By: Dianne Lynn Gardner
Where did the Realm come from?
It’s funny. Someone once asked me “Why is the portal into the Realm a computer?” The answer is that I’m only writing what I know. *smiles
When I write (on the computer) I enter my world. So though this story-portal is make-believe, there’s a little bit of truth to it.
Remember the Disney cartoon where you see a hand drawing Mickey Mouse, and then the little guy comes to life?
Same concept.
I write on the computer—voila-- the world comes to life on my computer.
So what exactly do we mean by world building?
Let’s look at the most famous world builder of our time. J.R.R Tolkien. The man was a philologist. He built his world first by inventing languages. After that he created legends that told the story of the people who spoke those languages. His settings were so unique and detailed that when he finally came around to telling the tale of the One Ring, everything was in place for it. He pulled from the history he had written.
He was a master at world building.
Why did he do it?
Something I find valuable in the life of both Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, whose Narnia is an inspiring world as well, was that they lived during a horrific era in a country feeling the effects of World War I. They both served in the trenches during the war, and were evidently devastated by what they experienced. There had to be hope for mankind, because the dark world of war was at their door.
They each had their worlds they could slip into.
And not just for themselves, but for the survivors of that dismal era. Their worlds swept through ours like a light in the forest. People begged for more.
Why…you ask?
I love Lewis’ take on the answer to that. He said, “"If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world."
— C.S. Lewis
— C.S. Lewis
Maybe he wasn’t talking about a fantasy world when he said that. I’m certain his quote had more of a spiritual connotation to it. But the desire for a better life, a purer place to live, and a happier outcome than many of us experience has always been in the heart of man.
-Hence, the need for world building.
About the Author
Dianne Lynne Gardner is both
an author and illustrator. She’s an active member of the Society of Children’s
Book Writers and Illustrators, and the National League of American Pen Women.
She has written Young Adult Fantasy novels as well as articles for national
magazines and newspapers and she is an award winning artist.
Dianne spent many years living out in the desert
wilderness of the American Southwest, lived in a hogan made from adobe and
cedar for thirteen years, co-owned 25 horses both pure bred and Native American
ponies, traveled horseback and by wagon throughout the Navajo reservation,
herded sheep and goat, worked in the forest planting trees and piling, farmed
on barren soil and even lived in a teepee for a short while. She spent many
long years using survival skills as a way of life.
Later she studied pastoral counseling and was a
Pastor’s apprentice at a mainline church. She and her husband have been feeding
the homeless for over twelve years. Today she draws both
her survival experiences and her love for people, especially young people, into
her writing seeking not only to give her readers a firm understanding of her
stories’ characters, but a rich appreciation of nature.
Connect with Dianne Lynn Gardner
Dianne’s
Blog
Author’s Blog
Facebook fan page
Amazon Author Page
Twitter
Deception Peak by Dianne
Lynn Gardner
Genre: YA Fantasy
228 pages
Teenage Ian Wilson follows
his father through a portal into a deceptively beautiful Realm, where horses
run free, the wind sings prophetic melodies, and their computer avatars come to
life.
But separation from his father puts Ian in peril
as he’s abducted by a tribe of dragon worshipers and forced to find his
courage.
As he struggles for his freedom and embarks on a
perilous search for his father, Ian meets the true peacekeepers of the Realm
and learns of a greater purpose for his being in there.
(This is the first novel of the
Ian’s Realm Saga)
Read what others are saying about Deception Peak
“DECEPTION PEAK is well-named. Nothing is what it first seems in this lively tale of adventure…You won’t be able to put this book down as you struggle up Deception Peak along with Ian in the perilous quest to save his father from certain death. Will either of them survive the journey? And if they do, will they be stuck forever in the Realm?” ~ Peggy King Anderson SCBWI-WA Lifetime Achievement Award, 2011
“I really enjoyed reading this book and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good adventure story! ”Author Virginia L. Jennings
“It's descriptive and action packed. ”
“Her descriptions flow through the ”Carol Caldwell
Buy which is available at Amazon.com
Paperback | Kindle E-book
