From My Fantasy Writing Desk
I’ve enjoyed a week off from writing. I’m waiting for editorial comments to come back to me. Meanwhile, my brain is decompressing from the intense weeks of writing the last section of this manuscript. I actually enjoy the editing phase, so I’ll be happy to gear up when I get edits back. But it is great to have some non-writing days!
I finally had time to answer three sets of interview questions that had been sitting on my desk. Among the questions, “Are you a gardener or architect?” I’m a hybrid of the two, with a heavy reliance on detailed planning. So, I’m more architect than otherwise as a writer. However, this morning I was a real gardener, the plants, weeds and dirt sort. I worked on my daughter’s yard, which was all kinds of satisfying.
Podcast Review
Here’s a podcast review of Priestess of Ishana by Calvin Park’s “Under a Pile of Books”. I am very happy that Calvin enjoyed Priestess and gave kudos to my historical world-building. He has a background in the ancient Near East, so it means a lot that he “got” what I was doing and enjoyed it. He notes with approval the way I have combined stakes on a personal character level with high stakes on the international empire level. Click here to listen to the podcast, episode 76, Calvin Park, Under a Pile of Books.
Archaeology I Enjoyed
Hieroglyphs for Beginners
Write like an Egyptian?
Egyptian hieroglyphs for youth (and young at heart). Here’s an online workshop from the experts at OI. I shared an adult lecture last week. This one is hands on fun. Click here to watch the OI hieroglyph youth and family workshop on Utube.
The “Emperor” of Stones
An Old Norse runestone, the “emperor of stones” has a new interpretation. The proposed view of this memorial set up by a father for his dead son, Vamoth, ties it to “themes in Norse mythology and to a devastating sixth-century climate crisis.” “Based on a number of allusions strewn throughout the inscription, the researchers believe that Vamoth perished so he could join the army of the chief Norse god, Odin, in Ragnarok, the apocalyptic battle pitting the Viking gods against their enemies, the giants.” The complications in translation are legion. Nonetheless, I find this combination of linguistics and climactic events intriguing. LInguists have worked on decipherment of this runestone since the 19th century. As one archaeologist said, “I don’t think this was ever meant to be read by humans. It was only meant for the gods.” A father’s message to the gods that strives to give meaning to his private loss in a cosmic way. That kind of meaning transcends the ages. Click here for Archaeology Magazine “The Emperor of Stones”