What happens when you drop King Arthur's court into medieval Oxford for a summer? And how do you, as an author, find out? Using Universal Fantasy in worldbuilding.
Tag: Fantasy
Creating Authentic Non-Human Characters
Beyond my philosophical and spiritual commitment, I wanted to portray true animism in this book. And that created specific, thorny writing problems that required concrete solutions.
Summer Writing Sprint 2025
A bit of a curtain-peek, for those who like them. A little progress report, a little linguistic nonsense, and a few excerpts of recent writing.
A Discursive Lecture on Late Pizan: a Linguistic Revolution
Professor Eleinn Hahíns and Magister Errícc Cnohrmann discuss the evolution of the Pizan language post-Yḿboldhźh revolution. Late Pizan, known as Kamvlŕsâi, emerged as the official language, marked by significant phonological simplification and a shift from SVO to VSO grammatical structure, reflecting a society's transformation towards directness and efficiency in communication.
Creating Pizan: The Language of Conquistadors and Conquest
In my ongoing development of the languages of the world of my novel Crown of Crows, I've been working on Pizan, a language with a complex fictional history rooted in Spanish colonization and subsequent English influence.
Land of the Witch, Land of the Bear: Naming the Language of a Fantasy World
Why I'm moving from the name "Sagaia" and "Sagaian" to "Artír" and "Artanga." Themes of power, resistance, and cultural identity, highlighting the influence of the Bear and the evolution of language among the inhabitants following the White Witch’s defeat.
On Elves III: Neoteny
This final post in the series explores the concept of neoteny and its connection to the archetype of elves. Elves embody the eternal child, with youthful traits like wonder and adaptability. They illuminate humanity’s place in nature, and prompt reflection on self-identity and relationships with the more-than-human world.
Copyright Issues in Sagaia
Can Sagaia move beyond its origins as fanfic and be a wholly original work?
Journey of a Million Words
For good or ill, my friends, I have decided. I'm taking on a challenge called The Million Word Year. Starting November 1, 2023, I'll be embarking on a year-long writing journey where I aim to write one million words across various projects. It's ambitious, exhilarating, and terrifying, The Million Word Year is not just about… Continue reading Journey of a Million Words