Mucha Carah

I'm having a helluva lot of fun with MidJourney these days, despite all the grumblings against it. It's just too much fun to see my written words bloom into images, to see my characters and settings interpreted in dozens of different ways. 

This is MJ's take on Carah, the heroine of books 3, 4, and 5 of the Falcons Saga -- if artists Alphonse Mucha and Julie Bell collaborated. The first was done with MJ's version 4, the last two are version 5. Of course, v4 can't get the hands right. I've had very little success with birds' wings either. Hands and wings, as common as they must be in source imagery, are a mystery to this ai. I do find it interesting, however, that despite my prompt not once including the word "book," the ai insisted that a sorceress would be holding a book. Every single image, except the last one, featured a book.

https://www.courtellyn.com/2019/05/06/sons-of-the-falcon/

Maps To Show the Way

Good to know where we're going, right?

As a fantasy author, one of my dearest loves is world-building and drawing maps. And as a reader of fantasy fiction, I rely on well-rendered maps to navigate my way through the novels of others. Maps are like a perk of fantasy fiction that readers of real-life fiction don't get to savor.

So, yes, when I published the Falcons Saga, I included maps. At least in the print editions. These were carefully rendered -- in pen -- and painstakingly cleaned up with GIMP. At least, with the few skills I had acquired for GIMP.

So imagine my excitement when I came across Wonderdraft -- a program designed just for map rendering.

A couple of days ago, an old acquaintance from the LegendFire days posted a link to this amazingness. I followed the link down the rabbit hole and expected to see a price tag comparable to Photoshop. I also feared a lengthy learning curve and weeks of frustration just to get land to pop from ocean. *cue the heavenly choir* Only $30 and two days later, I am in map-rendering heaven.

The manual is short (needing a proofreader such as myself, but hey, nothing is perfect), the interface clean, the process well-designed and user-friendly. I experienced almost zero stress learning how it works. On a stress scale of 1 to 10, maybe a 1.5, for just a couple of seconds. Next, I'll be checking out all the community-built assets which ought to allow me to add all kinds of borders, symbols, and textures. And as a font fanatic, I will certainly be looking into importing waaaaay more fonts. But the basic package provides plenty to get started.

All those old black-and-white renderings of Aralorr? Revamped into glorious full color. Check it out!

Map and names, copyright by Court Ellyn 2019

Click to enlarge. I'll be adding these to my website shortly. So much better!

Creating Legends

Seems I like writing about misfits whose destiny forges them into living legends.

First came Thorn Kingshield in the Falcons Saga--the easily embarrassed, always-late, scatterbrained scholar who ends up becoming quite the earth-shaker and storm-maker. Literally.

Now comes Sanjen Laurelius, a lute-player with a past, who possesses the singular talent of being able to manipulate his environment through the magic inherent in music. In his first (written) adventure, A Nocturne in Red, Sanjen is hired to save the City of Mages from a rampaging harpy. And in his second?

Lute, detail from "The Ambassadors" by Holbein, 1533

As soon as Nocturne was published by The Society of Misfit Stories in August, I started writing Sanjen's next adventure. He has no idea that participating in a bardic competition will lead to a complete shift in his destiny, and in the destiny of an empire.

Encompassing a far larger scope than Nocturne, the new tale (title undecided) currently clocks in at just over 60,000 words. So now the decision is whether to shorten it to make it more comfortably fit the word count of a novella, or to expand it and turn it into a full-length novel. Or to just say screw it, and let the story be the length it naturally is.

Anyway, legends... I have big plans for Sanjen. He no longer gets to remain the obscure tavern performer. His stage is about to expand exponentially.

Good thing characters can't read the minds of their creators. They'd run screaming in terror, right over the edge of the page.

Book Release: Fury of the Falcon

At last. The fifth and final volume of the Falcons Saga hits Amazon today. Find it HERE. The print version will be available in about a week, once I receive and finalize the last proof.

How long have I been waiting to type that announcement?

Looks like I started blogging about this massive project back in 2011, but it's been in the works far longer than that. A long, rough haul. Closure is a good feeling. The possibilities at this point are endless, and I'm optimistic.

I thought I had many words to express over this event, but after five volumes at 150k-220k words apiece, my words are pretty well dried up at the moment. A little silence may be in order. My characters don't mind. They're tired too. But, my, what a ride.

