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Hey, my name is Elizabeth and I’ve been writing for about 4 years. Not too long, actually, but in those 4 years I’ve learned quite a bit. I don’t really have a genre, but my biggest rule in writing is that it ascribes as close to the truth as possible. I also have a love of overarching themes and pulling the greatest idea out of the smallest scenarios, so I focus most heavily on my characters rather than my plot.
This makes me a very picky writer, but I enjoy it. π
Currently, I’m writing three books.
First is Logos, set in a representation of the Roman empire and the ancient world. The story question is: can an adolescent discover his end in life while he rushes back from schooling to inherit the position of emperor and fight for his country? Does finding and fulfilling this end take precedence over protecting his empire? That’s the story question from the nobleman’s perspective, but in actuality, his pride makes him too blind to seek truth and too sure of his position to allow the better-skilled general to take over the fighting. The theme of the book is humility, forgiveness, and trying again.
Another book I’ve been working on, or at least thinking about, isΒ SeptimiusΒ (working title). This would be a prequel to Logos, set 500 years prior to the founding of the city. In the first half, it will cover the life of Tullus, an eccentric who founds a city on lies. At his death, the main character will become his son Marius Septimus, who deals with the consequences of those lies. I’m still deciding on theme/story question, but the character of Tullus and Septimus interest me.
Lastly, I’ve recently been working on something called Senescense, which could either be stand-alone or a trilogy. Contrary to the other two, it’s sci-fi set in the near future (2200 or something like that), with the main factor being that we have discovered immortality (or at least a greatly lengthened life). Because of this, my story question will probably be something like: what is the result of having no end?
I also love to garden, draw, think, and learn more Latin.
Greeting and welcome to KP! I’m called Elishavet around here, and I write mostly medieval fantasy (no magic), with an emphasis on allegory.
I also wrote poetry, children’s Church material, and if I’m in the mood (okay, if I am assigned to) essays.
I have been writing for, *counts on fingers*, three years? I honestly don’t know. It definitely hasn’t been very long! XD
Sticking to the truth is indeed vital. As I said above, I have an emphasis on Allegory, and this stems from my intent that no matter if the world I write in is completely fictional, that the things in the story never “happened”, I want the tale to be true. I don’t want my scribblings to be useless or empty. There isn’t time for that.
(And I may have a weakness for symbolism, just maybe.)
And I love stories that are character driven! That’s the way my own are.
So, quick(?) summary of my two WIPs:
First is a complete allegory following four different types of testemonies, if I may. So this story follows a young man named Alwin, a serf, as he finds redemption in the King and a life of victory, another man named Sir William who in his journey to serve the King faces disinheritment and false doctrine, a young lady named Winifrith, the daughter of a knight. She will battle discouragement, loneliness, fear, and just general whispers of lies type attacks. Last is Aethelthryth, or Aethel, the daughter of two servants of the King. She struggles with lies, sacrifice, fear, and I’m still figuring her out since she’s in the last book of the series.
Then is a series set in another fictional world, following three siblings as they discover legacies, callings, and promises in the broken kingdom of Eirtan. This one will deal with bitterness, promises, faith, hope, and the passing of mantles.
Your books sound incredible! Those are wonderful themes, and your characters are fascinating. So, are they actually set in a Roman era world, or a modern era world that resembles the Roman?
I haven’t studied much into ancient Rome, since most of my interest in that time is either on the early church, or a little outpost called Britannia. π
I like gardening too, although unless the plant can somewhat survive on its own, like black berry brambles, or I have some help, they usually die.
I also love drawing. What do you draw most? I am currently drawing coloring sheets of Bible characters for our church’s children’s program, so I’m getting a lot of practice with drawing little boys in ancient garb! XD
While I am not learning Latin, I’d love to know it. As well as Old English, Russian, Greek, and Hebrew. I am learning the last, however, although it’s going slow.What do you like best about Latin? I love the Hebrew Aleph-bet, especially the letters Χ,Χ©, Χ, Χ, Χ , as well as the fact that it’s right to left.
So, this has been a rather long post, and it probably doesn’t introduce myself very well, but let’s finish with some wonderful AskTheNewbie random questions.
- Which would you rather: a pet horse, wolf, or rabbit?
- What is your favorite style(s) of music? Any that you can’t stand?
- Does pepperoncini belong on pizza? What about Pineapple?
- Lastly, who is your favorite character?
You have listened to fears, child. Come, let me breathe on you... Are you brave again? -Aslan
Hello, and welcome to the kingdom! I am Koshka, or at least that’s me around here. I have been writing (as in, writing not related to homeschool) for…I don’t know…five years?
Hmm, I definitely write in genre, fantasy and historical fiction to be exact. Characters are also my biggest focus, though plot is definitely important to me (I’ve spent the last three years plotting one series with little more than a chapter written). THEMES!! The reason I still write! I love weaving a truth into the darkest tapestries.
