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May 2023 Class – Writing History In Your Fiction!
Looking to history for inspiration can be fun–and fraught. It’s not a matter of simply copying and pasting, but rather interpreting, interpolating, re-telling, and re-imagining. We’ll dive into places and approaches to sourcing as well as explores some of the pitfalls and minefields inherent in writing historical and history-inspired fiction. Plus, a look at authenticity vs. the myths of history. Are people so different now than they used to be? Or are we informed by our own age? Join me, Natania Barron, a fantasy author, fashion historian, and longtime history nerd, for a hands on class and discussion. 7pm, EST – May 25, 2023! Register Here! (And as a reminder:…
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From the Arthurian Lit Readings: “Sir Palomydes’ Quest” by William Morris
Arthuriana and the Matter of Britain influenced centuries of writers and artists, but many think of the Arts & Crafts movement and Pre-Raphaelites when it comes to the visuals. Few know, however, that William Morris himself was more than a painter–in fact, he was also a fantasy writer and poet (among many other things). During my graduate research, I came upon his poem “The Defense of Guinevere” and, ultimately, more of his Arthurian poetry work. Sir Palomydes has always been one of my favorites, the prince from the Middle East sent to Arthur’s court as a paragon of chivalry–who falls in love with Iseult but never gets her (thanks,…
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Coming Out in Prose: Reflections on Pilgrim of the Sky, 10 Years Later
The truth is, I came out in prose before I came out in person. My debut novel, Pilgrim of the Sky, published in late 2011, is best described as mythpunk. The main players in the tale are all facets of god analogues–godlings, as they’re called in the book–searching for answers, plotting revenge and mayhem, and of course, falling in love. Maddie Angler, the heroine, begins her tale in Western Massachusetts (where I grew up) but quickly escapes into a mirror world of her own where people she knows and love might look the same, but certainly are not. There are obvious shades of me in Maddie (her love of art…
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Pilgrim of the Sky is up for Pre-Order!
That’s right, folks! Pilgrim of the Sky, my debut novel, is back at it again. Which totally makes sense if you’re familiar with the godlings. They get reborn again and again. The official release is on Thursday, September 22, but if you order the ebook now, you get $2 off. It’s particularly exciting to see the new cover because it’s a perfect companion to Gods of Londinium, which will be out this December. And let me tell you, I cannot wait to share Joss’s whole story with you. Gods of Londinium may take place on a single world, but it uses just about every inch. It’s high adventure on the…
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There Are No Guilty Pleasures in Reading
Stop spending time worrying about how impressive your reading list is.
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These Marvelous Beasts is Here!
Well, more or less. By January 30, you'll have it all...
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A Little Literature Love Part Two: Naomi Novik & Madeline Miller
Two more books, both retellings of well-known myths, make their way to my heart in 2018.
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Netherford Hall is here!
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Where Hath April Fled?
April has a certain literary weight to it, doesn’t it? Regardless of what Chaucer or Eliot thought, one thing is clear: April has come and gone too fast for my liking. This in-between month has lived up to its reputation here in North Carolina, however, and we’ve had lots of rain and a very cool spring. The skies finally cleared today and it’s been a bright afternoon, crisp and blue-skied, with the promise of more to come. My first cosmo bloomed. I’ve been cataloguing wildflowers in the forest. Writing has been going well. A few weeks ago I finished the first draft of Glassmere. For those who might not remember, it’s…
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Masks and Malevolence Cover Reveal, and Some Notes
The sequel to Frost & Filigree is officially off to the editor, and I am so excited, y’all. You may or may not have noticed, but this fall has been really, truly difficult for our family. A bunch of things fell off the rails, not the least of which was the writing schedule. But I’m happy to report that Masks & Malevolence is finally written. It’s a big little novel or just a big novella, depending on how you look at it. The story takes off where the last book ended, and our heroes are now in Cairo, ten years later, chasing clues to find out where their missing companion has gone.…
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Traveling While Standing Still – Monsters of Cairo
I have been doing a great deal of traveling this year. I’ve seen the Swiss Alps, cruised down through the Swedish fjords, and strolled down my favorite city streets in London. I love to travel. I always have. I am a very lucky person. But in fiction, it’s a little harder. Sure, I get glimpses of times gone by. But I don’t get the whole picture, no matter how many miles I fly. I’m currently working on Masks & Malevolence, the followup to Frost & Filigree, and it takes place in Cairo in 1924. So much has changed in that great city, that it’s pretty easy to get lost in the weeds…
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The Wothwood Book Trailer is Here
I’m very excited to share the book trailer for Wothwood. It’s definitely a challenge to boil down the book in a short story, but I’m hoping to at least pique a little bit of interest. What to expect? Heroes, battles, revenge, strange lands and strange people. What might be unexpected? The monsters are beyond your garden variety fantasy. I joke, but it’s true: I’m allergic to dwarves and elves and orcs, so you won’t be seeing any of that sort of thing. You will also have a narrative dominated by two women. There’s a lot this novel has to say about masculinity in fantasy, but I’ll leave that to another post…
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Falling in love with the novella, and thoughts on story structure
Ever since I first put pen to paper, I’ve thought in novels. I never set out to write short stories. No, from the get-go, I wanted to produce mighty, expansive, world-sweeping novels. And for the majority of the last ten years, what you might consider my professional publishing career, novels have made up the bulk of my work, at least in term of time investment. The process has changed considerably, because my life has changed considerably. For the most I think I’ve figured it out. I thought I’d cracked the nut of novel production, and though it takes more time than it used to, the end product is considerably stronger. Then I…
