Tag: discipline

The Lands of Anglia

Through the snow covered trees and far up the rocky mountain side, a society of men and women live in seclusion. They are considered thieves and barbarians, as they are among the only remaining creatures that still warship the animals they hunt and feed upon. Their homes are made of stone and ice, to shield them from the harsh climate however their weapons are made of wintersteel, a metal so cold that it regains its chill even after smelting. The barbarians are considered one of the first people in the land of Anglia and have lived in the mountains for centuries. They dare not stray from their gods of the hunt, strength, fertility and justice and nor do they stray from their star forge, where the suns rays radiate down through a large transparent rock wall to melt even the strongest and coldest of ores.

Meanwhile in the south, the lush green pastures and rolling hills are dotted with small inns and farms, leading to a great kingdom where heroes are born and legends are truth. The tall walled city of Ritharlia stands tall over the beautiful emerald forest surrounding it, its gorgeous white walls almost glowing in the sunlight. The city’s nightstone tiled roofs give the city a rich yet ominous feeling, as the dark blue color almost absorbs the light during the day. Some even say within the city’s walls it is darker than outside of them. The people inside the city range from the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich. As Ritharlia stands in the middle of the contintent, it has become a trade hub for people from the port city further south or the people who dare come down from the northlands.

FInally the port city of Makta, is considered the gem of Anglia. Those from around the world know and have heard of Makta’s crystal clear waters and ports with fish so plentiful you can scoop them up with a rope and bucket. Considered to be the newest of the three major civilizations in Anglia, Makta was founded as a branch out to the nearby continent of Loras. When trade between the two continents exploded, Makta grew from the ship building dock it had began as into a larger area of commerce. Some even say the merchants who watch over the port wield more power and wealth than the high lord of Ritharlia.

Hidden away deep in the expansive forest surrounding Ritharlia lies the royal ancient forest. The forest is known to the barbarians as Sojourn. This is the place they believe the gods had come to stay before the white walls of the kingdom rose from the trees. It was once rumored a weapon of immense power was left in the hands of mortals and that the lineage of the Ritharlia has been defending it for centuries. That weapon was left behind in case the balance between the light and the darkness ever shifted unevenly. Only one with a true heart and neutral mind could wield the blade.

Tales of a once great city beneath the sea have been told for as long as the northlands have had pictures to convey stories. However, the mystery surrounding this city which had never been seen again is often regarded as tales or legend. The tales speak of the link between the elements and their respective ancient temples, and how the Altar of Agua is directly linked to those folk of the sea. However the ancient lores spoke of these temples and altars, yet despite the many adventures to find them, none have ever been found.

A final lore revolves around the Triad. Also known as the harmony, the Triad consists of three beings of immense spiritual power in: Discipline, Wisdom, Courage. There are many relics surrounding this relationship, however when the world is in complete and utter jeopardy, will the three align and beat back the evils to restore balance. No matter who, or what they may be.

*Three Short Introductions coming soon*

The Craft: Writing Is Hard

So you’ll notice that my blog updates sporadically, which is a good thing and a bad thing. Bad thing because there is zero consistency, but a good thing because this means I am mostly focusing on my writing outside the world of blogs. That being said, today I have decided not necessarily to come here and vent, but to try and reach out to some other struggling writers to see if we’re having the same issues. I haven’t found my own personal Writer’s Circle yet, but I hope to. For now, you readers out there are my only hope!

As you can see by the title, I find writing hard. I’m sure lots of you have already judged me accordingly to say: “Well if you find it hard now, get out while you’re still sane.” Let me clarify. I never have the traditional writer’s block. My muse is plentiful and knows no bounds. However, my muse tends to work overtime and I end up with a universe of ideas and no idea on how to organize them. I have written stories from simply thinking while doing dishes. My latest idea has already spanned thousands of words, and spawned more than five other ideas itself. But what the hell? How can I just buckle down and focus on one idea? People say just do it. Maybe I’m greedy, but I will liken my situation to… hmm… oh! An episode of How I Met Your Mother.

For this I will go back to Season Five, Episode Fifteen entitled “Rabbit or Duck”. You see in this episode Barney holds up his phone number on national television and his phone turns into a magical phone. It never stops ringing, and there is always a hot chick on the other end. The only downside is there is always a hotter chick out there. He never manages to actually get any, because the phone keeps giving him a hotter chick. Because of this, the entire episode he fails to actually capitalize on the magical phone because he cannot focus on one girl long enough.

So, I will in turn liken my muse to the magical phone. My muse keeps cranking the ideas out, but as I fight to get them all down on paper, napkins, emails, text boxes, hands, or whatever else I can write on; I find myself unable to capitalize on any one idea. I know exactly how Barney felt in that episode because I am afraid to not focus on the next idea. I keep thinking, but what if this next idea is my Harry Potter? What if my next idea after that is my Lord of the Rings? What if my idea after that is my Game of Thrones?! What if the idea after that beats all of them!?! *Insert mental breakdown here*

But seriously, I am unsure if I lack the discipline to advance past a few chapters now, or lack the planning ability. I mean I’ve heard many authors say they worked on their worlds for years before working on the story itself. The more I read about the world of a Game of Thrones the more I realize that he doesn’t write so much about characters as he does about the world itself. Hell, there is a cook book based off Game of Thrones!

People say just writing is the start, but seriously I never stop. Sure I may passover a day or so here and there for things like household duties or extra work, but I am always thinking about writing. I’m always getting inspired by a new event, a new song, a new experience or even meeting a new person. I really feel like all the “how to plan your novel” and “how to write your novel” articles out there focus on the mechanics of the writing, but none have focused on the discipline of writing. I can make a million folders, and fill them with notes, scans, text documents and crazy planning. But it feels as though the moment I’ve fully prepared a story, I’ve got a new idea to plan.

I guess what I am looking for is some crazy method to “monk-ing” it up writing style. I do not want to move to a cabin in the woods to write, but even if I did, it wouldn’t help me focus on one story idea. In fact, it would probably inspire many more ideas. How does one focus on one simple idea? Should I simply convert any new ideas into the current world I am working on? How does one “shelf” an idea without planning more into it? These are the questions I pose to the universe… now the question is, will any respond to the call?!