Progress Diary: End in Sight

Project: Fury of the Falcon, Book 5, Falcons Saga

Entry #22

Wow, I haven't blogged at all this year??? Whoops. Time flies when you're writing. I can't remember the last time I've been so focused. Er, college? The past three or so weeks have been like viewing the world down a tube.

I am so close to finishing this six-year-long novel project that my head is spinning! Like, literally, one chapter and a bit to go. I survived writing all those deaths and the endgame nightmare, and now I'm tying up the final details. What do I include? What do I omit? It's difficult balancing the pacing -- moving the ending along but not letting it feel rushed. Editing this may be a nightmare. But that's for later.

Getting Carah on her way and closing the entire story is all that remains. Can hardly believe it. Makes me lightheaded thinking about it.

One more week? Two?

Progress Diary, Endgame Jitters

PROJECT: Fury of the Falcon, Book 5, Falcons Saga

Entry #17

(yes, I've skipped a few entries on my blog. The rest are posted on LegendFire, due to spoilers)

"Spin" by JasonTN @DeviantART

Have passed the 100k mark. The Endgame looms. Excited, but dreading the long, complex chess game ahead. The game begins this week with Chapter 30. After daring plans and betrayals, the pieces are in place. Now just to make things happen. Things are about to get bloody, people. All those deaths mentioned in Entry #1? Yeah, here they come...

I'm already sobbing my eyes out. Good sign? Well, I do have to see to type. 

*reaches for box of tissue*

(What does this mean in terms of completing the novel? With the holidays looming, writing will decrease a fraction until after the New Year. So give me several more months to wrap this up. Then the edits...)

When Words Fail...

Project: Fury of the Falcon

That moment when you realize you should have written down the amazing, natural-sounding, perfectly-flowing dialog you thought of weeks ago. Because now you have arrived at that very scene, fingers poised over the keys, and you have no idea what to write.

I know better than that! I know to scramble for the nearest scrap of paper and sketch out at least some of the dialog that surfaced in that brief moment of clarity and genius.

Now it will likely take me the rest of the week to piece together something that sounds crappy and stilted in the end. Ugh. Writers, commiserate! Readers, I really need some comfort food.

Something like this will do...

Progress Diary: Character Overhaul

Project: Fury of the Falcon (Falcons Saga, Book 5)


Character expansion = extricating a neglected, flat, blurry character from the obscure corner where they are lurking and bringing them into the spotlight, giving them new roles, bigger page-time, deeper significance.

The alternative is murdering them, according to William Faulkner (and other writers who know what they're doing).

So I decided to save a darling from gruesome, bloody deletion and overhaul him instead:

(MINOR SPOILERS FOLLOW)

Those who have read Sons of the Falcon know who Kethlyn and Carah are. Turns out that their father had a fling in his youth (alluded to in Book 1) which resulted in these siblings having an older brother whom they didn't know about. In the ancient, deplorable original draft of the story, this older brother serves little purpose. He comes along in time to cause some scandal and heartache, then manages to save the life of the younger brother who despises him, then he happily fades back into his old life.

Well, many, many years ago, my mother said, "I thought he would play a bigger part." I could tell she was disappointed. So, at last, I have heeded her advice and expanded the role of this illegitimate brother. I didn't expect to have so much fun with the process. There has been brawling and verbal battling so far. Lots of fun tension. And it turns out this older brother (who has no filter, no understanding of the term "politically correct" when speaking to a noble) is now key in helping Kethlyn get over himself and face up to his treachery in a more honorable, mature fashion. This illegitimate brother will now actually have a motive for saving his younger brother's life, which can only be a good thing.

However! I haven't yet decided if this illegitimate brother is on the list of characters to knock off. (He just overheard me say that and is giving me a startled sort of look. I smirk back. The scissors hover, and the thread is thin.) I guess I'll be as surprised as he is, when the time comes.

(END SPOILERS)

Point is, readers are generally right when they voice their expectations and disappointments. Good to heed them.

* * * Would love to hear about the characters or plots that have disappointed you, and how you would rewrite them, if you could.

