World Building in the Modern Age

Isn't this a handsome fellow or lady frog? It's an Australian red crowned frog and it's just been put on the endangered species list. Not much water over there at the moment. Seems that frogs need water to live in. Unless we get our collective act together, this froggie will join a whole host of other species that are dying out through loss of habitat.

I'm about a third of the way through my new work in progress. It's set on the planet Elyria. And the setting is more or less contemporary. By that I mean that is isn't high-tech futuristic sci-fi. Nor is it a medieval peasant state or a primitive culture. Having said all of that, how do you make it different without making it a copy of Earth?

If we colonized an Earth-like planet with humans, what would we change? And what would remain the same? How long would it take for there to be a distinctive Elyrian culture? How much would we use what we've learned about caring for the planet? Those are the questions I'm struggling with...not because I am trying to make a point about how our planet is dying--but because surely we would want to change a few things if we were starting over? So what would we change and how would that affect societal norms?

For instance, would there be wholesale recycling? Water restrictions like our country is facing in the south east? Would we have learned anything about a sustainable existence or within fifty years would we be back to the same-old, same-old?

Ah well. That's to deal with another day. Today, it's my turn at the Saga. Here's where Amarinda left off...

One of the sheathed men approached them. “Your majesty, the prophets said you would return. We are overwhelmed and wish to share our riches with you.”

Emmeline smiled. “Well, here I am.” This was more like it.

“I think they’re looking at me, Em.” Zoltan smiled at the little man.

“I am way more majestic then you, magic man.” She pushed Zoltan aside.

The crowd of naked villages gasped in horror. “Do you want her dead, your Majesty?”

“Hmmm...” Zoltan murmured thoughtfully as he looked at his estranged wife.

And I will now take up the story...

“Zoltan, who are these people?” Emmeline demanded impatiently.

“Em, dear, these are the Ee-Seas, my loyal subjects.” Zoltan smiled down at the short villagers. “Let me get back to you about that. It will all depend on whether Emmeline and I can come to an agreement about her unwomanly behavior.”

The head villager nodded his head solemnly. “Yes, sire. I can see that you have much work to do. Her clothes are the wrong time period and a woman should never have access to a peeler. The next thing you know, she’ll be insisting on having babies. You must do something at once or we’ll be forced to banish her to the valley of blue people. There will be no other course of action…or we could just kill her off. The unconventional people are very hard to manage,” he pointed out wisely. “Sometimes they are even beyond the powers of the Frog Queen.”

Zoltan motioned for Emmeline to hand the peeler to him. “Give me the peeler, Em. The headman is correct. I should have taken you in hand a long time ago.”

She stared at him incredulously. “Are you insane? Have you lost your tiny mind? A warrior never gives up her peeler!”

“So that’s you’re final word, Emmeline?”

“That’s my final word.” She stared haughtily down her beaky nose at him.
With a deep sigh, he whipped the purple box from beneath his robes and shouted, “Chrysanthemum” as he jerked the lid off. In a poof of purple smoke Emmeline disappeared as the smoke filtered back into the box.

Anny

Don't forget to check in with the Kelly blog at http://www.kkirch.blogspot.com/ and the Amarinda blog at http://www.amarindajones.blogspot.com/ and then have a nice day!

In search of the frog bead

I feel that there should be ominous music with a video of some gorgeous woman in a trench coat sneaking around shadowy doorways when I read my title. It may come to that before it's all over. I am determined to find a frog bead. Why? Well, listen to my story...

In the spring, I will be attending an author's convention. Several of my fellow authors and I share a lovely editor who established a chat loop just for us. It's called the frog's pond. My editor is a frogaholic. Anyway, quite a few of my fellow frogs will be attending the author's convention--some of them traveling astonishing distances to get there--and I wanted to make a little momento for each of them.

Enter the frog bead.

Beading is one of my hobbies so I thought what could be better than making each of them an item using beads? And what could be cooler than using a frog bead in that item? Right? Well, it would be a fine thing if I could actually find one... or two.

I've searched the local craft stores.

I've searched the local bead shops.

I've searched the internet.

I've found fish, leaves, turtles, hearts, flowers...but no frogs. However, I will persevere. I have six months to locate the frog beads and when I find them, you may be sure that I will snap them up to the last bead. Who knows when I'll need a frog bead again? I believe in being prepared.

So while I go off in search for the elusive frog beads, I'll leave you with my episode of the Blog Saga for entertainment.

When last we saw Jonas, Rafe, and Shade, Rinalda had just informed Rafe that she was going to have his baby...

Jonas looked her over with a connoisseur’s eye and snorted. “Not in this lifetime, I bet. Rafe, you’re a feeble-minded jerk if you fall for that one. That’s the oldest trick in the book. Ask her for proof.”

Shade shot him a nervous glance. “Proof? What kind of proof?”

“DNA. Pregnancy test. That kind of proof,” Jonas retorted impatiently. “What kind of place is this, anyway?”

“DNA?” Queen Zahara seized Jonas by his ear and dragged him closer. “Tell me of this D-N-A!” she demanded.

Jonas shrugged. “It’s a way to tell for sure if the baby is really from one of them.” He pointed to Rinalda. “First of course, you have to find out if she’s even pregnant. My money says ‘no’ and I’m usually correct. I think it’s a ploy to get something from you, Queenie. What do you have that she wants?”

Queen Zahara glared at Rinalda in sudden comprehension. “The kingdom! You witch!”

Rinalda grabbed Rafe’s arm and tapped him with the peeler. With a poof of smoke, they vanished.

“Now see what you done,” Zahara snarled. “She’s taken Rafe!”

“I didn’t do anything,” Jonas protested. “I saved your kingdom!”

Zahara looked at him with an arrested expression. “That is true.” She released his ear and circled him, taking in his muscular figure and well endowed package. “Hmmm.” Leaning closer to his neck, she sniffed and then licked his neck. “Mmmm. Yes, I think you just might be the one. I’ve looked a long time for the right one…”

So what does Zahara have in mind for Jonas? Where are Louella and Emmeline? And Where did Rinalda take Rafe? Stay tuned to find out what new territory Kelly explores on Monday at http://www.kkirch.blogspot.com/ and of course if you missed yesterday's episode drop by Amarinda's blog at http://www.amarindajones.blogspot.com/ to catch up! Actually, drop by there and look at the yummy man on the cover of her upcoming book, Last Man Standing. Yes, yes, I know he's too young for me, but he is pretty and that dragon tattoo...

Anny