Well, tonight it was cartography

While I did manage to finish (I think) a very short chapter today, I have spent more time in genealogy and cartography this evening.

All authors have their own approaches. Mine, for the fantasy fiction I am working on, often starts with maps and family trees. I start with context. Where in place and time are my characters located and what is the nexus of their relationships?

I rapidly find myself wondering about all sorts of things. How and why did this person live so long and that one die so young? What is going on in terms of dynastic politics? Who were this person's friends (or enemies)? How did these people get from A to B? And why? By choice, by chance, perforce? What physical and personality traits show up in descendants - in which ones and in what combinations?

All of that is floating around in a rich stew, so to speak, and I await the pleasure of discovering the next bite.

Speaking of which, I had dinner with my best friend and his dad last night and enjoyed what may well be the most delicious stew I have ever tasted. Actually, the leftovers for lunch were even better - or was I just less tired and more sober when lunching today? All this with buttermilk biscuits (from scratch) to die for. Yum.

Anyway, dynastic relationships are clearer for me now and there is more detail on the map. Since I am about to recount a civil war, these things are critical, as you can well imagine.

Cartographo, cartographein, cartogegrapha, whom am I kidding? I have not conjugated in Greek in several decades; how can I expect to conjugate playfully in pseudo-Greek?

Sweet dreams, my little gypsy moths
--the BB