Creating Aragnar 101: World-building Part 1

After further retrospect, I felt it would be fitting to begin today's Creating Aragnar session with a question. What makes fictional worlds, places, and peoples memorable?

Odds are that many of you have read a vast majority of books and genres. Whether you consider yourself a veteran reader or just a casual skimmer of literature, you surely have found at least one book or article memorable. Because this series of articles is focusing on fictional worlds, specifically the steps I took to craft my own, it would be fitting to focus primarily on fiction.

Have you ever read a fiction book that intrigued you to a point that it lasted with you, long after the story had ended? I certainly have. Whether exploring the breathtaking lands of Middle Earth or finding adventure and excitement in Narnia, tales such as these have held a special place in my heart, not only because of their stories, but their settings.

The focus of today's post is...(drum roll)...world-building! (Like the title didn't already give that way...). I have always loved to look at the 'big picture' of things, and follow up with the intricate details. Because of this vast view I've chosen to employ, it's highly critical that I don't skip a step or forsake some well-needed research.

While I know many of you won't use this method, as it's not for everyone, I've found that by having a strong structure of information to ground the rest of the story upon, it has given my world a depth that probably wouldn't have otherwise grown. While there are many different ways to build worlds, there are also many different aspects to the practice. As I mentioned in the previous article, a lot of research went into the creation of Aragnarians, the winged people who inhabit the continent Aragnar. However, they are not the only ethnicity to dwell in my story-world, and as I began to introduce more cultures, I ran into a problem.

In a fantasy world, is completely creating a culture from scratch the best possible route? Or, like the creation of the peoples themselves, would it be best to base their cultures off real existing ones? The answer to that question will understandably vary from writer to writer, but for me personally, grounding my story in reality gave it the complexity I desired the story to facilitate.

Okay, so I decided I wanted to base my cultures off real ones. Whats next? How could I do it in a way that wouldn't be too obvious, but also recognizable enough to be tastefully acknowledged?

Firstly, I needed to know what to look for. Our world is filled with many cultures, religions, and creeds. Varying in ethnicity and beliefs, each one can be very different then the other. In order to choose which ones to use as references, I had to have a deep understanding of my own characters and what I wanted their cultures to reflect.

For my Aragnarians, I drew a lot of inspiration from old English and Latin, as well as Western culture. However, I wanted to avoid the typical 'medieval' pit that most fantasy tends to fall into (for good reason at times). So, I also studied the Roman culture, and found I liked the structure displayed. After all, the Aragnarians are a winged race, giving them a distinct advantage over other people groups. They needed to be strong, yet peaceful, and still have the potential to conquer.

For my Kyraen race, I took a completely different route. The Kyraen are much more war-like, and also bring my second winged race, they needed to strike a completely different contrast to the Aragnarians. Sporting webbed wings that resemble dragon's, they are similar in some ways, but completely different in most aspects. For the Kyraen, I established their culture strongly on Germanic roots, focusing on a conflicted, yet efficiently driven culture. Don't let the bat wings fool you, these people aren't villains, even though many of their past leaders have been so. They are personally one of my favorite people groups in my series, I just love conflicted heroes/villains!

And finally, the not-so average Joes, regular, wing-less humans. Because they often have rivalries with their winged counterparts, I took a completely different route to establish their culture. Roughly based off feudal-era Japan, their human country Dimair is in complete disrepair. Ruled (in part) by a pagan king, the people of Dimair are largely left to their own devices, and fight brutally for lordship and territory. Far less orderly and sophisticated then Aragnar, they are in desperate need of a new leader...and only time will tell if they will receive one. 

This is but a small (but still fairly lengthy) taste of the complexity built into my series, but it is nonetheless a glimpse into my creative process. We all have vastly differing ideas and goals, but through the exploration of a writer's process, I hope that you are inspired to create your own stories, and fill your worlds with daring ideas. 

Never Surrender, The Brilliance of Darkest Hour

I have always found WW2 era films fascinating. There has always been something about that specific period in history that has intrigued me, and that has never changed over the years. Perhaps it begun largely due to my upbringing, in which my grandfather would often tell me stories of his time in the war in the navy and coast guard. It's no surprise that I grew to become quite the storyteller myself, even though I'm still convinced his tales would (and will) always hold a certain gravity of truth over my fictional ones.

