Pronouns, Pronounced

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A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about some complexity I was encountering with a character’s pronouns in my latest short story. The character is a cloud elemental, neither male nor female nor even necessarily appearing human. The standard he/she pronouns didn’t seem to fit.

Several of you kindly answered my plea for advice, so here’s what I decided. It’s an experiment for me to write a character like this, so I looked into alternative pronouns. There are more than you think! Em/er, ze/zer, te/ter, xe/xer… But ae/aer, also written fae/faer, seemed appropriate for a magical being.

Plus, aer would be pronounced just like “air” and how could I resist such a pun? So I’m hoping in the near future to be telling you about Vayle and aer adventures when the antholoy I’m writing it for is published.

By the way, the anthology is “Midnight Menagerie,” with stories set in circuses and carnivals. Submissions open on January 1, 2024. Here are the guidelines if you’re interested.

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my blog, Wyrmflight, or follow me on Bluesky.

The Tale of the Drakanox

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…It’s up for pre-orders on Books2Read as of now, and will shortly be up on Amazon as well.

A person stands before a glowing magic doorway in a dark fantasy jungle.

Books2Read has the epub and pdf formats. Sales are available from a number of major e-booksellers, including Apple, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and Kobo. Follow the link to see if your favorite e-bookseller is linked to them. Amazon will of course have the Kindle and paperback formats. Watch this space for updated purchase links.

The Tale of the Drakanox

It was just an old story. There couldn’t really be a lost civilization based on trust and equality. Not when the Wizard-King Dar-Gothull rules Skaythe through cruelty and terror. 

But when Ar-Thea told the story of the Shining Ones to her six magelings, the legend took root in their hearts. For years, they traveled the land as Minstrels. Through stories and song, they offered light and hope in dark times. Now their secrets have been laid bare. The Minstrels flee as the regime gathers its forces to crush them. 

Yet there is hope. Deep in the cursed Hornwood, there is an incredible power that only the Minstrels can use. It is guarded by a terrible beast — the Drakanox! The Minstrels must call on every ally and avoid every enemy if they hope to recover what has long been lost.

Intrigued? Good! Pre-Order it from Amazon or Books2Read!

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my blog, Wyrmflight, or follow me on Bluesky.

Bad Moon Rising

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Today’s the day! I have an interview up on Teri Polen’s blog for her Bad Moon Rising book event. This time I’m featuring Prisoners of the Wailing Tower, the fifth Minstrels of Skaythe novella. It’s a direct predecessor to the one I’m the midst of setting up to self-publish, The Tale of the Drakanox. I hope you’ll take a look!

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my blog, Wyrmflight, or follow me on Bluesky.

Pronoun Problems

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The latest story has been slow to get started. The main character is an air elemental who appears in the form of a cloud. A sorcerer who runs a circus has it displayed in a glass globe in their sideshow. Since the character is trapped there, everything else in the story has to happen in the sideshow, where Vayle can witness it. That might be one thing that was holding me back. I think I have that part solved.

However, the smaller, detailed problem is the elemental’s pronouns. Vayle is neither male nor female. In fact, it doesn’t have to look human at all. What is the pronoun for such a person? “It/its” sounds more like an object than a thinking being. “They/them” would be the standard usage, but it could get confusing. When interacting with a bunch of carnies, will “they” (the carnies) let “them” (Vayle) out of the globe?

With either choice, sentences get complicated. Using Vayle’s name in every mention would also be repetitive. This gives me a lot of awkward paragraphs to try and finagle. Maybe I’ll research some of the neopronouns that have been suggested around the Internet. They just can’t sound too contemporary for my fantasy story.

Sure, it’s a challenge I gave myself when I decided to write about a non-gendered being. I’m interested in your thoughts, though. What pronouns would you use for a character like Vayle?

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my blog, Wyrmflight, or follow me on Bluesky.

The Glory of Fall

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It’s been a lovely October so far. The days are getting shorter, and the leaves are falling, but the afternoons are staying warm. Yesterday we went to Greenbluff, a nearby farming area, to pick up pumpkins. We met one of our kids and had a nice time.

Hard as it is to put my garden away for the year, I need to get working on that. Otherwise I’ll be doing it in the cold!

In writing news, I’ve been gathering the contracts from all the authors who are part of the Wee Folk and Wise reissue. I can’t begin the new edits for that until contracts are returned. The proofing is all in on The Tale of the Drakanox, and I’m eager to start the publication process for it. E-book first, then the paperback. And I’m poking at a new short story, tentatively called “Crystal Prison.”

I hope everyone is having a lovely fall, too.

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my blog, Wyrmflight, or follow me on Bluesky.

Woman at Work, October 2023

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What’s Happening? My energy has felt quite scattered lately. I have two important projects going on simultaneously, and it’s been way too long since I created any new words. Guess I need to take care of these more quickly so I can do that.

What I’m Working On. Edits are coming back from the proofreader on The Tale of the Drakanox. I’ve been working through those. Soon I can begin setting up for publication next month. Bansai!

What’s Next? Two anthologies are in the offing. First, I have to go over the publisher’s proof on The Dragon’s Hoard. Next, I’ll put on my editor hat to finalize the stories and sequence on Wee Folk and Wise. Both anthologies were published by Sky Warrior Books, and are now being re-issued by Wolfsinger.

