Living the Fictional Dream

The March 2008 issue of Arcane Twilight includes my short story “The Talon”. This was my first non-flash story to be published. The other notable thing about this story is that it is my first published piece set in Tyden — a fantasy world that I created for one of my novels-in-progress. I actually created Tyden back when I was in high school, so the world has existed in my mind for a long time. It is nice to have a piece of that out in the world.

“The Talon” is set about 200 years before my novel, and it is about a mercenary, Layla, who wishes she were an artist. Sadly, wishing does not make it so. Layla is hired by a mysterious sorcerer on a dangerous mission that draws her into the beginnings of Tyden’s civil war.

This was my first attempt at writing sword and sorcery. My writing group mate, Jens, and I were trying to crack the 2007 Sword & Sorceress market that wanted sword and sorcery stories with strong female protagonists. Sadly, neither of us were accepted there, but all of our attempts, I believe, eventually found homes (not a small feat, as sword and sorcery is not one of the favored subgenres of fantasy these days).

Another element in this story that I liked was the glassblowing. I’d seen glassblowing demonstrations a couple of times, at Scarborough Faire and the like. Right before I wrote “The Talon,” I was on vacation in Arizona and saw a live glassblowing exhibition in the town of Jerome (a really cute, artsy, folksy place). That became the opening scene in “The Talon.”

So, if you have a chance, head over to Arcane Twilight and give it a read. It even has an illustration that they made just for my story.