Ooo, those sound interesting. How exactly is your world Roman?
My current WIP is a fantasy trilogy which I’m still working on the titles for so, which set sounds best;
- 1)Heart of Gold, 2)Walls of Stone, 3)Seas of Storm.
- 1)Heart of Gold Heart of Stone, 2)Fox of Cyprus Fox of Pine, 3)Land of Shelter Land of Storm.
- 1)Land of Golden Flame, 2)Walls of heart and Stone, 3)Sea in Tempest Found
Anyway…do you like jellybeans?
First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)
Fork the GorkThanks for the welcome! @Elishavet, I also write fantasy (no magic)! The thing is, it’s set in a world modeled after Rome and the nations of that time period, so it’s not as easily understood. The three nations in the world are modeled after the kingdom, Republic, and Empire of Rome, so they share similar technology, language, virtue, custom, religion, etc. to whichever stage of Rome they were modeled on. There’s also sundry tribes and etc., which are modeled after such things as Greeks, Carthaginians, and Germans/Gauls/Britons.
It’s cool that you draw coloring pages for your church! I often draw portraits, but lately I’ve been drawing maps because they’re so relaxing. So actually, if anyone wants me to draw a map for them . . .
My favorite part of Latin is it’s conciseness and brevity. And my favorite part of Rome is Britannia. π I love the old British city names: Calcaria, Aquae Sulis, Londinium, Portis Dubris, etc.
For the questions:
- Rabbit because it’s the easiest to care for ;D
- Classical. I’ll listen to any music, but others probably won’t be able to stand my analysis of one’s I don’t like. π
- Pepperoni belongs on pizza, but pepperoncini is too spicy. Pineapple is great!
- I’d have to ask my characters . . . π
@Koshka, I agree that it’s very important to know when to spend a long time on something. Some chapters make or break the book! And theme is very important.For the titles, probably number 1? It’s pretty hard to choose titles, but the first ones seem the clearest.
Yes, I love jellybeans! Especially picking through a bag looking for every flavor. π
@Elishavet, I also write fantasy with no magic! However, since it’s set in a Roman-esque time period, it’s not easily understood to be fantasy. π
About the matters of Allegory, I completely agree.
Your books sound so interesting! I look forward to hearing more about them.
So, the books are not set in Rome or in a modern Rome. They are set in a world which resembles our own from about 8 BC to 8 AD. There’s three different nations, and I modeled the technology, language (Latin and other languages spoken by Rome’s neighbors), customs, politics, art of warfare, etc. after the three stages of Rome (kingdom, Republic, and Empire). There’s also a tribe that died out that is inspired by the Greeks and their love of philosophy, and another tribe that is based on the Gauls, Germans, Britons, etc.
Yes, in my opinion Brittania is my favorite part of Roman culture. I love the old Roman names of British cities: Calcaria, Aesica, Aquae Sulis (Bath), Londinium (London), Eburacum, Portis Dubris (Dover), etc.
I draw a lot of portraits, but lately I’ve been having fun drawing maps. The first is of the worldΒ LogosΒ is set in, and the second is of the first invasion of Britain by Iulius Caesar (it’s in Old Roman Cursive, in case you wonder.)
My favorite thing about Latin is how concise it is. You can say much more in one word in Latin than you can in English. Also the pronunciation sounds awesome.
For the questions:
- A pet rabbit. It’s the easiest to take care of. π
- Classical, definitely. My favorite composer is Grieg. I’m willing to listen to all music, but you’d better be ok with me analyzing every song I don’t like.
- I like pepperoni, but I’ve never had pepperoncini on my pizza. Pinneaple is good though!
- I know from experience that I cannot answer that question . . . XD. I love all my characters.
I can relate to intense work on a single chapter. Some chapters are like that – they make or break the entire book.
Yes, themes! What’s your favorite theme?
For the titles, I think no. 1 sounds best. It’s so hard to choose titles! They can also make or break the book. π
Yeah, jellybeans are good. π I love picking through searching for all of the flavors.
Have a great day and thanks for the welcome, Elishavet and Koshka!
At least I have my series practically plotted out. *Sigh* Agreed!
Oh dear! I’m not sure…perhaps either, that we always have a choice to do good or evil no matter if there seems to be no choice left or we have already made wrong ones, OR, even in the darkest places there is yet hope because we belong to another Kingdom.
What about you, (sorry if you already said)?
I like the first best also, although the second was actually my first working title set. Thank you! (Books arm’t very bendable, are they…)
I used to like jellybeans, but thenΒ quite a few years back I made myself sick on them.
You drew those maps?! Do you mind drawing them for other people? And can you use a slightly strange style? You see, one of my kingdoms has a traditional map system which would be rather enjoyable to see in real life.