Regardless, I've found that fiction can be a powerful tool to represent the truth, and the power of story is quite unchallenged in its results. The new film Darkest Hour certainly supports this idea, and while it is grounded in more historical facts then fiction, it still is a tale nonetheless. And my, what a compelling tale it is.

Following the story of Winston Churchill's rise to the title of Prime Minister, it is a very different film, in the sense that it is not a war movie by regular standards. However, it represents a war of ideals just as tense as the very real battles hovering ominously in the near distance...the looming threat of Nazi Germany's relentless war machine.

I couldn't help but think of Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk when watching Darkest Hour. Set at the same time of the war, both films could be easily intertwined. It shows the 'behind the scenes' struggle of a leader who faced tremendous opposition as he struggled to do what he believed was right. Indeed, I could easily watch Dunkirk right after, and the two films would blend almost seamlessly. For like Dunkirk, Darkest Hour is a true piece of art. The way they filmed it is unique, and their creativeness quickly stood out to me. From the camera angles to the slightest muting of color, the movie felt timeless.

The acting was impeccable, and Gary Oldman's Churchill was highly believable. To accompany such a wonderful story, the score was beautifully floating, if sometimes haunting, and maintained an ever present atmosphere of sadness, suspense, and triumph. I will definitely purchase this movie when it is released, as I will want to watch it again. While we (thankfully) are not experiencing such dire circumstances in our time, it wouldn't be far-fetched to say that we still have our own battles to wage. And in those battles, we face the terrible risk of becoming lost in hopelessness.

In one particular scene that really stood out to me, Churchill found himself questioning his beliefs, and seeking answers in a different manner then he previously had. He spoke to some of the people, common men and women who had lived under the shadows of war. What he received was a message of defiance, and in a way, a charge to press onward in the fight. Renewed of purpose and once again ready to take on his enemies, Churchill pressed onward despite great odds.

As a Christian, I too have faced discouragement and trials. I've had days when I didn't know how I was going to make it, or if I had the strength to press on. But like Churchill, I've had those 'underground moments' when God has placed people and experiences at pivotal times in my life to encourage me to keep fighting, to never surrender.

Films like Darkest Hour are truly masterpieces in their own right, allowing a glimpse into the tumultuous past with hopes that it can touch our own hearts. Days can indeed be dark, and our own world needs to be reminded of the past, so that we dare not repeat it.

Oftentimes I fear that we forget too much history, and regain not enough facts. We look at history as simply such; history...we forget those pages were inked in blood. It is too easy to lose the humanity of the past...and in doing so, we lost not only the humanity of the present, but a desensitization of humanity itself.      

Creating Aragnar 101: News Flash, Wings Are BIG!

So, it turns out that my high school science studies would actually be VERY important.
Yeah, it probably isn't 100% necessary for fantasy, as some would argue, but unfortunately for them, I happen to be a perfectionist, and efficiency could basically be my middle name. I have always taken my fantasy very seriously, even down to the teeniest details, like for instance, if a rose could grow in hardy island soil.
Seems quite insignificant, right? Well, if you're like me, odd questions like that will keep you awake at night...sometimes literally.
Now, jumping to a much bigger issue (literally). I had always entertained this hair-brained idea of featuring a race of winged people in my fantasy series. Being someone who absolutely loves anything to do with birds and flight (and has dreamed of flying herself), I wanted more than anything to share that love through characters who made my dreams their daily way of life. 
When I realized I was determined to create these people, I did the first thing that was highly critical in my creative process. Wait for it...research. I know, sounds super boring, and completely uncreative. Isn't that a bit of an oxymoron?
Actually, for my story's world, it's highly important. Any author knows that research is a pivotal part of the process of creating a book, and also often the most time consuming. While I'm nowhere near the level of painstaking research that it would take to write, say, a historical fiction novel, you might be surprised how much time it really has taken in order to bring Aragnar to life.
First off, the problem of human flight itself. Regardless of the way you look at it, it's indeed quite impossible. Even if people did have wings, there really wouldn't be a feasible way to make us fly. And if we were created to fly, we wouldn't look like...well, people, and that would get weird really fast. So instead, I studied human and avian anatomy, all manner of scientific studies, and worked out way too many wingspan to height/weight ratios in an attempt to find the best concept possible.
Ultimately, one can only do so much, and that's why it's called fantasy, because not everything will be fully plausible, and that's where the genre certainly comes into play.
Even though it's not fully possible, I still managed to work out a fairly realistic concept, and I'll admit that I have become a 'wing anatomy snob', even though I'd say I've probably created a new category of petty. Oh well, I really don't feel any remorse for that.
I won't say I've mastered drawing human anatomy in any way, but the above sketch is just a sample of some of my crazy imaginative drawings while attempting to create a feasible compromise.
I can't tell you have many drawings of winged people I've seen sporting teeny tiny wings that magically can lift them off the ground. Not so with my Aragnarians. Simply put, their wings are HUGE! And because of that, I've had to fully consider that throughout my story.
Even though not every story will have to deal with big-winged people, it still is critically important that as a writer, you factor in any and all details that make your story original, and work with them to a point that they all flow together without snags in the plot or inconsistencies.
And don't let research scare you away from adding more depth to your story! In fact, it can be fun in a way, and when you see all your hard-earned tidbits of knowledge showing themselves in your work, it truly is a special feeling that shows, in part, how rewarding writing can truly be! 

