Helen Lowe's Blog, page 39
February 13, 2022
On Worldbuilding: Beware The “Expository Lump!”
Open for some serious worldbuilding business…
Over the last month I’ve been relooking at previous worldbuilding posts. (See the end of this post for links to the current series.)
I also took a wee sidetrip to Ursula Le Guin’s Steering The Craft, with a specific nod to the chapters that touch on worldbuilding. The term “expository lump” also stems from Steering The Craft.
Le Guin cites it as a general science fiction* writing term, but her book is the only place I’ve seen it used, so in my mind i...
February 9, 2022
About The Characters: Meet The Minor Players In “The Wall Of Night” Series — Meet Lord Isrradin
USA
The About The Characters post series focuses on the minor characters in The Wall Of Night series, in large part because:
“I think it’s the presence of the smaller characters that “makes” a story, creating texture around the main points of view.”
~ from: Legend Award Finalist’s Interview, 2013
Initially, the series focused exclusively on characters from The Heir of Night, but now I’m continuing on with minor characters from both The Gathering Of The Lost and Daughter of Blood — in alphabetica...
February 6, 2022
A “Mini” WALL#4 Update
Always looking to the light ahead…
On Thursday I cited what I considered a very valid excuse for not commencing the “Heroes in Fantasy” post series on Supernatural Underground:
“…which is that getting that WALL #4 section I mentioned here finished has taken longer than expected. I’m really hoping today or tomorrow will see it done..”
And it did! So woo-hoo (toots vuvuzela) — because ticking off chapters and sections is all about keeping the story and the manuscript moving forward.
So although I ...
February 2, 2022
On Supernatural Underground: A Sneak Peek “Inside Middle Earth”
I know, I know, I was supposed to dive into the “Heroes in Fantasy” series on Supernatural Underground on Tuesday 1—but I do have the perfect excuse for not doing so (yet), which is that getting that WALL #4 section I mentioned here finished has taken longer than expected.
I’m really hoping today or tomorrow will see it done, though, after which I can think more about the heroes (and other far less exciting things, like tax returns. :-/)
In the meantime, I’ve shared a landscape photo that I real...
January 30, 2022
“My Worldbuilding: A Few Thoughts On Guiding Influences” (Reprised)
The Wall of Night Series map; artist Peter Fitzpatrick
Last week, I posted “On Worldbuilding”, a comprehensive post on an art and craft (worldbuilding, that is) I consider fundamental to fantasy and science fiction storytelling.
(So did the late, great Ursula Le Guin, as the quote in last Thursday’s post made clear.)
Today’s post is the companion piece, which specifically address some (but not all) of the guiding influences on my own worldbuilding.
~*~
From the Backlist: “My Worldbuilding: A Few...January 26, 2022
When It Comes To Books On Writing…
…in my humble opinion, one cannot go past Steering The Craft by the great Ursula Le Guin.
The subtitle promises “exercises and discussions on story writing”…(hooray!)…“for the lone navigator”…(that’s me!)…“or the mutinous crew.” (I’m pretty sure that’s the muses, in my case: O-o.)
My current theme is worldbuilding and while Steering The Craft is not specifically about that topic, I don’t believe anyone could read Le Guin’s passages on language, or how to make point-of-view work for the story, w...
January 23, 2022
“On Worldbuilding” (Reprised)
Open for some serious worldbuilding business…
Last Monday I shared the somewhat astonishing (to me) discovery that I have featured around twenty-eight posts on the topic of worldbuilding on this blog, in its life from May 2010 until now.
So before launching into fresh material, I felt that a review of the twenty eight was in order. Having completed that process, I believe several definitely merit a refeature.
Some of these posts focus on the art and craft of worldbuilding; others a...
January 19, 2022
Kinda Busy…
Deep in the world of Haarth… (as is only right 
)
…for the best reason, which is that I’m pressing to complete the current section-in-progress for WALL #4 by the end of the week, and I need to keep my nose to the writing grindstone.
By my reckoning, I have one more chapter to write. Earlier, I went over the “entry vector”, i.e. the preceding sequences from the POV character’s perspective, to ensure everything lines up — and so far, it’s reading pretty well. Fingers crossed the positives may cont...
January 16, 2022
The Worldbuilding Journey Begins—With A Review!
Having fun with worldbuilding…; map credit: Peter Fitzpatrick
Last Monday I discussed taking a(nother) look at worldbuilding and observed that having posted a reasonable amount on the topic, the starting point might be a review.
We-ell, that turned out to be a remarkably percipient observation, because when I sat down to tot up preceding posts, I counted a grand total of twenty eight on this blog alone, specifically addressing worldbuilding or an aspect of it.
And then, there’s the Worldbuildin...
January 12, 2022
About The Characters: Meet The Minor Players In “The Wall Of Night” Series — Meet Lord Falk
The About The Characters post series focuses on the minor characters in The Wall Of Night series, in large part because:
“I think it’s the presence of the smaller characters that “makes” a story, creating texture around the main points of view.”
~ from: Legend Award Finalist’s Interview, 2013
Initially, the series focused exclusively on characters from The Heir of Night, but now I’m continuing on with minor characters from both The Gathering Of The Lost and Daughter of Blood — in alphabetical or...
