Tag Archives: world-building

September 20, 2025 · 8:31 am

Lonely Child Song – Conlang Poetry

I enjoy creating the language of word magic and the Cantingen Islands in my Wishing Blade Universe. So much so that I have a handy Excel sheet with a handful of pages and a semi-clear structure that I’ve realized I really need to get organized (because it’s rather… fun… trying to remember sentence structure when I’m in the middle of revising my current project, The Dark Forest of Aneth, and need to construct a sentence in Cantingen and don’t remember if I’ve decided how that particular grammar is supposed to look.)

One exercise I’ve especially enjoyed, however, is the creation of poetry and songs using the conlang (constructed language). Whether or not I’m actually good at poetry is an entirely different matter, but it’s still fun.

Wind and Words, the second book in the Stone and String series, features two different poems/songs (well, one is intended to be a chant), and one of those songs is called “Dornoram” (“Lonely Child”) and features Madia when she was still a young goddess, before she created mortal-kind.

Though I don’t include the entire song in the story itself (I did include both the Cantingen version and the rough English translation in the back of the book), here’s a look at part of the song:

Dornoram, dornoram
Lonely child, lonely child

illselvimorin sut wuget so vinllada’ralencos.
wandering in the fog of her father’s new world.

Dornoram, dornoram
Lonely child, lonely child

fallamin kidame nevésil vego cochome si kecirme.
She has no toys to play with but feathers and strings.

*

Viskar vrethin si walin
So she sits and she weaves

drogos osain vieram jévidasil.
while she yearns for a playmate that she understands.

Vego éda ralencos dratethia shadi si fashuvasia.
But this new world is magic and does not comprehend.

*

Dor so shadi si niitéra
Child of magic and creation,

morladiin vieram.
she dreams of a playmate,

Morladiin vieram néollased.
dreams of a playmate to keep company.

Viskar novanin vincede loch lalli esil, esildo.
So she weaves her hair into the form of a doll, little doll.

Morladiin kryl vinvieram llullamia.
Dreams of the story her playmate might have.

Vego esil dratethia goréso,
But the doll is a puppet,

fallamia kareme,
has no thoughts of its own,

si luuh vinmorladsme ketondruv nékryl.
and only her dreams give it life.

Essentially, the Cantingen Islanders believe they are Madia’s esilme, her dolls, who return to her from the mortal realm after they die. The rest of the song continues that story, and the idea plays an important role in the Stone and String series.

Do you enjoy seeing fictional languages in stories?

If so, what’s your favorite one? (I’m personally a fan of Tolkien’s Sindarin Elvish, though I never learned more than a few words).

* * *

A spell to infuriate the goddess of the dead…

Quick reminder… you can read Stone and String for free by signing up to my newsletter!

* * *

Happy reading and writing!

4 Comments

Filed under Writing

Tagged as conlangs, constructed languages, fantasy, fantasy books, fictional languages, Infinitas Publishing, intricate world building, novellas, SBibb, self-publishing, short stories, Stephanie Flint, Stone and String, The Wishing Blade Universe, Wind and Words, Wishing Blade books, world-building, writing, writing fantasy

September 6, 2025 · 8:55 am

Story Length in the Wishing Blade Universe

When I set out to write The Wishing Blade series, I originally planned on it being a set of novellas. (Especially because the very first draft I wrote for the entire story arc of the series was 64,000 words).

Magic’ Stealing, the first book I published in the Wishing Blade series, was around 34,000 words, and I figured that future books would be similar.

What I didn’t count on was adding so many more words once I started exploring additional points of view.

Daernan got a chance to shine in The Shadow War, and the main plot really centers around him. Siklana has a major role and character arc in Magebane… and we still get the original views of Toranih and Shevanlagiy.

Not only were viewpoints added, I ended up further developing, and adding, magic systems (who knew word magic and charlago/magebane would play such a critical role in future stories?), and I added words as I reworked scenes to make more sense. Because Isaac–my writing partner and developmental editor–has a point: why try scaling a guarded wall when you could just… I dunno… take the sewers and discover even more fun stuff that affects the plot?

The result was that The Shadow War ended up clocking in around 55,000 words – a short novel, and Magebane clocked in at a whopping 109,000 words – a full-length novel.

(Fun fact… the first version of this post, sent to my newsletter years ago, had Magebane still in progress at 89,000 words.)