Progress Diary: Writing Magic

Entry #2

I've broken ground on Fury. Day 1 is an immense success with a final tally of 2,745 words. My usual quota is 1,300 words, on a good day, so I'm ecstatic. Also, greatly surprised that I was able to connect with these characters as deeply as I did after having not written on them since last November. The morning was rough, I doubted every word and wondered how the hell I was going to express all that needed expressing, but then ... MAGIC. The faucet turned on, and my brain poured out the words, and this is what every writing day should feel like.

What a world away from the rough start that Cry suffered. The two writing experiences don't compare at all. If the rest of Fury goes this well, I'll be in writer's heaven.

God, I hope I didn't just jinx it.

"Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy, then an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant and, in the last state, just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him to the public."

Winston Churchill (1874-1965) - November 2, 1949

Ah, the brutality of writing. Reflects what will happen to some of these characters as well. And what should happen to others, but doesn't. Delicious...

Falcons and Free Books

Cry of the Falcon is selling, and it's awesome to see the number downloads climb. Last night I received the final proof for the paperback as well, and it's gorgeous, so the print version is now available as well. Hurray! (may take it a couple of days to show up on Amazon)

Kicked that kid out the door, and he's on his own. Hello, universe! Sink or swim, baby.

So far, my baby is doing all right. The initial reviews are very promising, and I have no idea who posted any of them.

In honor of both digital and print versions being finalized, Cry of the Falcon will be available for FREE this weekend, starting Friday, March 4, through Sunday, March 6. Then again on March 12-13.

Woot! If you've read it and you like it, tell somebody.

Press Release...

…yes, press release, in a literal sense. Today, February 11, 2016 marks the official launch of Raven Eye Press. Check it out HERE. Pop goes the cork. Champagne time!

(If the technical details matter, read about the press itself on REP's About page.)

Why today? Because it has happened:  I’ve re-released the digital versions of the Falcons Saga! I grabbed the polish and the buffing brush and gave shined them up a bit. Each of the three books has had a few typos fixed and some inconsistencies and phrasings revised. And Blood of the Falcon, volume 2 is now available as Sword of the Falcon, with an all-new cover.

Find it HERE

Ain’t that pretty?

Better! If all goes well, Cry of the Falcon will be available for download this weekend. If that’s the case, then I nailed my Valentine’s release date. Woot! "Celebrate good times, c’mon!"

Print versions will be available before the end of the month, I hope. I’m having some trouble with CreateSpace and titling, but maybe we can have that ironed out soon. Crossing fingers. If not, I’ll be ranting and raving, and you’ll hear all about it.

But let’s leave the bad news and muddy shoes at the door. Today I am celebrating the opening of REP, my falcon kings, and my twins. Have some more champagne, on me.

CRY OF THE FALCON, to be released in February!

FINISHED!!! Cry of the Falcon is finished. Just a few days to format and correct a few typos, then I can push this one out the door. This was a loooong haul. Arduous, agonizing at times. I just told my husband, "I feel like I've birthed an army of ogres." If you haven't read my books, you won't get the joke. Shame, shame. 

Yep, I'm a proud, happy mother:

Isn't he kewt? Okay, so this is NOT how I envision my ogres, but those muscles are still cool, right?

So what's next? Lots of exciting stuff in the works. Not only will Cry of the Falcon be released in February, but all the earlier books in the Falcons Saga have received a make-over with a few typos and inconsistencies edited, new blurbs, and slightly new covers. All this because Blood of the Falcon, volume 2, is getting a new title, new cover, and new interior, and throws off all the other books. So I've been doing lots of work on all of them.

I hope to re-release the entire Saga with the publication of Cry.

Secondly, and here's the exclusive scoop, the never-before revealed funness (no, "funness" is not really a word):

*drumroll*

... the unveiling of Raven Eye Press. All the re-releases will include a custom logo designed by graphic designer Elle Boozer and will be listed on a new site dedicated to the press. The site has a bit more work to undergo before it's ready, so I still have much to do before I can take a vacation.

More to come...

Finished! Sorta...

Today, about 20 minutes ago, I wrote the last words of Rewrite Draft #1 of Cry of the Falcon. Wow, exactly a year ago, I was suffering from a debilitating case of burn-out and sobbed at the very idea of sitting down to write. Today, I get to celebrate completion of the part of writing I detest most.

Tomorrow, I will print out the whole manuscript, grab my pink pens, and begin the part of the process I love. The editing. To revise, to tweak, to polish, this is where my joy lies. And I am stoked to get started.

