As I continue to wait on some editorial direction regarding my next project, an idea keeps tickling around in my head about writing a fantasy novel. Why not? I've been wanting to do that for ages, and following my own advice about having different writing projects in play at a given time probably isn't a bad idea. It's not as though I can't lay it aside if I need to get rolling on another horse book, it's practice in shaping words and thoughts in a different way, and it's a way to keep practicing the craft of writing without getting stale.
What's been teasing through my mind is a story based on the ancient Russian legend of the Firebird, which brings both beauty and misfortune into the lives of whoever may see it, and especially on the one who dares keep one of its glowing feathers. The legend has several variants, generally falling into either a quest to capture the enchanted bird or a quest to find and bring back a princess somehow linked to the bird. Usually, in true fairy-tale fashion, the hero is the underappreciated third son of a king, who succeeds where his more favored brothers have failed. But what if the prince is a princess, the Firebird is far more than it seems, and the fates of many magics hang in the balance? And yes, I think a magical horse or two will play a role, something also seen in some versions of the Firebird legend.
I don't know if it will all come together or if I'm chasing something as elusive as the Firebird itself. But I'm going to give it a try!
What's been teasing through my mind is a story based on the ancient Russian legend of the Firebird, which brings both beauty and misfortune into the lives of whoever may see it, and especially on the one who dares keep one of its glowing feathers. The legend has several variants, generally falling into either a quest to capture the enchanted bird or a quest to find and bring back a princess somehow linked to the bird. Usually, in true fairy-tale fashion, the hero is the underappreciated third son of a king, who succeeds where his more favored brothers have failed. But what if the prince is a princess, the Firebird is far more than it seems, and the fates of many magics hang in the balance? And yes, I think a magical horse or two will play a role, something also seen in some versions of the Firebird legend.
I don't know if it will all come together or if I'm chasing something as elusive as the Firebird itself. But I'm going to give it a try!