The Stone and String stories have also found themselves with longer stories than I originally planned. “Stone and String” was a short story of 8,000 words (surprisingly, it stayed within its expected count). It was meant to be a standalone story. But, of course, I wondered what happened next…

And so Wind and Words came along. While it took a couple starts to actually get it going the direction I wanted, I realized quickly it wasn’t going to be a short story. It ended up being a novella at 23,000 words.

Now the real question is, how long are the next books going to be? (Especially considering that Stone and String 3 should have direct ties to Wishing Blade 4).

While I cringe to look at the release dates of those books and realize I haven’t yet released the next in the series, I’ve found a similar pattern occurring within The Legends of Cirena series as it progresses.

The Wind Mage of Maijev – 15,000 words
The Gryphon and the Mountain Bear – 12,000 words
The Restless Sands of Neel – 25,000 words
The Cursed Halls of Kalecen – 18,000 words
The Scars of Her Past – 21,000 words
The Dragons of the Mist – 21,000 words
The Wind Mage and the Wolf (Cross-over) – 47,000 words
The Trial of Bells and Blood (Cross-over) – 32,000 words
The Dark Forest of Aneth (Cross-over) – WORK-IN-PROGRESS Currently 68,000 words.
- In its defense, it not only has the cross-over points of view, it got a third viewpoint and is delving into preplanned lore that wraps up the arc from the first 9 books while setting up the next arc. 🫣

I think a lot of this has to do with adding characters, getting deeper into the lore… stuff like that.

There’s a couple drafts already written for stories that will eventually come after The Dark Forest of Aneth, which you might have seen if you’re signed up for the Wishing Blade Universe newsletter. And then there’s the ongoing story which definitely is building into pre-planned lore and I don’t know if it’s going to be a novella or novel, but the next chapter is eight of sixteen, and it’s already 17,000 words long.

Anyhow, do you have a preferred book length you prefer to read or write?

Full-length novels, novellas, short stories? 🙂

* * *

Three series starters…

Quick reminder… you can read Stone and String for free by signing up to my newsletter!

* * *

Happy reading and writing!

About Ruetravahn – a god of wind, language, and Truth

I have a lot of fun creating the world and culture of the Wishing Blade Universe (Isaac has fun with this, too, as seen by the existence of the Legends of Cirena stories, which started because he went and created a role-playing guide for each of the regions).

One aspect of world-building I especially enjoy is creating the pantheon of gods, goddesses, and deities.

Many of the gods interact directly with mortals, as well as immortals, meaning we see their personalities and how people deal with them (or try to avoid them). Some worship them, some scorn them (especially the dragons of the Immortal Realm) and others are indifferent.

Today, I wanted to take a closer look at Ruetravahn.

As one of the older gods, Ruetravahn has a place in both the Cirenan and Cantingen pantheons, though he features more prominently in the latter. (But even Cirenan characters get stuck dealing with him, as Livena finds when she accidentally gets saddled with a truth spell/curse in The Wind Mage of Maijev).

Per Cirenan tales (as of The Wishing Blade series), when the high god, Listhant-Nsasrar, chose to retire, Ruetravahn convinced him to leave the gift of word magic with mortals so they would not always be at the mercy of the gods, and those without ribbon magic would have a defense against born mages.

As such, Ruetravahn became known as the god of language. Though the Cantingen language had been around for as long as mortals could remember, the ability to use it in spells only came after Ruetravahn’s deal. (Which gets fun when I’m writing anything in the Legends era, because I have to remember they don’t have access to word magic yet).

Even with this gift, Ruetravahn is rarely worshiped in Cirena, possibly because they continued to rely more on ribbon magic than word magic.

As for the Cantingen Islands, the people looked to him as not only the god of language, but also the god of Truth, the world as it really is, and the god of wind, capable of hearing everything that is spoken. Those who worship him consider lying an affront to the gods, and they are careful to choose their words and speak as accurately as possible.

He is the primary god that Edyli, the protagonist of Wind and Words (book two of the Stone and String series), chooses to worship. Her respect for him affects her actions. However, there are those who still see him as a lower god, and who therefore ignore his teachings in favor of completing tasks assigned by the high goddess, Madia.

This scene touches on the conflict between them. 🙂

From Wind and Words

The priestess spun on her heel and surveyed the room. “Do not tell anyone of your intentions, and do not tell them who sent you.”