First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)
Fork the GorkAh, now your books are sounding even more intriguing. The very idea of having different countries based on the different eras of Rome is amazing. And then you have the tribes of Europe and Britton, and…. I want to read it, like, now. π
Your books sound so interesting! I look forward to hearing more about them.
Thank you! I’m looking forward to hearing more about yours.
Itβs cool that you draw coloring pages for your church! I often draw portraits, but lately Iβve been drawing maps because theyβre so relaxing. So actually, if anyone wants me to draw a map for them …
It’s been a wonderful experience. I never really thought about how my love of the pencil could be used for God before.
Maps? Maps are very relaxing. I have one I used to take out whenever I just wanted to draw little trees… hundreds of tiny trees… They are so satisfying.
*Sees the maps you posted*
Those are… Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I’m in awe. I do actually need a map or two, but I also need to get a few more geographical points pinned down before they can happen.
Yes, in my opinion Brittania is my favorite part of Roman culture. I love the old Roman names of British cities: Calcaria, Aesica, Aquae Sulis (Bath), Londinium (London), Eburacum, Portis Dubris (Dover), etc.
Brittania is so very fascinating. I especially find it intriguing that there is a large possibility that missionaries strait from the Apostles could have evangelized the island, and that remnants of these churches could have been in the group of “heretics” killed off centuries later.
I also do like the Spartans, even though they were a bit cruel. I once heard a powerful message that used them as an illustration, and I haven’t seen them the same since.
I guess what I find most interesting to study about these ancient cultures are the things that survived and didn’t survive.
And that definitely includes names! I love old names.
As for your answers. π
A rabbit? It might be aΒ littleΒ easier to care for. π
I like Classical music too. And people often don’t want to hear my opinion on their music either. (I don’t like rap. At all. *Winces and looks over shoulder* yet many people do, and I shouldn’t pop their joy bubbles.)
You haven’t had pepperoncini? It’s super yummy!! Okay, so my twin sister doesn’t like it, but that’s fine because it just means more for me. π Pineapple is all right.
All your characters? Sure there aren’t any favorites? π§ But I understand, it can be hard to choose. π
If only I didn’t have to face killing off my favorites….
Have a great day too, and you’re welcome. π
(Decides to ignore the pun)
You have listened to fears, child. Come, let me breathe on you... Are you brave again? -Aslan
Hello! My names Hallie! You sound like such a lovely person and your stories sound amazing! I’d love to hear more about them!
First, I have a question! What is your favorite punctuation????
Also…THOSE MAPS!!!!!!!! They are stunning! I’ve been really wanting to create one for my WIP but don’t really know where to start! Do you have any tips for me??
My story I’m current working on has a sort of blurb that goes like this: After a sudden betrayal, Daren is thrust into the cruel world all alone and feeling angrier than she has ever felt before. However, when an opportunity to leave the land behind and set sail arises, she finds herself on a haunted ship with a slave who bears a fatal curse, an astrologist who can change the future, and a mysterious gambler who seems to know everything about everyone- except Daren. The world around her is falling apart and Daren must choose whether she wants to do something to help, or if she’d be fine sailing away and never looking back. She feels rather vengeful, and she’s not alone. But how can she trust these strangers who each hold secrets and dark pasts???
Dun, dun, DUUUUUUUUN!!!!
Anyway, it goes something like that! XD It’s supposed to be like a sort of pirate-fantasy-dystopian, set in another world. Kinda “how pirates came to be” but I’m still working out the plot, as you can see π But the themes are justice and searching for purpose among our crazy lives. It also has a WWII aspect where their are people who have imperfections, like Daren since she has only one hand, and they are looked down on by society, like the Jews during that time in Germany.
Proverbs 16:2
Well, I’m not sure what theme is my favorite. Certainly something to do with forgiveness. I love developing a character’s trust in a story, but I have to be careful not to make it a soliloquoy about trust in God. XD
Ooh, those are lovely themes!
I agree about the jellybeans. It’s hard to have discipline with something that good. π
Ooh, your map style sounds intriguing. I’d love to learn more about it, and if you ever want me to help give you tips or even draw a map for you I’d love to. π
Another good place to get tips for drawing maps is to look up youtube tutorials. Apparently a lot of people draw fantasy maps for games.
@Elishavet
I’ll have to share my book. π
Ooh, a map with little trees. That sounds so satisfying . . .
It’s pretty crazy how fast the gospel spread! And the Spartans are very interesting because their very culture was ascetic. Yes, they were cruel, but they were a pretty good representation of an ideal pagan society.
What survived and what didn’t survive . . . exactly! We can really learn from old cultures – that’s why history (and fantasy) are so important.
Killing off your favorite characters – did I mention that this is a dangerous obsession of mine? I think I have like a quarter or a fifth (way too many) of my characters die off.