Tonight, however, a celebratory cocktail, a movie, a toast on the back patio around the firepit, with a view of the super-moon.

Will I make my self-imposed Christmas deadline? Probably not, but I won't be too far behind. With all the editing, blurb, formatting, and cover work to do, I am now shooting for a tentative release date of ... mid-March? Valentine's? Mid-February might be too optimistic, but we shall try.

Cry of the Falcon, Progress Report

I've counted them up, and it looks like I have only three (maybe four) chapters to write in Cry. I'm so stoked that I feel like emitting an undignified, porcine squeal.

Almost! The finish line is in site, and it feels amazing. Once this draft is finished, I get to my favorite part of the process -- the editing. Cut, move, tweak, polish. Hopefully I have something here that will sparkle. (I foresee quite a bit of work to remove the grime, however.)

So far, this installment of the Falcons Saga has taken twice as long to write as the others, but it's the same(ish) length. Last year was a struggle to fight the burn-out and keep going. But I'm past that for the present and can't wait to finish this beast.

This week I'll be writing in a hotel in Kansas City. Lothiar is going with me to keep me company. I'm taking a dragon, too. ;) Should be an interesting brawl.

New Writing Stuff ... And Stuff ... Because, Yeah, I Need A Great Title

Definition: STUFF [stuhf] 

n. Things for which no one can think of a word for
n. Umbrella term for random things

So I've been doing more Twitter lately, which I thought I would never do, but it's been fun and weird and fast, so like most folks, I feel I have time for it. Find me @Court_Ellyn

In other news, I was sure I could write the last few chapters of Cry of the Falcon this month, and certainly by Thanksgiving, but now I am coming down with a head cold, which may slow me down for a few days. Plus, I am embarking on an online writing course from the University of Iowa. Not sure how basic it will be, nor what the assignments and discussion will be like, but if it ends up taking up too much time, I will have to drop it and give priority to finishing Cry.

The course starts today and runs through Thanksgiving. The best part is that the course is free. What?! Can't pass that up, right? The next best part is that several other LegendFire members signed up too, so we will have each other for support and discussion.

In non-writing related stuff, I got a new car this week. I had been driving a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder, and she was on her last leg. At the dealership I hopped into a 2014 Subaru CrossTrek and knew it was the one. So I got to bring her home, and she looks great on me.

Hoping for many amazing road trips in this kewt lil' thang.

Cover Reveal, Falcons Progress Report

I have completed (I think) the arduous task of reworking each cover for the Falcons Saga. Some time ago, Amazon reworked how they want books in a series titled and numbered, so it's possible that Blood of the Falcon, vol. 2 is getting a bit cheated on exposure.

Even though volumes 1 and 2 are meant to be a single book and read together, I had to reconcile myself to the fact that I need to officially split them up. Which means new title, new covers, new blurb, new uploads. Fun stuff. :/ In the near future, Blood of the Falcon, vol. 2 is going to be re-released as Sword of the Falcon, an obvious and very fitting title, since the volume focuses heavily on Kelyn's personal journey. All I need is a blurb for the back and minor edits to the actual text and formatting. Not sure when this re-release will happen, but I'll be sure to post when it does.

For now, here's a peek at what the front cover will probably look like:

Still working on the cover for Book 4, Cry of the Falcon, so no sneak peeks on that one yet. But chapters are coming right along.

Project: CRY OF THE FALCON
Pages revised: 3.5
Became X Pages: 9
Scenes cut: 0
Scenes added: 1
Deaths: 2
Good things that happened: ... I'm sure there's something ... Um, nope, can't find a thing.
Bad things that happened: There is no option left to retreat.

The Beast Grows...

Well, I've calculated the current word count of the next installment of the Falcons Saga and examined how much I still have to revise, and it has become painfully obvious that the material remaining is too long for a single book.

Therefore, the series will be one book longer than I thought. So I've had to come up with yet another title. The current book, which will be Book 3 of the series, will be called Cry of the Falcon. The last book will still be Fury of the Falcon.

And given how Amazon has asked me to clarify volume/title information for Book 1, volumes 1 and 2, it might just be easier to give volume 2 of Book 1 a different title and cover completely. Confusing enough? Yeah. If/when that goes forward, volume 2 will become Book 2: Sword of the Falcon, which in effect, means a new cover for Sons of the Falcon as well, since it is currently being marketed as Book 2, not Book 3 as it appears to be. Still confused? Yeah...

