Myth and Magic

This week we consider creating toponymy for your notional world by first visiting Ad Pontes and then providing tips on naming places when you begin your world-building. We also visit Old Windsor and look at Britain's Minsters. We learn about the Forbes list of Best YA Fantasy Novels Of All Time; We study therianthropy, we check-out Skinwalkers and take a closer look at Selkies and Finnfolk. The magical wildflower of the week is: Bulrush.

Start prepping for NANOWRIMO as you begin plotting your fantasy fiction novel, and look at the various stage of a Hero's Journey and consider Markstein's criteria when constructing your fantasy universe. Visit the Celtic Way and consider the race of Celts. Discuss the Guardian list of the 100 best books of the 21st century and imagine what books might be added to Gwyneth Paltrow's (empty) bookcase. The Wildflower of the week is Blackberry.

Go high onto the moors and heaths this week when I travel to Exmoor to explore how moorland habitats have been used by fiction writers to convey the sense of wilderness, wildness and magic. Learn about Pixie mythology and visit the ancient village of Withypool where Lorna Dorne was written. I think about using scrying in fantasy fiction plots and talk about floating timelines. I also examine ABCs also known as phantom cats or mystery cats. The magical wildflower of the week is Morning Glory.

This week I visit the tower that inspired the story of the trapped maiden in a tower: Rapunzel. I visit Chateau Brametourte, in Lautrec, for my daughter's wedding. I look at Apotropaic marks a.k.a. witch marks. I also consider cryptids and I discuss the work of Michael Swanwick. My wildflower of the week is the Sunflower

This week I describe four darkly magical castles of England before I head off to France to stay at the 11th century Chateau de Brametourte. I visit the Cerne Abbas Giant to see the big cleanup, I think about Indigo Children, discuss synchronicity and look at the cockatrice. The magical wildflower of the week is Belladona.

This week I visit Oakley Court castle, where the Rocky Horror Picture Show was filmed. This leads me to think about how science fiction differs from fantasy fiction. I discuss the origins of science fiction, a genre that goes back further than you might think! I also discuss standing stone circles and introduce fantasy fiction fans to the remarkable similarities between aliens and faeries. And, anyway, what's the official definition of a fairy? I congratulate Zen Cho, the author of "The True Queen" upon her recent win and and explore the tales of wandering knights and Mythopoeia. I also study the beast known as a Griffin and see how you might eat some Fat Hen.

This week I consider Old Father Thames and have a conversation about other river gods and later go deeper into the river Naiads. I visit the Lammas Fields and look out how, at Lammastide, the local medieval monks potentially inspired our image of Father Time and also, even, death. I discuss the Grianan of Aileach and talk more about the Wanderer (Woden) who probably inspired the fictional figures of Merlin and later Gandalf. I also discuss the bildungsroman genre of fiction. My magical word of the week is: VERÐIR … a word that imparts: warden trees and wraiths. My wildflower of the week is: The Water Lily

This week I take a trip to Shrewsbury in the Welsh Marches via The Wrekin — the landscape that inspired Tolkien's Middle Earth and there I talk about the Horned God and the origins of the Arthurian legends. I visit Eaton... the "real" Hogwarts for my birthday and I discuss the life of Toni Morrison (RIP). Later I discover the magical power of True Names and study the three types of myth. My fabulous creature of the week is: the Swan Maiden. My wildflower of the week is: Chili Pepper