Hello, Fluttery Forest Dweller,
🌳 Procrastinating or World building?
I've always enjoyed designing houses for fun. On paper, at first, and later on the computer. Even most of my gaming time is spent building houses. That started with the Sims, and I'm now happily continuing that trend in Valheim. But, aside from one very early story, I've never taken the time to design a character's house. I stored it all in my head.
But after designing Murrey's Wode, the urge to do more than just choose a tree grabbed hold of me. Because, while I had a lot of fun imagining the dwellings in the Tales of the Forest series, it annoyed me that I'm already having trouble remembering what Taruif's dwelling looked like. Or Kelnaht's.
So, I indulged myself and took the time to get up close and personal with these trees. Was I procrastinating? Considering the amount of time I spent. Definitely. But, creating these dwellings also gives me anchors to hold on to, without having to keep it all in my head.
Besides, I can't share things that only live in my head with you. But I can share this. So, if you ever wondered what my elves' dwellings look like, here's your chance:
🌳 All the MCs
Last week, I promised to reveal the names of the main characters in the Hearts of the Forest series:
Book 1: Tavi and Ludo (a novella)
Book 2: Brem and Roan (whose first draft has been gathering dust since 2018)
Book 3: Dut and Jarron
Book 4: Otten and Baan
Book 5: Kruk and Aluin
Book 6: Terris and Ilohk
And last, but not least, a newsletter exclusive short story about the affairs of elders: Floris and Poffel.
I can't wait for you to get to know them as they find love in Murrey's Wode. Some of them haven't even found their way to the village... yet. But some will appear in Tavi and Ludo's story, for sure. Floris, definitely, since he's one of the village's elders. Ilohk, however, comes from the same region where Veld was born. He still has a long way to go.
✍🏻 The paperbacks are in!!
Ingram Spark delivered my large print paperbacks this week, and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out.
I've seen them pop up slowly at the vendors Ingram delivers too, so keep an eye on your favourite shop if you're a fan of large print books!
Here's a comparison between the regular and the large print.
[Image Description: Photo showing two sets of books by Blaine D. Arden: How Six Saved the Frogs and Tech Prince Troubles. Each title appears in standard and large-print editions. The books are displayed front-facing and spine-up on a patterned surface, highlighting the cover art and typography for both series.]
✍🏻 What else is Blaine doing this week?
Circling back to procrastination vs world building, I think mulling is this week's theme. I've been diving into the Hearts of the Forest world, but have yet to add words to the actual story.
Granted, I've had a few busy weekends that made me feel I needed an actual weekend—fingers crossed for this one—so my brain has been a bit laggy. But now I have a good sense of where Tavi and Ludo live, I'm ready to really dive in. Besides, the little dragons have been nipping at my ankles to get a move on...
and name them.
Would you want to live in a tree like Tavi and Ludo? Feel free to hit reply. I'd love to hear what your favourite room would look like.
Until next week,
Blaine
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