“Nasillah?” Edyli asked, confused. What temple work could be so secretive? “I cannot lie. That is against Ruetravahn’s will.”

The priestess turned sharply and narrowed her eyes, but even the acolyte pressed his lips into a thin line behind her, his concern evident. “Do you question the will of Madia?” she demanded. “Would you put a lower god above Her Graciousness? You must do as she commands, and that is to bring the monster who stole the child’s string to justice. If you must lie to achieve that task, then it is necessary.”

Anger rushed through Edyli. Ruetravahn might not have been a high god, but his intentions were sacred. Their language rode in his wind, and he was the one who established the treaty with Lishivant, Madia’s father, to bring word magic to mortals.

Whatever happened, Edyli would not lie. She would not betray him.

“I will do what I must,” she said firmly. Even saying that much made her cringe, because the priestess would likely assume that she was agreeing to do as she had been asked. But, as familiar fables said, it was not the truth-sayer’s fault if they spoke Truth, but the listener turned a deaf ear.

While Edyli is determined to serve Ruetravahn faithfully, not everyone is so faithful, as seen above. Of course, those who don’t like magic or gods are even less inclined to like him, as we find with Livena after her magic goes haywire near a blessed scroll in The Wind Mage of Maijev.

(But hey… things like that happen when you accidentally mix a blessed scroll, wind magic, and magebane).

* * *

A spell to infuriate the goddess of the dead…

See more of Edyli’s faith in Ruetravahn in the Stone and String series:

Quick reminder… you can read Stone and String for free by signing up to my newsletter!

* * *

Happy reading and writing!

Backstory Between Toranih and Siklana

In The Wishing Blade series, there’s a rivalry (often unspoken), between Toranih and her older sister, Siklana. Though they care for each other (in fact, the one magical item Toranih actually likes and frequently uses is a light crystal Siklana made for her), Toranih has always felt like she was in her sister’s shadow… that, no matter what she did, her sister was always better. Better at academia, better at fitting in with social expectations, and better at earning their parents’ approval.

Once, when they were younger, Toranih and Siklana were instructed to create a small tapestry to showcase what they’d learned of weaving and embroidery. Toranih chose to painstakingly render a detailed depiction of a beautiful knife wielded by the legendary noble, Duke Nomca, who was known for his fairness and protection of those in need, including those without magic. (And of the beastmen, which gets shown in a story I’m currently writing). Toranih worked hard on that tapestry, and when her work was complete, the final piece was beautiful… if in its own pragmatic way.

She was quite proud of that work, and sure she had finally managed to achieve something her sister couldn’t. But when they unveiled their tapestries for their parents, Siklana’s detailed work far outclassed anything Toranih dreamed of achieving… and her hopes were dashed.

After that day, she refused to touch the loom except for the most basic of lessons, and she turned to Captain Brekartn for lessons wielding a weapon like Duke Nomca. Though any skill with knives eluded her, she soon found mastery in swords. The more she practiced, the better she became.

As the years passed, Toranih denounced the arts her sister excelled at—including magic—and instead focused her talents on the one thing Siklana showed little interest in—swordsmanship.

If all went well, she would one day become a guardswoman, while her sister would become an academy mage.

But, of course, life doesn’t go as planned.

Magic is stolen.

Siklana is left without the magic she’s become known for, and Toranih’s traditional weapons prove useless against the army of shadows invading the kingdom. Toranih finds herself forced to consider the role her sister once studied for—the role of a mage, while her sister is left wondering where she fits into this strange new world.

And there you have it, a little history between Toranih and Siklana.

Toranih’s reaction to the change of her world is the primary focus of Magic’s Stealing, whereas we see more of Siklana’s reaction in The Shadow War, and Siklana has a major arc in Magebane, the third book in the series.

* * *

A heinous plot is unveiled when magic is stolen…

See how Toranih and Siklana adjust in The Wishing Blade series:

* * *

Happy reading and writing!

