Rowan Leif Byrne — Writing Talk

My blog is for discussions about writing and my novel, Fallwind. For my website and Fallwind chapters: https://rowanbyrneauthor.wordpress.com. Writing snippets at Twiter: https://twitter.com/RowanLeifByrne. Worldbuilding and lore on Deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/rowan-leif-byrne

[rowanbyrnewritingtalk]

My social media

My website, where I post chapters of my novel, Fallwind: https://rowanbyrneauthor.wordpress.com/

My Twitter, for snippets about Fallwind, writing, and xenofiction: https://twitter.com/RowanLeifByrne

My DeviantArt, for worldbuilding entries regarding the fantasy world in which Fallwind is set: https://www.deviantart.com/rowan-leif-byrne

[tigerpetalpress]

Dragons in Fiction

Dragons and dragon-like beings permeate history and culture across the world. From the typical European interpretation to their Asian cousins, to Africa and Central America and the Middle East. They differ vastly from one another and go by different names, but they are all, inherently, mythological and majestic creatures. [A handy chart highlighting some of the common interpretations and their…

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[rowanbyrnewritingtalk]

See this post by tigerpetalpress for an overview on dragons in fiction and for opinions that are worth reading.

[ccabwrites]

"Storm Weaver"

The dragon lifted its head to the overcast sky, breathing deep of the strong eastward winds that twist and sculpt the low-hanging clouds above. It lets out a deep-chested rumble of pleasure at the thick scent of rain in the air, shaking out its mane impatiently when the breeze is laced with the sharp scent of lightning. The distant rolls of thunder setting the dragon flexing its claws impatiently.

The wait was always the worst part.

She- for the dragon was a she- had long since been practicing her abilities; honing the rare skill to twist the storms to her design by the movements of her long, lithe body. But it also meant waiting for the tumultuous clouds to enter her domain in the wide mountain valley, lest she anger the Forest Dragon to her west.  And she wasn’t looking to anger him again so soon after their last tussle. Absently she licks at a scar on her left shoulder, easily remembering the sharp sting of his claws rending her flesh with ease.

But that didn’t matter right now. Right now, she locked her eyes once more on the darker clouds quickly approaching her valley. A thrill of excitement sets the young dragon almost trembling- especially when the dark clouds start to hang closer to the ground, the wind starting to shape them into a large circle. The air was charged with electricity now, the sky above destabilizing with the power of the ingredients the storm so eagerly devoured.

It always makes production so much easier when the storm already has the power to touch the ground. Her careful, deliberate nudges are always just enough to link the earth and sky. And bridging the gap between them with nothing but wind and water always brought her such a sense of power and superiority- even if it often left her with a sense of remorse for any innocent lives her storm would claim.

But the Elders had demanded she teach the kingdom enveloping the valley a lesson- and who was she to defy them? The only rule they gave her was not to harm the forest territory. She huffed impatiently, knowing there was maybe a mile left before the rotation entered her valley- but as the winds intensified, she began to worry the storm would strike the forest anyway. And to her great dismay, the funnel began to form just inside the eastern edge of the trees.

It only took a second or two for her to make the decision. She’d let the Forest Dragon and all the Elders punish her- and she’d take it all willingly for going into the forest territory.

But she couldn’t let the storm strike the forest. She couldn’t allow the trees and the animals to suffer. Not when they were not slated for a storm of this magnitude.

She was off the cliff and snaking through the air before the next lightning flash, cutting through the rotation before the thunder rolled and disrupting the winds. Her body coiled and twisted like a snake just behind the rotation, her chest swelling with a deep inhale before she loosed a new surge of wind onto the storm base with a mighty exhale.

The storm lunged forward, racing towards the valley with the ferocity of a hungry mountain cat chasing it’s first meal in days- and the dragoness was just behind it. With a twist and a flick, she knocked the hail that had begun falling back up into the clouds above. With another deep inhale the dragoness pushes the storm faster and further, moving the danger past the forest so the precious life rain could fall on it instead of the destructive forces of her storms.

She could feel the winds bucking against her, straining to let loose on the ground below- and it pained to her bend the will of nature to her own. But she had a job to do, and the sky could not touch the forest- it had to touch the valley and everything beyond. She cut through the circulation once more, disrupting the funnel again as a pain filled her at the anguish of the sky trying so hard to birth the bond between sky and earth.

She could hear the angered roar of the Forest Dragon behind her, but she paid him no mind. Another breath, another flick and the storm would be beyond his territory. Trouble would be waiting for her once the storm was done- but she didn’t care.

The roars came closer just as she loosed the final breath, shoving the storm just beyond the forest.

Then, and only then, did the dragoness begin to circle the storm, pouring her magic into the wind and breathing strength into the clouds above. With whispered apologies to the storm around her she began to aid the funnel in it’s formation while the winds sighed in relief at the release of the pain and power boiling within the skies.

And then the winds began to scream- an ear-rending shrieking as the funnel quickly crashed to the ground. She followed it, keeping the winds strong while the ice rained from the sky and the funnel ripped and shredded across the ground. Careful nudges directed the sky-bond towards the parasitic kingdom, thunder roaring while the winds screamed in rage and pain.

When the funnel finally touched the outermost ring of the kingdom the dragoness let it loose, allowing it to devour the sickness of the valley with all the fury of the winds and all the rage of herself.

