Shawndirea (The Chronicles of Aetheaon: Book One) has been spotlighted on The Portalist. I love how the perspective is given from her point of view.
“What if you were trapped in another realm?” is the title. Intriguing?
Often, we writers are asked, “Where do you get your ideas?”
I must confess that an answer to that question doesn’t come right away. Each story blossoms from something different. Sometimes, it is a picture, or a question that has lingered in my mind for quite some time. But, for Shawndirea, it was something far different.
In 2010 I had finished Devils Den, which is also set in the Realms of Aetheaon. Some of the major characters in the Underworld deserved more attention and needed their stories told, particularly Shawndirea and Justin’s uncle Ben (Roble). I thought I would sit down and write a novella as a background story, but instead, these characters took the reins and set off at a blistering speed. I followed and took notes, a lot of notes, and when the journey ended, I was revising a 148,000 epic fantasy novel.
Why and how did this explode to such a massive volume?
A lot of these characters were from a novel I had written when I was eleven years old. I set that aside for many years, at least the premise, but the characters stuck in my mind. In 1994, I began a revival of the story and the characters were stronger, clearer, but the story itself had not yet evolved enough to stand on its own. So, I set that aside. In late 2013, I began writing the novella, and these wonderful characters that had matured in my mind showed me where to go. The opened doors to cities, other characters, strange tales, and adventures I had not pictured beforehand.
You see, I don’t write fiction from an outline. Like Ray Bradbury suggested, “Follow the characters.” I do, and I did. The results were an epic novel, and then another followed, “Lady Squire: Dawn’s Ascension.” I am currently working on the third novel, “The Elves of Woodnog.” But with the Realms of Aetheaon, the possibilities are endless. The volumes of books that can emerge … Who knows?
So, if you want an adventure into realms far different than our own, and if you like surprises, ‘Shawndirea’ might be the journey your mind would like to take. I was surprised where the characters took me, and like many readers, I am curious as to what will take place in the next volume. I have questions I need answered. I have the maps with little clues. But there is room for more to travel to Aetheaon. That is, unless you fear the dragons and other mysterious creatures.
