A to Z: E for Every?

The A to Z Challenge is underway this year, thanks to the awesome hosts and minions. Special thanks to Arlee Bird for starting this amazing blogging challenge!!! For more information about this challenge, go to the website!

Primary theme: World of Aramatir (Setting for The Champion Trilogy) Glossary
Secondary Theme: World-Building Questions and Thoughts

E

Edgar – an eagle owl in the care of Taylor, Perren’s nephew

Elar – the first Champion of Septily

Evalyn – wife of Captain Gursney, under a curse from the Dark Sisterhood

 

World Building Thought and Question: Should every character have a name, even the birds in the care of minor characters?

 

I'm not sure that they should, but yet I have to keep track of the minor characters and their charges somehow, so I stick them in the glossary. Edgar gets a mention in one chapter. He may or may not show up in book 3. If he does, it will be another minor mention. And yet, I don't want to forget his name. What if I need to remember it? So, there it is.

Even the birds have names . . . which might make be a bit of an over-world-builder.

A to Z: D

The A to Z Challenge is underway this year, thanks to the awesome hosts and minions. Special thanks to Arlee Bird for starting this amazing blogging challenge!!! For more information about this challenge, go to the website!

Primary theme: World of Aramatir (Setting for The Champion Trilogy) Glossary
Secondary Theme: World-Building Questions and Thoughts

D

Dale - a manservant of Lord Hylos, a Rrysorrian

Dantor (Dan Torren) – Master Swordsman and Sword-Teacher to Clara, Salene, Prince William, and many others.

Dark Sisterhood – a league of sorceresses who gain power from blood and pain magic

Deredi – Lady of Rrysorria

Destiny Island – small continent/large island in the Western Sea

Diane – Lady Dowager, former Queen of Rrysorria, gave up her throne for her son, King Stephen

Drinaii – the mercenary group aligned with the Dark Sisterhood

 

World Building Question for the Day: How do you deal with difficult character or place names? How do you decide to keep them "as they are" or change them to make them easier?

In the first novel, Champion in the Darkness, I faced three character name challenges: Dantor, Drinaii, and Kalidess (formerly known as Sirqayya). I kept two and changed one because I had several readers tell me that they strongly disliked (hated) Kalidess's original name. Dantor's name is one that I struggled with but decided to keep. Drinaii just sounded right to me from the first moment I wrote it, but I know that many readers struggle with how to pronounce it. The first "I" is a short vowel sound like in "it" and the second vowel combination I originally pronounced 'I' as in "kite" but after several conversations with teen readers, I realized that it could be and most likely should be pronounced like the last part of "Hawai'i."

 

A to Z Challenge: World of Aramatir: C

The A to Z Challenge is underway this year, thanks to the awesome hosts and minions. Special thanks to Arlee Bird for starting this amazing blogging challenge!!! For more information about this challenge, go to the website!

Primary theme: World of Aramatir (Setting for The Champion Trilogy) Glossary
Secondary Theme: World-Building Questions and Thoughts

C

Canyonlands – a vast canyon region of Aerland.

Carpthia – the fallen lands to the east of the Icewynne Mountains

Cenness – a member of the Dark Sisterhood Coven and caretaker of the crowmen

Chester – a Sword Guard at Skycliff Castle

Chloe – member of the Dark Sisterhood, refused to change her name, failed to take Rrysorria

Clara Severn – the new Champion of Septily and Aramatir

Corlan snail – a type of snail native to the Far Isles

Corby – a raven in the care of Perren’s nephew Quim in the Royal Mews of Rrysorria

Cork (aka Ruby) – a Blacksmith’s apprentice in Rrysorria

Corry – a hawk in the care of Perren Hawksmith of Rrysorria

Crall – An older member of the Sword Council

Cullen – the third Wylandrian Prince, brother to Liam

World Building Question of the Day: How much space do you give your main character in a character glossary?

I have a full profile for Clara, but I didn't think it fit in the glossary, plus I was afraid of "spoilers" with her character development, so I left it pretty bare bones.

A to Z Challenge: World of Aramatir - B, and a mini IWSG

The A to Z Challenge is underway this year, thanks to the awesome hosts and minions. Special thanks to Arlee Bird for starting this amazing blogging challenge!!! For more information about this challenge, go to the website!

Primary theme: World of Aramatir (Setting for The Champion Trilogy) Glossary
Secondary Theme: World-Building Questions and Thoughts

B

Balent – a friendly baker

Bella – A Sword Guard on the Sword Council

Beni – Shepherd apprentice to Shepherd Bujeni, Rrysorrian

Bitter and Blythe - two sparrow hawks in the royal mews of Rrysorria

Bly – Lord of Rrysorria

Burly – a Sword Guard from the Forrester province of Septily

Bujeni – Shepherd of Rrysorria, and ambassador

Bryan – Prince Marshal of Wylandrian, second prince of the "cursed" Wylandrian princes

Byar’s Lighthouse – a watch tower on the coast of Septily, run by the Watch Guard

 

 World Building Question for the day: Do you ever find yourself going wild with B-list character and place names?
By B-list, I mean the supporting cast who only have one or two lines of dialogue, or show up once or twice, and then that unexpected third time (when you search through the glossary frantically for their name).

And now for the mini-IWSG

 

I have plenty of insecurities about my writing, but today, I just want to encourage you to:

Build Dream Castles and then Build Foundations!

 

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." - Henry David Thoreau

A to Z: A

The A to Z Challenge is underway this year, thanks to the awesome hosts and minions. Special thanks to Arlee Bird for starting this amazing blogging challenge!!! For more information about this challenge, go to the website!

Primary Theme: World of Aramatir (Setting of The Champion Trilogy) Glossary
Secondary Theme: World-Building (look for a question or thought at the end of each post)

A

Aerland – a country that stretches from the Western Ocean to the Icewynne Mountains, and includes the vast Canyonlands, bordered on the south by Middle-Sea, and on the North by the Vyshine River.

Aerland Games  - Contests in flight, combat, and mental abilities.

Adrian Treyson -the second Prince of Aerland, Wing-Partner to Kryssander. He has a prophecy to fulfill to protect the Champion, no matter the outcome.

Aggie/Agatha the Gray – a griffin on the Ruling Seat of Aerland.

Alexandros – King of Septily, father of Prince William.

Aramatir - the "known" world that encompasses Septily, Aerland, Rrysorria, Wylandria, Mochant, The Isle of Destiny, the Far Isles, the Southlands, the Icewynne Mountains, the Wild Lands which were formerly Carpthia, the Bitter Sea, the Western Sea, and the Mid-Sea. *(There are a few undiscovered continents, but those won't come up in The Champion Trilogy)

World-Building Question: When you build a world, does it start with a fully formed idea, or does it build from point A (start of story), and then just continue to expand from there?