I blogged at Delphi’s Daughters on Morgen le Fey.
Meet Morgen le Fey from my latest novel
Join hostess Jean Marie Ward for this March’s Woman Power collection of short readings from women writing across the realm of
speculative fiction. Listen here.
March is Women’s History Month, and this month’s talented women writers spotlight many aspects of Woman Power—and powerful women:
Charged with treason, Gail Z. Martin’s pregnant queen Kiera must wage a war of words to save herself, her friends, and her unborn child.
In Larissa N. Niec’s selection, the goddess Rhianna’s high priestess embarks on a dangerous spirit quest to seek help for her dying
land.
Theresa Crater introduces her heroine—and us—to the legendary Morgan le Fey in the land beneath the hallowed hill.
Then journey with Diane Whiteside to present-day Virginia, where a psychically gifted homicide detective learns just how powerful a woman working for the FBI can be.
Finally, soar into the future with Danielle Ackley-McPhail and a squadron of hell-raising women fighter pilots led by the infamous Scarlet Jay.Sit back. Enjoy. But don’t expect to relax—not around these women.
The Broad Pod is sponsored by Broad Universe, an international, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, honoring, and celebrating women writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Find out more about our organization, including new fiction released by women, more podcasts, and information about writing and publishing for women, at our website.
Please listen.
COSine first day
For the Theology Building panel, Carol Berg had some great questions for Sharon Shinn, Cynthia Felice and me. Carol said that religion or metaphysics became a way to deepen her characters and world. Sharon commented that in an early novel, she’d had no religion at all and it had been hard to come up with ways for her characters to swear. Cynthia agreed her focus is more on developing the character, and how that person relates to religion reveals much about them. Religion, metaphysics, magic are all sources of tension and conflict, the essence of storytelling.
The dangers? Offending people, of course, but none of us has ended up with a fatwa on our heads. No cult followings either, although Sharon Shinn admitted to trying one of the rituals she’d created just for fun. She did not have a great revelation or see God face to face—or didn’t admit to it, anyway.
I mentioned a concept that I’d heard about at Denvention 3—soft vs. hard fantasy. Similar to soft vs. hard science fiction. Soft being making up your own religion or magic, which is what many people do. Hard being using traditions that exist in the world. Which is the best? That’s like asking if it’s better to plot a book first or use the discovery method. It just depends on what works for you.
Hobbits and Rings and Elves
Happy Birthday to J.R.R. Tolkien! Without him, where would fantasy be? Of course, William Morris and Lord Dunsany came before him, and probably others I’m forgetting, but Tolkien is still the father of fantasy. I remember discovering Bilbo and then Frodo in the early 70’s when everyone was reading them. I even read Bored of the Rings, a fun satire. What a delight that Peter Jackson made his films. Again, he wasn’t the first, but his went global and created another Hobbit craze.
Now there’s a Tolkien Society and they’re planning a conference in 2012. He was a brilliant linguist as well. He didn’t fancy people speaking elvish, but then we don’t always get all our wishes granted.
My favorite Tolkien quote changes according to what’s going on in my own life. Today I’m favoring Aragorn’s speech at the Black Gate: “I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day.”
To those who still question the literary value of fantasy, I can only offer another quote from Tolkien: “Some who have read the book, or at any rate have reviewed it, have found it boring, absurd, or contemptible; and I have no cause to complain, since I have similar opinions of their works, or of the kinds of writing that they evidently prefer.”