3 Comments

Filed under Writing

Tagged as characters, creating fantasy characters, fantasy, fantasy books, Infinitas Publishing, intricate world building, Magic's Stealing, SBibb, self-publishing, sibling rivalry, siblings in fantasy, sisters in fantasy, Stephanie Flint, The Wishing Blade Universe, world-building, writing, writing a series, writing fantasy

July 26, 2025 · 8:22 am

How the Wishing Blade Universe changed over time

When I first created the world of The Wishing Blade, I had no idea how much I’d change of the story as it progressed. And how much I’d add. Like a whole ‘nother language… (Wheee, language creation!) I had only really considered the main series, and how some of its immortal characters lived throughout time, but not the lives of the characters from The Legends of Cirena series. Not Edyli and her sister in Stone and String, or how varied Litkanston might look.

Even major elements now, like the Cantingen Islands with its word magic, were only briefly mentioned and didn’t play a large role in the story. (Word magic didn’t even exist yet… I don’t think?) Pretty sure the islands weren’t directly mentioned in any of the early drafts, though I did find a later pixel version of the map that had them added in, likely as I expanded the story after the events of The Wishing Blade series.

I think this was “storyideamap26.gif” if that gives you any idea of my process. For reference, the map below is one of the first maps I ever made referencing Cirena, in all its pixel-y goodness.

(I later created the current version in pencil and ink and then polished it in Photoshop)

Notice that several features have changed from this version (storyideamap26) for The Wishing Blade series…

To the most recent version for The Wishing Blade series:

For example, scaling and spacing got readjusted. Neel, while still a city, also became a desert region.
Toranih’s estate doesn’t even get a dot on the map.
The Cantingen Islands (and pretty much every landmark) got redefined.
The Shadow’s Pass and the Pass of Cirena haven’t even been touched in the current series. (Though we might still see a version of these as the series continues).
The Midder Triangle (in my head now as “Midder’s Triangle”) also hasn’t been addressed… though some of the Legends stories that are in development (The Dark Forest of Aneth) are now making references to that goddess, and the concept of the Triangle might eventually make it into Litkanston lore if any of my current headcannon makes it into published cannon.

As the story developed, much of the plot and world-building changed. I guess that’s what happens when my first ideas for this series started 12 years before I published the first book (Magic’s Stealing). I was still in junior high, daydreaming in choir and whenever I had free time.

I set the idea for The Wishing Blade series aside for a while after high school, though I occasionally tried rewriting the concept without much success.

Then, after college, I tried reworking the story again, and finally published Magic’s Stealing in 2015.

It took a while to finally get the world to a place where I was satisfied, but I’m excited to see what changes as the series continues, and what plot points and characters stick around.

For example, Toranih’s sister, Siklana, plays a major role in the current version of the series, which was a big change since she was only seen in a couple scenes in the earlier drafts. She even has a major arc in the third book, Magebane.

I expect plenty more to change, though there are still major scenes that I look forward to finally writing.

* * *

A heinous plot is unveiled when magic is stolen…

See the result of my world-building changes in The Wishing Blade series:

(And yes, there’s at least one, if not two more books planned for the complete arc).

* * *

Happy reading and writing!

1 Comment

Filed under Writing

Tagged as fantasy, fantasy books, fantasy maps, Infinitas Publishing, intricate world building, Magic's Stealing, SBibb, self-publishing, Stephanie Flint, The Wishing Blade Universe, world-building, writing, writing a series, writing fantasy

July 12, 2025 · 5:20 pm

Madia’s Plans

I’m finally getting around to repurposing some of my older newsletter sneak peeks and behind the scenes notes into blog posts!

To start with, we’ll delve into the lore of the Wishing Blade Universe…

I have a lot of fun when working on the world of the Wishing Blade, both with Cirena, and with the Cantingen Islands. While Cirena is the mainland, the Cantingen Islands are to its southeastern shore, though more distant than my map would suggest.

A grayscale fantasy map primarily focused on Cirena. — This is an older version of the map, but not the earliest version of the map.

First, Cirena does tend to be a bit Cirena-centric.

Second, my sense of scale when I originally designed the map was not great. But I was thirteen… so… yeah… Later map designs have gotten considerably more realistic.

Third, I already published it so I’m going to role with my mistakes and, despite Cirena being roughly the size of Missouri and still having a large degree of biome diversity, it’s totally fine because there are mythological reasons that I will eventually get to in later stories and that I’ve already started hinting at in the Legends of Cirena stories.

Speaking of which, one of the aspects I find so enjoyable when writing fantasy is the magic systems, and today, I’m going to focus on word magic. Mostly because word magic means I get to create a language. (For better or worse, because I probably should be writing when I’m busy translating in-world poetry into Cantingen. You get to see the results of that in Wind and Words.

