the Lord of Life and Death stood upon the Hill of Kensethir, triumphant over the broken bodies of the last of the Etyni. Yet…
Expanding onto Facebook and Reddit
Rather than posting my usual article this week, I wanted to announce that I have expanded to Facebook and also onto Reddit. I tend to be a fairly quiet individual,…
What makes a writer?
I can sum this article up in six words: “A writer is someone who writes.”I’m not talking about the various measurements of success or popularity, but simply the idea of…
Behind the Characters: Hirnid
When creating a story, one of the challenges is to portray how large and how small a world is. Think back on your past week and ask yourself how many…
Mapping the World Part II: Redrawing Isfalinis
With this article, we come to the end of my eight-part series on how the world of Isfalinis, home to “Tears from Iron” came to be. We began by looking…
Mapping the World Part I: Lost Age to Modern Era
The first time I sketched a fantastical world was in 7th Grade Social Studies. We were given a large sheet of paper, perhaps 24” x 20” and told to draw…
The Magic of Isfalinis Part II: Affinities
Last week, I began the discussion of magic in the world of Isfalinis by going over its basic concepts. Magic is based on spoken words. It is a science and…