The Birth of a Story

 

As an air traffic controller at ZDV (Denver Center), my job was an exciting and challenging dance of guiding aircraft across vast expanses of sky. It was a demanding role, requiring split-second decisions and unwavering focus. While the thrill of the job was undeniable, the mental and emotional toll was substantial. One example, helping a gaggle of nervous pilots through a colossal, ominous line of thunderstorms stretching from Canada to Mexico – with a single, narrow gap in my airspace – would leave a strong sense of accomplishment, but the exhaustion was real. Amidst the chaos, finding the time and mental energy for creative pursuits was a formidable challenge.

While writing was never far from my thoughts, consistency was elusive. World-building offered a welcome escape, allowing me to lose myself in fantastical realms. But committing to a full-length novel felt akin to charting a new flight path through uncharted territory.

Then, a spark ignited. A single scene materialized in my mind: a powerful woman, trapped by a sinister shadow curse, who selflessly imprisons herself in the care of her brother and sister questors in order to protect her people. The image was so vivid, so compelling, that I couldn’t ignore it. I wrote the scene, then found myself expanding it, exploring the backstory that led to this dramatic moment. This was the birth of my first major writing project, “Imperfect Hope.”

I managed to complete a first draft before retiring from the FAA, but the transition to civilian life was more challenging than I anticipated. My mind needed time to adjust. When I finally returned to the manuscript, I discovered that I was blocked. Looking back, I realize that I needed more time away to process the significant life change.

After a couple of years, I dived back into the story. The first rewrite was a step forward, but I knew I still had room for improvement. To hone my craft, I returned to my world-building roots, exploring smaller stories and characters. These exercises not only helped me develop my writing skills but also reignited my passion for storytelling.

The journey of writing "Imperfect Hope" has been a long and winding one, filled with challenges. It's taught me the importance of perseverance, the value of stepping back when needed, and the endless possibilities that reside within a single spark of an idea. While "Imperfect Hope" remains a work in progress, I've found myself drawn to smaller projects that allow me to hone my craft and explore new avenues. The "Rocke Stoene" series, aimed at the Kindle Vella market, and short stories like "A Child, Unnamed" - born from the world of "Imperfect Hope" - are currently capturing my attention. These projects offer a dynamic balance of creativity and recognizeable progress, bringing me closer to my goal of becoming a published author.

 

Have you ever faced similar challenges in your writing or career? Share your thoughts on this post, or tell me about your own writing journey. Let's inspire each other!

 

Clear Skies

Jim

The Road Less Traveled

Early Worldbuilding, a roundabout journey

The seeds of my worldbuilding obsession were sown in 1983, during an early IFGS game called Quest of the Obi, written by Mark Matthew-Simmons. As a rookie live action role-player, I was initially drawn to the ranger class, but the loremaster needed a cleric, so, while I kept the basic character history, Brandis became a war-cleric. This seemingly minor decision would set the stage for a lifelong passion.

Brandis began as a spear-wielding elf, but as I delved deeper into the IFGS universe, I yearned to give him a unique identity through the first of many character history amendments. This led to the creation of the K'tath, a race similar to elves yet distinct in culture and history. A vaguely defined homeland, D'oril, emerged as a cornerstone for my newest foray into worldbuilding. To add a touch of tragedy and role playing depth, I made Brandis the last of his kind.

This dramatic backstory posed a challenge a couple of years later when I began writing and produced my first IFGS game, The K'tath of D'oril. How could I center a game on a people if only one remained? The answer lay in a deception I added to the backstory. Brandis had been misled by his goddess, Elorna, into believing he was alone. In truth, she needed an emissary to bridge the gap between the reclusive K'tath and the outside world, and she knew he wouldn't venture south unless he thought he was the sole survivor of a brutal attack by an ancient enemy. This intricate plot device became the foundation for the game, the first of many I wrote and produced, where players journeyed north to discover a hidden civilization and initiate diplomatic relations.

What began as a simple character concept had now begun to evolve into a complex and multifaceted world. D'oril, once a solitary point of focus, became a corner of a broader tapestry. A magical land arose, at times torn by strife between factions of light and darkness and fed by the manipulations of shadow. Civilizations with diverse cultures, from the enigmatic K'tath of the far north to the burgeoning Western Confederacy. The formidable Empire of Tallux, the primary antagonist of the D'oril games, stretched across two continents, and its efforts to bridge the treacherous "Endless Ocean" fed a string of IFGS adventures. By constructing a rich history that spanned millennia, I laid the groundwork for countless stories. The Rocke Stoene series is one of them,  taking place a few hundred years before Brandis's time, that first novice character who journeyed beyond the borders of his homeland to discover a new land. In Graveyard Blues, Rocke lives in a provincial capital of  "The Vast Realm", as that triumvirate-ruled realm begins a long slide into a darkness. A fall of a bureaucracy that will one day see the birth of the theocratic Empire of Tallux, the antagonist of many of the IFGS D'oril games that culminated in Sha'Te valley...

The long journey from a novice role-player to worldbuilder and now writer has been nothing short of exhilarating. I owe a debt of gratitude to those early IFGS experiences and the supportive community that nurtured my creativity. Along the way, I've met many folk who have encouraged me to look beyond the confines of the bureaucracy and madness of the FAA to rediscover my creative roots, but that's a tale for another time.

 

Clear Skies,

Jim

Evolution of a Storyteller, part 1

 I've always been a storyteller at heart. It started with the roll of the dice and the flip of a page, where imaginary worlds took shape in the minds of friends gathered around a table. Tabletop RPGs were my first foray into crafting narratives, where character creation and world-building were as vital as the outcome of the dice. From the high fantasy realms of early Dungeons and Dragons, to the gritty bronze-age adventures of Runequest, and the lonely expanses of the universe of Traveller, these early adventures ignited a lifelong passion for storytelling.

The transition to live-action role-playing was a natural progression. Joining the International Fantasy Gaming Society (IFGS) immersed me in a world of elaborate costumes, intricate plots, and the thrill of embodying a character. It was here that I honed my skills as a game master, learning the art of world-building, character development, and pacing a narrative for a live audience.

Creating my own IFGS games was the next logical step. "The K'tath of D'oril" was my first attempt at weaving a complex tapestry of history, magic, and conflict. It was a challenging but rewarding experience that laid the foundation for my future writing endeavors. The subsequent creation of "Sha'te Valley," a massive undertaking involving dozens of characters, solidified my ability to craft detailed worlds, develop compelling characters, and construct engaging narratives.

Unfortunately, life intervened. The demands of adulthood required a shift in focus, and for more than twenty-five years, the worlds of fantasy and role-playing were put on hold. A career as an air traffic controller consumed my energy and attention, leaving little room for creative pursuits. The constant pressure and high-stakes environment were a far cry from the imaginative freedom I had once relished.

Retirement brought with it a renewed sense of purpose, though it took quite a while to unwind from my career with the FAA. The quiet solitude afforded me the opportunity to rediscover my passion for storytelling. With a wealth of life experiences and a fresh perspective, I began to explore the realms of my imagination once more. The leap from game master to novelist was a natural progression. The skills I honed in crafting detailed worlds, developing compelling characters, and constructing engaging narratives proved invaluable in transitioning to the written word.

Graveyard Blues is a testament to this evolution. It blends the fantastical elements I cultivated in my RPG days with the gritty realism of noir fiction. I'm excited to see where this journey will take me next.

 

Clear Skies,

Jim