(C) 2020, JJ Shaun I try to sit down to write every day. Lately, the time I set aside to write has gotten shorter, mostly limited to keeping this blog. Don’t get me wrong, I have a ton of ideas running around my head, it’s just my motivation is minimal. I decided to look at … Continue reading Transforming the Old Into Something New
Story Creation
Worldbuilding, Part VI
(C) 2020, JJ ShaunNotebooks detailing the Adaran continent. Twelve or so years ago, I began outlining the antagonists for my unfinished story. I pulled old issues of Dragon magazine off my shelf and pored through the pages. I searched for the “perfect” plot devices for the half-orc twins that were to be the ultimate challenge … Continue reading Worldbuilding, Part VI
Finding Normal
Creative words are hard these days. Practically every post or story I try to write morphs into a commentary on the world of today, along with the challenges we are all facing. So, I’ll start there. As I’ve said before, I live in a very rural area. The closest grocery is about 45 minutes away, … Continue reading Finding Normal
Stories Abound
(C) 2020, JJ Shaun For years, I listened to audiobooks on my commute to the office to help me catch up on my “reading.” And, honestly, I’ve been struggling to finish the last series I started listening to. It could be that the rip-roaring semi-fantasy story turned into more of a romance than I expected, … Continue reading Stories Abound
Building Adara
(C) 2000, JJ ShaunThe Adaran continent. I spent this week combing the Internet looking for information on how to build a better fantasy world. I created an account with the Dungeon Master’s Guild and went trolling for information. The DM’s Guild is a site on which a bunch of DM-created guides and play modules are … Continue reading Building Adara
Sketching a Region
I’ve spent this week working on maps. I finished coloring the regional map and started on the compound. When I finish that one, I’ll draw the main floor of the tavern itself. (C) 2020, JJ ShaunRegion surrounding the Happy Harpy. Drawing the region and the outpost helps me put the area in perspective. I have … Continue reading Sketching a Region
Filling in a Fictional Community
(C) 2020, JJ ShaunThe lands surrounding the Happy Harpy. I’ve spent the week working on my fantasy tavern and inn called the Happy Harpy. In fleshing out the characters that make up the residents of this remote outpost, a couple of stories have been rolling around my head. One is set in the time of … Continue reading Filling in a Fictional Community
The Happy Harpy
(C) 2020, JJ ShaunThe eastern trade road. I want to share a little about my fantasy outpost—the Happy Harpy. I’m working on a map of the region (it’s still a work in progress). I know it’s hard to see, but the outpost is in the middle. The Happy Harpy was established some three hundred years … Continue reading The Happy Harpy
Creating a Fictional Community
(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
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
J.J. Shaun 