I’m engrossed in the re-writes of Blood Gift Chronicles Book 3, with characters spanning the good, the bad, and the morally grey, in this far-reaching world where ‘reap what you sow’ takes on a whole new meaning. In a recent scene with a particularly dastardly character, it got me thinking about what makes a good villain.
Part Two of World Fantasy Con 2022, and a few thoughts from a great panel that I was one of the speakers of – Just Who is the Villain? A deep dive into looking at the good, the bad, and everything between. Who doesn’t love morally grey villains that strike that uncomfortable chord?
Coming to the end of a wonderfully inventive, inspiring and truly imaginative World Fantasy Convention 2022. As we look for ways to break the mould, as well as barriers in our stories, international conventions are looking to do the same, finding platforms to raise a wonderfully diverse range of voices. It’s also a reminder of the inequity of barriers faced, as we search for those authentic voices. Hopeful, as we see gains made, reflected in my ever-going to-read list, while humbling in the knowledge of an uneven worldwide playing field. Still, there’s hope. If anyone knows how to find new and innovative solutions, it’s surely those that occupy the speculative fiction sphere.
Looking forward to the week ahead, because… it is WORLD FANTASY CONVENTION 2023, my third year there, and I will be tuning into New Orleans from the comfort of my writing room. Really excited for so many inspiring panels, and conversations with readers and writers alike. And of course, I’m looking forward to being a panelist again, programmed on Friday’s, Just Who is the Villain panel. Buzzing – but more on that later.
Mia is the in-house monitor for season changes. From sun worshipper during the heatwave, to couch potato, taking to her red blanket when Autumn arrives.
After a summer of family grief and the upheaval that comes with it, summer passed in the blink of an eye or a hazy wave, dependent on the moment. So before all the leaves have disappeared from the trees, I thought I’d revisit a recent outing to a local reserve, lovely Dunsford.
We’re so grateful to Devon Wildlife Trust for maintaining these pockets of nature, an outing so magical it inspired a poem:
Dunsford; by Susie Williamson
Walk with me,
You who feels troubles plenty,
Weighed with thoughts of disconnection,
Bring your heavy steps,
Across the swathes of Clifford Bridge,
Spy the magic from afar,
Allow your mind, your thoughts and all that you are,
To embrace,
Open your heart to the wonders abound,
Dunsford Reverse, nature’s ground,
Where coppices grow, regrow, recycle, renew refresh,
Tune your senses to the cool, crisp clarity of nature’s drug,
Eyes wide to the magic like a heady rush,
In this place of vivid tones,
And transient joy through valley slopes,
Cast your eye,
Over crystal clear waters of the River Teign,
With a rushing flow felt deep within,
Your cells alive with the sounds of a watery dance,
Spy the slender pickings of a native dipper,
The distant tap of a kingfisher,
And in a moment your heart skips a beat,
To hear an otter’s indomitable squeak,
You pause,
Beneath the arched boughs of a sycamore tree,
A place of nature’s unity,
Leaves touch glassy water with the lightest kiss,
While tumbled-down steeples of jagged rocks,
Cloudy crystal granite shards defend the shores,
Watched by passing deer from slopes up high,
Through dappling fronds their furtive spy,
Grants a wish,
For those who look beyond the pale,
To where sun and moon cast dreamlike rays,
Too soon for springtime daffodils,
But climb woodland heights for magicked sights,
And long-tailed tits like dragonflies,
Acorns beneath giant ferns like trees,
Half-eaten in this woodland sanctity
Passersby,
Feel the brush of air from a tawnies wing,
The distant sound of a goosander’s song,
Climb through hazel, oak and hawthorn,
Barbs to give a friendly scratch,
While reaching heady woodland heights,
Breathe the view of this vast valley,
Home to bracken slopes and fallow deer,
And know, our connective tissue.
After a slight interlude, here is the promised Part Two, to follow my recent post entitled WorldCon 2022 Non-Conforming Women.
Whereas the first post looked at some favourite women on screen, there are some wonderfully inspiring books out there that go a long way to challenge the gender status quo and free all our characters up to be who they want to be. Representation matters and I’m all for subverting expectation to give unique stories and characterisation.
As for the question of how I explore gender in my own epic fantasy series, Blood Gift Chronicles …