Where I’ll be. Some events are coming up in October and November. First will be a “book list” on Book Shepherd. They asked about the three books I loved most in 2023, so I wrote that up for them. I also have my favorite blog visit, Bad Moon Rising, on Teri Polen’s blog. I’ll put up links when those go live. Later on, in November, is Fall Folk Festival, where I’ll read from my folk-inspired short fiction.

Fun and Games. Currently I’m playing Diablo IV. There are five possible character classes, and I like to try them all, even if the story is the same. The game writing continues to impress me. I really should blog about that.

Happy fall! Not everyone enjoys the colder, shorter days, but for me there are good things in every season. I hope you can find something nice around you.

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my blog, Wyrmflight, or follow me on Bluesky.

Developments

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A few things have been developing in the past weeks. One is that my publisher, Wolfsinger, has opted to re-issue an anthology I did back in 2016 called Wee Folk and Wise. I’ve been connecting with the authors and asking if they want to be part of a new edition. Most of them said yes. A lot of this week has been devoted to new contracts and such. Wee Folk won’t be back until at least 2025, but it’s something to eventually look forward to.

For a more imminent publication, proofing notes are coming in on The Tale of the Drakanox. Now that Wee Folk is a bit settled, I’ll be working through those in preparation for release this November.

Also in November, I’ll once again be part of Fall Folk Festival. I have my performance time, and I’ll share that closer to the date.

Lots of things going on for me. I hope you’re all thriving in what you do.

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my blog, Wyrmflight, or follow me on Bluesky.

Next Project

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It’s been a couple of weeks since I finished my last story, the still-untitled YA novelette. I’m getting that restless feeling. I should be working on something new. There are a couple of options before me.

One is to begin writing a sequel to The Grimhold Wolf, my gothic werewolf novel. I wrote it in 2013-14 and it was published in 2017 by Sky Warrior Books. I intended all along to write a sequel to Grimhold, but the publisher basically stopped communicating with me. Then other projects took priority. Now there’s going to be a re-issue with Wolfsinger in 2024.

Since about 2018, there was a shift in my authorial philosophy. (See my blog, last week.) I’ve been hesitating because Grimhold is much more violent that I currently like to present. However, as part of the preparations for the re-issue, I’ve re-read Grimhold and there are still lots of possibilities. I’ve begun lining out who the POV characters should be and how their goals conflict. After all, I’m a creative person. Surely I can be true to the first book while shaping it for my current direction.

My other option is a new character who’s been intriguing me. Cloud’s power is potentially very interesting. I would write her story for an anthology that opens early in 2024, which gives me plenty of time. Or, perhaps not. I’ll have to pause along the way for other publishing stuff like The Tale of the Drakanox. So it might be better to work on Cloud’s story before getting into the longer process of a novel.

It’s a good position to be in, honestly. Two strong projects and time to decide.

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my blog, Wyrmflight, or follow me on Bluesky.

Author’s Purpose

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A few years back, I recognized a dissonance between my writing and our society. During the day, I’m a school support worker. I spend a lot of time telling kids to solve their problems with words, and encouraging them to seek peaceful alternatives. But in my writing? Everyone solved their problems with violence.

Violence is a real problem in our society, and that gets reflected in the stories we tell. Very seldom in stories is diplomacy or nonviolence presented as a realistic solution to conflict. It’s all shooting and chasing and punching and explosions.

This is all very exciting, I realize. Yet, to me, the violence in storytelling contributes to violence in the real world. Most of the time, talking solutions are not presented at all. Or if talking is mentioned, it is as an obstacle to characters who want to “take action.” If readers/viewers never see peaceful resolution as a credible approach in stories, they will never imagine it in their own lives.

Realizing this, I made it a challenge to myself. Since about 2018, my stories have included nonviolence as a key component. That’s why in my Minstrels of Skaythe series the title characters will only defend but not attack. It’s why they try to persuade their opponents to change. I don’t shy away from the difficulty of their task. Being peaceful while everyone else is shooting magic bolts and waving swords — it’s pretty scary!

Still, this is the contribution I hope to make. Even as a very obscure author, but I hope to be part of the conversation. I’m trying to show that stories can be exciting and emotionally powerful, while showing a different way.

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my blog, Wyrmflight, or follow me on Bluesky.

Woman at Work, September 2023

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What’s Happening? I’m back to work as a Resource paraeducator in my local schools. It was a bit frustrating as my laptop was locked in a desk and I missed some of the orientation webinars. Not my fault, but I’m still a bit stressed out.

What I’m Working On. Just before school started, I finished the second draft of a novelette. 14,200 words, a good length. There’s more yet to be done, including if I want to reshape it for a younger audience. In addition, I’m just coming off a hot streak on my blog, Wyrmflight, about “essential reading lists” and how they (purposely?) try to keep science fiction and fantasy stuck in the 1960s.

What’s Next? This weekend, September 9th, is MosCon Revival. I’m really looking forward to a one-day SF convention. After that, I’ll be trying to decide what my next project should be. The Grimhold Wolf might need a sequel, so I can read through it to see what ideas spark. On the other hand, Lucy D. Ford hasn’t published anything in quite a while. I might try to think up something for that pen name.

Fun and Games. To celebrate finishing The Tale of the Drakanox’s final draft, I got Diablo IV. Although the basic experience is familiar (everything attacks you, so you just rush around slaying things and grabbing treasure) they pushed the narrative in a way that really worked for me. Possibly I’ll even blog about it in the near future.

Happy Labor Day, if you’re in the US!

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my blog, Wyrmflight, or follow me on Bluesky.