@Hallie
My favorite punctuation? Actually I would say the absence of commas. If you’ve noticed, a major part of my writing style is that I don’t put commas after the introductory phrase. I really enjoyed the writing style of De Bello Gallico (I just read it in Latin), and I think that a quicker approach to the beginning of the sentence makes it more engaging. (By the way, do you find it annoying?)
My first tip for writing a map, before even getting down to actually writing out what your country looks like, is thinking about the cultural style of your map. Do the mapmakers in your fantasy world orient their maps to the east? Do they draw them from the side, instead of bird’s eye view? Looking at old maps can help you understand how a map would turn out without good data. Actually, read this article to get a good idea of what type of map you even want or need: http://ianjamesross.com/journal/2016/8/24/did-the-romans-have-maps.
These are my tips, but they work for me because I like my maps to be culturally significant (a commentary, rather than a literary or historical perspective.) If you don’t want that, you should probably start out by looking at the mapmaker’s guild. It’s a forum online that’s got a lot of inspiring maps.
Ooh I love your novel! Who to trust? A pertinent question. I’d love to read it. π
Ooh Daren’s issues with self-esteem (because she has only one hand) will affect her relationship to these people in interesting ways. π Maybe she even feels like they are her judges.
Ahhhhhh!!!! Yes! It seems you understand it so well, even though I didn’t explain my WIP very well (at least in my opinion XD). Daren feels very insecure about only having one hand and it affects her relationships greatly. Thank you for your kind words!
And your lack of commas is an interesting, and rather admiring, style! I like it! Can you guess my favorite punctuation????????????????????????????????????????? π π
Oh, thank you so much for the map tips! I’ll definitely check out that link! I’ve never thought of the viewpoint the map might be. Very interesting! My MC Daren is actually a map maker, but she becomes one later in the story. However, I thought it may be interesting to add a few personal details to the map in the front of my book because I wanted it to seem like she had created it. For example, her signature in the corner, some doodles here and there, and some footnotes.
And speaking of mapmakers, maps and makers are quite hard to come by in their world, since the cities are so separated from each other and kept to themselves. There’s also a lack of sailors (or pirates) in their world.. until this strange batch sets sail.
Also, I remember you saying you focus a lot on characters in your stories. Do you have a favorite type of character (hero, villian, side character, anti-hero/anti-villian, etc.) that you enjoy writing the most? And do you have a favorite trope??
Proverbs 16:2
Ah, forgiveness and trust together can be quite powerful. Have you ever read theΒ Promise of Zion series by Robert Elmer? It’s centered around the creation of the Israeli State, and those are a couple of the themes.
The map style is based off folklore, each object made up of others (example: a mountain is, if one looks close enough, actually a howling wolf). Their compass rose is east oriented, after the lunar system (as well as their calendar), and the view point isn’t directly overhead, though not quite from the side.
Tips are always appreciated! But If you would like to draw one sometime, I can post my scribbling ideas on here next time I find them.
First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)
Fork the Gork@Halliejean
The question mark is amazing punctuation since in my opinion it really draws the reader into the story. π
Ooh, some doodles on your map would look epic! I always end up doodling on stuff – or just writing notes to myself.
I think my favorite character is probably the villain. There are a lot of ways a villain can behave, so there are a lot of things to explore with them.
As for a favorite trope, not really.
Ooh, that series sounds interesting! I’ll have to look into it.
A map style based on folklore sounds great! A howling really does look like a pointy mountain.
It’s neat that your calendar is lunar-based. Much of the problems we’ve had with calendars (i.e. the 445-day long “year of confusion”, 45 BC) are because people have tried to have calendars based off both the solar and lunar cycles. If your world is fantasy, how many moons do you have and how long is a month? π
I’d love to try a hand at your map! That sounds great!
Well, I only have one moon, but it’s not exactly like ours, at least not for this far north Kingdom, and is a huge part of their culture. On the first full moon of the frozen months, she turns blood red (when she’s called Warrior), and the first full moon of warm weather she’s gold (Conqueror). These moons mark the two ‘seasons’ of the year (between frozen and thawed). Any other time she’s peal white, and called the Lady. (The frozen months are their war time, as they say all creation is fighting to live. This, and almost everything else about them, clashes with practically every other culture in this world, so they’re often viewed as barbaric.)
There are eight moons (months) in a year, about forty days each so 320 day years. Their calendar is always written as an eight pointed star, so one can find the day and month with little trouble. Each month is named after a phase of the moon, and a year begins with the Conqueror full moon. Their compass rose is also written as an eight pointed star, but each point is called after it’s position related to the moon.
Although, I will be using Slavic as their base language, so the names will look different.
And that was probably more than anyone wanted to hear. =}
I’ll post my scribbles as soon as I find them then! Thanks!
First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)
Fork the GorkWow, those details sound amazing! I love how the moon really dictates their calendar and religion.
Sounds awesome!
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