And that’s when the Forest Dragon slammed her to the ground. Teeth gnashing and deep growls mere inches from her face, the Dragoness allowed him to pin her limp body down. Almost as soon as he had pinned her, the Dragon releases her, confusion marring his graceful green and brown face.

“Where is your spark, Storm Weaver?”

“I’ll not attack someone I had no intention of harming in the first place,” she mutters, slowly rising with eyes cast on the sky-bond before her.

“Then why did you break the Elder’s rule? You know not to enter my lands!”

“I also know no sky-bond shall rend your forest for any reason- nor will I allow the ice fall to harm your creatures.”

Silence reigns between them for a moment, and they both watch the funnel continue tearing through the kingdom- now closing in on the gaudy, foolish castle at the heart. She can feel the Forest Dragon cast his gaze upon her once more, though she doesn’t take her eyes off the sky-bond.

“You risked harm to yourself to protect my lands?”

“Indeed.”

Another long silence.

“Then I suppose I owe you a gift in return.”

“You owe me naught, Voxir.”

“You went against one rule to uphold another, Torvir. The least I can do is stand beside you when the Elders question our interaction today.”

“I will not stop you, and I thank you for your generosity.”

Voxir the Forest Dragon scoffs at her words, starting to meander back towards his domain. Behind him his words trail back on the winds to Torvir.

“For someone so young, you speak as though you’re older than me. Keep your spark, Storm Weaver- do not let the old generation take your differences away from you.”

Torvir doesn’t respond, instead continuing to watch the sky-bond as it finally moves out of the kingdom and makes it way to the plains beyond her home.

But she does smile, if only to herself.

[rowanbyrnewritingtalk]

To whoever is reading, if you enjoy my works, I suggest reading this post, by ccashleywrites, as it has a dragon point of view and protagonist and enjoyable prose.

[rowanbyrnewritingtalk]

Archaic conjugation:

'You say to yourself that you're done, yet you aren't' becomes 'Thou sayest to thyself that thou'rt done, yet thou art not.'

It worketh [works] all day.

The 'eth' form is not used for plural subjects, so 'they go to the shop' doesn't change. Subjunctive sentences often don't change as well, unless you go back to the English of Geoffrey Chaucer, such as that of the Canterbury Tales.

However, be is sometimes used for plural subjects: 'Be the warriors ready for battle?' Be can also be used instead of if in subjunctive clauses, as in the following, where it acts like 'if': ‘Be this that which the so-called “Starred” bid to further spin some tale, be that they speak through me, then may the wind dry this mouth to a withered, deadened, hollowed shell.’

The last example is from the first chapter of my novel, Fallwind, which can be found here: https://rowanbyrneauthor.wordpress.com/2023/09/18/chapter-1-farm-raised/

[rowanbyrnewritingtalk]

How to Write A Pretentious Character

Below is an excerpt from chapter one of Fallwind:

‘What an irritating muffle from that helmet. Did you read neither the request in full nor the supplementary missive? You should flee for such sheer ineptitude. At once. Anon. Immediately. No? Hmph, very well; the reward is a substantial monetary compensation plus to which has been annexed a bonus gratuity in the form of a tablet in recognition of the haste of the service rendered. Whether it be an honorarium to your person is entirely impertinent. Accept it gratefully and be avaunted instanter; we, the honest people of the land of Vont tre Mon Dantali Orosa, do not tolerate your species here, dragon.’

The character above is disdainful. They use uncommon words that they believe the listener will not understand, and they insult the listener for being a dragon.

The chapter can be found at my website: https://rowanbyrneauthor.wordpress.com/2023/09/18/chapter-1-farm-raised/

[rowanbyrnewritingtalk]

Long and Short Sentences for Impact

Preceding a short sentence with a long sentence can make the short sentence punchier.

'She crushed a rune in her right fore as she dove, and the slew shot with her melted to naught ere light aft light poked into being to link to one another.

'And eye became oped maw thrust fro dust.'

Note the sudden change in sentence length. With added context, such as a previously set expectation, this further conveys the surprise of the narrative point of view, which in this case is the character who crushed the rune.

[rowanbyrnewritingtalk]

Fallwind Chapters

Chapters of Fallwind can be found on my website.

Chapter 1 — Farm Raised: https://rowanbyrneauthor.wordpress.com/2023/09/18/chapter-1-farm-raised/

Chapter 2 — Red Stalwrought: https://rowanbyrneauthor.wordpress.com/2023/09/18/chapter-2-red-stalwrought/

Chapter 3 — Sinned: https://rowanbyrneauthor.wordpress.com/2023/09/18/chapter-3-sinned/

[rowanbyrnewritingtalk]

Drake Genders

I am writing drakes as a species of dragon. Male drakes are called draks; females drakes, drais. Drak will be understood; however, of what I am unsure is whether drai will be easily understood, as drai lacks the letter 'k'.

To anyone reading:

Would drai be understood if enough context is written around it?

Is drai difficult to remember?

Would you happen to have any alternatives, suggestions, or ideas?

Thank you for reading my post.

[rowanbyrnewritingtalk]

Wyrms of Fallwind Discussion

In the novel I am writing, Fallwind, dragons are called wyrms and use speak with language that we would consider archaic.

Questions:

Could this impede understanding too much?

Should I write dialogue in the story to explain that dragons call themselves wyrms?