New Website for a New Year!

It hit me yesterday that the last time I had done anything to my website, it had been back in 2016 (Yikes!) so after that discovery I spent several hours revamping it to make it fresh and new. Just like the updates to my book series, I knew that the site had to be exciting and inviting.

Thankfully, I have this snazzy cover art to use as a promotional piece, as well as a cool backdrop for the website. I plan on using more of my own artwork in the future, and as my style sharpens and my skills grow, I hope that I can one day create art like the cover image above. It's only a matter of time, and I'm excited to watch my own skill grow and develop.

In the meantime, I plan on using this art to make the site truly pop, as well as the future cover designs for the next three books in the series. I also linked my blog to the website, so that way both of my sites are (finally!) connected. Both pages have been gaining a lot of traffic, and so I hope that by doing that, it will encourage people to check out them both!

If you haven't yet had the opportunity to check out my website, I encourage you to do so! As I've said in posts past, I have a lot of big things planned for this year, and I can't wait to share it all with you as I continue to embark on this journey of life!

Here is the link to my page, I hope you enjoy it!

New Year, and New Plans! (And Another Poem)

Now that things have calmed back down a bit, I am happy to have the time to return back to my keyboard, as it is imperative that I do so. Not only do I have the fourth book in my fantasy series to finish writing, but I also have several non-fiction projects in the works.

As you know, I am also working on releasing Dauntless, my poem book, in the next few months. And as promised, I will be starting my mini writing series here shortly, and I'm excited to take the time and delve into my book world, as well as share some writing tips with you all!

2018 is already shaping up to be a busy year, between my upcoming novel projects, deadlines, and entering my last year in college. I'm incredibly excited for what is to come, and even though I must admit I sometimes feel nervous regarding the uncertainty of my future, I know that God is in control, and I trust His plans. 

I will leave you all with my newest poem that I wrote, and hopefully I will now have enough poetry to fill a book. By now, considering how many I've written, I'd say I'm almost there! I'll be honest that when I started writing this one, I was feeling very discouraged, and frankly defeated. However, after spending some time in the Word and prayer, I felt my heart being encouraged. No matter what struggles you faced in years past, and any apprehension of the year ahead, don't forget who is guiding your steps, and never give up hope! Without further ado, I give you my new poem, called "Faith".

I must confess, I'm not doing so well,

'Cause I've fought so very long and hard,

But there's too much sweat in my eyes to tell,

If there's any light, even a single waning star. 

They told me to have faith, and I believed,

They said it'd be okay, and I nodded my head,

I walked into the battle, God, I felt so bereaved,

I did my very best! Am I left for dead?

It's tempting to bow my head and accept defeat,

In a war when my everything wasn't enough,

But in a time when faith and action meet,

It's in great battle that true heroes spill blood.

It's easy to feel like I've been abandoned,

When I don't hear Your voice in my ear,

Nonetheless I now I was commanded,

To march forth and fight, despite the fear.

I've been knocked down, too many times to count,

Now the blood is staining my battered hands,

Desperate and weak, I search for that precious font,

That will cleanse my wounds, and null the enemy's plans.

I will never concede to the deceiver's ill words,

He'd have to kill me before I'd ever shame Your name,

I might be limping and struggling to hold my sword,

But I won't let it go, no devil in hell can ever kill my flame.

Through brokenness, victory,

Despite defeat, redeeming grace,

By His power, I've been set free,

My God, I want to see Your face!

Please, reach down and rescue me,

Come and save me from my own mind,

Transform me to who you want me to be,

My will and heart with Yours, I want aligned.