This is the first of what I hope to be many blog posts about the behind-the-scenes of 'THE COMING OF THE PILGRIM,' my first attempt at writing a long-form story. Also, just as a quick aside, I am writing the story along with my wife. However, I (Lee, hello, nice to meet you) will be writing on this Blog almost exclusively unless my wife would like to chime in or contribute more of her thoughts to the Blog. All views and opinions expressed herein are my own and do not reflect her or her views of things. We may be slightly co-dependent, but she is a fully human woman with thoughts and feelings of her own, lol. Okay, back to the Blog. My reasons for starting this Blog are twofold. 353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuh09YdqdNM
Firstly, staying active no matter the platform you choose to engage in is just generally beneficial. Maintaining momentum in the faces of active users increases the chances of me and, by extension, our work being seen. Secondly, I hope that typing out my thoughts, no matter how tenuous of a connection they might hold to the story itself, will keep me motivated to finish the project and see it to the end. My metaphorical closet is full of the bones of one or two many dead projects that never have and will never see the light of day. We do not intend for this to be another skeleton to be stashed away forever. Even if no one or just one person reads either this or the story itself, we must complete it for no one other than ourselves. This is a formal (or informal, depending on how you look at it) declaration to see this project to the end.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHroQCKwLt2
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Research353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl14jELD72o
How much is too much, and how much is too little? I suppose that depends on the purpose of the research and just how much of said information you will incorporate into the story. Often times I will be writing, and I hit a snag or an area where my mind goes blank, and it's time to consult a wiki page or whatever. The two most recent examples that come to mind are 'THE STAR-SINGER II' Chapter and the current chapter I am currently writing. I had to find a place to put the library in the Starry Keep, and I thought the idea of a sort of basement carved into the body of the mountain would be a pretty evocative location for one. Yet the question arises, where were libraries stored in medieval castles, how common were they, and what in the hell were basements called? Well, I'm not sure about that last one, but I decided on the term undercroft as that seemed the most suitable style of room for an underground library as they were generally used to store anything from food to equipment. 353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0jhcIM3VK
As for the libraries and the frequency in which they appeared in medieval castles, turns out that answer was quite disappointing but also not shocking, hahaha. A collection of just ten tomes was considered extensive back in ye olden times, and for good reason. No shocker here that books weren't all that comment back then and were pretty damn expensive. Yet seeing as how the Pieadrras are an affluent noble House, and Clara Luna is something of a cultural hub/melting pot when it comes to Astronomy and the Mystic Arts of Divination, I felt it was justified for the family to have a library of collected works that spanned back generations. Not only of books but of scrolls and stone slabs. Basically, whatever could be written on and contained wisdom of sorts is probably going to be stored in that library. 353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweUSGlAbJ5
Next comes this current chapter. I am only 249 words in, and I had to already look up two separate things to just describe the setting. The first was the position of the sun in the sky relative to the time of day. A quick google search states "The minute, as a measurement of time, didn't exist. During the Middle Ages, people used a combination of water clocks, sun dials, and candle clocks to tell time though none of those could tell time to the minute." Which, in this case, didn't work for the scene, so the next best thing would be to look at the sky and the position of the sun. This is one of those situations in that I felt extensive research wasn't really warranted as the accumulation of that research would only amount to a sentence, MAYBE two at most. But still a useful Google search and fun little dive, nonetheless. The same goes for Treelines, which is a whole other matter, and I just kinda decided on a compromise of sorts. Clara Luna is a mountain town, and I have alluded to it being pretty high up but never gave specifics, so whether or trees can still grow at that altitude is up to my discretion. Suffice to say they do, and they are small and stunted. Lots of wind, cold temps and low moister will do that. 353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4w3yX9k8O
All in all, if you've read this far, god bless your soul. All I did was talk about boring things, so good on you. But I hope the general takeaway is that doing your research on areas you are ignorant in will always be a good idea, especially as it relates to one's story. However, only do as much research as needed to convey the scene or idea coherently, and don't get lost in the sauce. I type that as just general advice and a reminder to myself. 353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMtauPooox
That's all I have to say for now. Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful day, afternoon, or night. Goodbye!353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ORHzURVkr
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