(C) 2020, JJ ShaunThe Happy Harpy I’ve spent the past working on the characters that comprise the citizenry of a make-believe outpost in the middle of nowhere—a tavern and inn called the Happy Harpy. To get an idea of what makes the place tick, I’ve fleshed out the characters that live there. I’ve created only … Continue reading Creating a Fictional Community
Fantasy
Staffing a Fantasy Outpost
(C) 2020 JJ ShaunThe gate to the Happy Harpy I’ve spent the last week creating characters to fill my fantasy outpost, the Happy Harpy. Making up the characters has been an exciting exercise. I have a good idea of how a small group can interact over time. (I spent four years on two different Navy … Continue reading Staffing a Fantasy Outpost
Worldbuilding V
(C) 2000, JJ Shaun I have spent the last week creating characters and building a fantasy outpost called The Happy Harpy. This enclave sits along a major trade road on the eastern side of the Dragonspine Mountains, on the Adaran continent. Located in the southern hemisphere of its world, this continent has had virtually no … Continue reading Worldbuilding V
Building a New World
(C) 2020, JJ Shaun For the past week, I’ve been busily building my D&D campaign on my imaginary fantasy continent, Adaran. I’ve decided the size of the staff of the Happy Harpy, my imaginary outpost between two major trade cities. So far, I’ve fleshed out about seven of the more prominent non-player characters (NPCs), and … Continue reading Building a New World
Story Creation, Part I
(C) 2020, JJ ShaunThe Happy Harpy Where do you start when a story comes to mind? For me, it almost always begins with a character or two, sometimes with a place. My latest endeavor starts with a little of both. So, where did this idea come from, and how has it been germinating in my … Continue reading Story Creation, Part I
Friday Night Gamers
For the last handful of years, I've spent most of my Friday evenings in the virtual company of a group of like-minded gamers. Now, none of us is too serious about the game that we play, and we tend to argue like siblings, but we (mostly) get the job done. I've mentioned this group before, … Continue reading Friday Night Gamers
Write That Story
When asked how he writes, author Stephen King answers, "one word at a time." And that is precisely how stories are built—one word at a time. I struggle to stay focused on my writing, partly because I get bored quickly and partly because I spend a lot of my day job staring at words on … Continue reading Write That Story
Introducing: Aeryn Mateyus
Young Aeryn grows up on the island of Trivent in the archipelago called the Dragon's Snout Islands. She is the thirteenth child, and seventh daughter, of a sheep farmer in the Lowlands on the island. A big-boned girl, she is teased and tormented by some of her siblings for her size and strength. Not long … Continue reading Introducing: Aeryn Mateyus
Character Creation
My stories almost always start with character creation. When I create an avatar as I start a game, a persona for that character comes to mind. Sometimes that character is cheeky, sometimes quiet, always interesting—to me at least. When I first started writing my DDO fan fiction story a handful of years ago, I envisioned … Continue reading Character Creation
Worldbuilding, Part II
It took me a while to find a focus for this post. I started out trying to make it about the spiritual and religious life on the continent but realized that the entire ecosphere of a world is intertwined. Economics is tied into politics is tied to religion, is tied to daily life. The economy … Continue reading Worldbuilding, Part II
J.J. Shaun 