So, lots of changes to come and lots of work still to be done. But this also means that I'm halfway through the next installment. *vast sigh of relief* Hopefully, if I'm not plagued again by a bad case of burnout, Cry of the Falcon could well be available by this time next year. *fingers crossed*

PROGRESS REPORT

Project:  Cry of the Falcon
Chapter:  19
Death count:  12
Good things that happen:  A silver light shows the path...
Bad things that happen:  Kelyn's past comes back to haunt him, in the most embarrassing way possible.

Fury of the Falcon, Progress Report #2

It feels wonderful when I'm writing a chapter a week. I can tell it's still early in the game.

RECENT PROGRESS

Chapter: 4
Pages Revised: 5
Became: 9.5 pages
New Scenes: 0
Death count: 1, a tree 
Good things that happen:  Picking up the pieces...
Bad things that happen: Carah and Thorn butt heads. Again.

Next week, I'll be participating in the "Writing Process" Blog Tour. Stay tuned for a glimpse of what really happens behind this writer's closed door.

Fury of the Falcon, Progress Report #1

Well, anyone who has visited my Facebook page has seen that rewrites on Fury of the Falcon have begun, but for some reason I neglected to update my blog about it. Getting back into the routine of writing has been difficult. Actually feels like learning a drive a new car. The peddles don't feel natural under my feet. Stop, start, lurch forward, hit the break. Eesh.

But as of yesterday, chapter 3 is underway, and things are a bloody mess. For the characters, I mean. Sons ended on dark, negative notes, as a middle book should, and now my twins are scrambling to pick up the pieces. But I refuse to give spoilers.

The most difficult part of starting this book, for me, is trying to decide how much back info to provide, as reminders of what happened in Sons. I shouldn't expect readers to remember the small details, but I don't want to insult their intelligence and hand-feed them stuff they are sure to remember. How do the pros handle this sort of thing? Of course, I picked up a book by my favorite author to compare methods. GRRM's A Feast For Crows picks up only moments after A Storm of Swords ends, or even backtracks a bit in the case of some characters. I started with the first Cersei chapter and read it critically, looking for those reminders, and looking for what George did not include. He didn't bother describing characters he'd described in Storm. Only the beaten gold of Cersei's hair and the color of cloaks. Of course the color of cloaks. That's vintage George. But there were other hints he had included that prompted me to go back into my opening chapters and add a few more tidbits. But all the while, the Cersei chapter pointed forward, as the characters begin a search for a murderer and as Cersei plots her next move against her rivals. Hopefully, I can learn something here and apply the method to my own chapters.

It's a fine balance, and I'm not sure I've achieved it yet, but we'll see. Thank God for revisions.

RECENT PROGRESS
Chapter(s): 1-3
Pages Revised: 3
Became: 7 pages
New Scenes: 1
Death count: 1 
Good things that happen:  A great cleansing begins
Bad things that happen: captives suffer the lash and a long journey into the unknown

SONS OF THE FALCON now available!

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Hallelujah! It's done. A year of writing and feeling like the novel would never be finished, yet here it is. Finished already. Sons of the Falcon, Book 2 of the Falcons Saga, has been uploaded, approved, and is now available at Amazon and CreateSpace.

It feels amazing, like releasing lead balloons and seeing them fly weightlessly into the sky. And now? Do I ever need a vacation. My brain is shot, so I plan to spend the holiday months reading, refueling the brain cells, and maybe writing a couple of short stories if the inspiration strikes me. Then in January, I hope, work on the last book will begin. Fury of the Falcon is going to be quite a beast, let me tell you. Probably the longest of all the volumes, and the old draft is full of issues that must be fixed, which means lots of changes. Can you tell I'm trying not to be intimidated? But for now, I shall bask in the feeling of accomplishment...

Currently, the print edition of Sons is only available at CreateSpace. It will take a few more business days for it to become available at Amazon. It's priced competitively at $14.99. And like both volumes of Book 1, Sons is only .99 cents for a digital download. This weekend (Friday through Sunday), however, it will be available for FREE! So be sure to keep an eye out and an e-reader on hand, so you can download yours.
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