Anyway, I thought it might be fun to examine a few tidbits regarding the Cantingen language.

Let’s look at Madia… the goddess of the dead. In Cirena, they call her Madiya… slight pronunciation difference due to regional separation.

But in the Cantingen language, madi is a verb that means “to plan,” “to set a course,” or “to plot.”

Conjugated, it looks something like this:

Madia – I plan

Madiat – You plan (a human “you”)

Madian – You plan (imperative, used for word magic purposes)

Madion – He plans

Madiol – She plans

…and there’s actually several other conjugated forms, but for now I’ll spare you the details.

So, Madia’s name literally translates to “I plan.”

Is it any wonder, then, that everyone from the Cantingen Islands is always going on about her plans?

* * *

A spell to infuriate the goddess of the dead…

Read more about Madia and word magic in the Stone and String series:

* * *

Happy reading and writing!

1 Comment

Filed under Writing

Tagged as books, Cantingen, Cirena, conlang, constructed language, fantasy, fiction, Infinitas Publishing, intricate fantasy worlds, Stephanie Flint, world-building, writing

April 6, 2021 · 1:17 pm

Weekly Book Promotion Highlight

This week I’m featuring the Welcome to My World and Fantastic Realms Free Fantasy ebook giveaways!

Can’t choose between science fiction and fantasy? Check out these free reads:

Really looking for something fantasy? Then this is a promo for you:

(Note: The giveaways above are hosted through BookFunnel. Authors will usually ask for your email address, and in many cases, the author will collect these addresses for their newsletters.)

* * *

I hope you find a good book! 😀

New Release! – The Wind Mage and the Wolf

A reluctant mage and a shapeshifting rogue must thwart a cruel lord to save a friend…

Looking for some weekend reading?

The Wind Mage and the Wolf is now available! 😀

The Wind Mage and the Wolf

Short Fantasy Novel

Grab your copy from your favorite retailer!

In Maijev, the practice of magic—and slavery—is forbidden. But after Livena’s wind magic is exposed and she gets saddled with a truth curse, she flees from home with an ex mage hunter as her guide.

His plan for her is simple—she’ll swallow her distaste for the new region’s magical gods, he’ll get her to a temple where she can get the curse removed, and together they’ll figure out how to control her magic so she can return home.

But the coastal city where they arrive is a nightmare.

Magic runs rampant and its citizens have no concept of equality among fellow mortals.

When Livena spots a cruel lord taunting children with slave collars, her untamed magic sends him flying across the busy street. Unfortunately, he recognizes her guide in the aftermath, and they have a less-than-cordial history.

After her guide goes missing, it’s clear he needs rescue.

But trying to navigate the magic-infested city? Livena can’t save him alone.

Reluctantly, she enlists the help of a shapeshifting rogue. The rogue’s plan involves a lot more magic, trickery, and trouble, than Livena wants.

But if the rogue can help Livena wield her wind magic without telling her guide’s enemies more than they need to know, Livena might not only rescue her guide, she might overcome the city’s apathetic streets.

Sneak through the streets of Ashan… Read The Wind Mage and the Wolf today!

The Wind Mage and the Wolf is the seventh story in the Legend of Cirena series and features Livena (from #1 The Wind Mage of Maijev and Nuaka (from #2 The Gryphon and the Mountain Bear). It is not required to have read them, but does provide additional context.

Goodreads | BookBub

Previous Books in the Series

Enjoy! 😀

1 Comment

Filed under Business Ventures, Writing

Tagged as daring adventure, epic fantasy, fantasy, fantasy magic, fantasy novellas, fantasy short stories, Infinitas Publishing, shapeshifters, short fantays, Stephanie Flint, sword and sorcery, The Gryphon and the Mountain Bear, The Legends of Cirena, The Wind Mage and the Wolf, The Wind Mage of Maijev, The Wishing Blade, Wind Mage of Maijev, world-building, YA fantasy, YA fantasy novellas, young adult fantasy

April 6, 2020 · 11:46 am

To save the life of his student, he must face the god of revenge…

“The Cursed Halls of Kalecen” is now available! 😀

When the student of a protective duelist foils a revenge plot and incurs the wrath of a deranged god of justice, can the duelist shield her from the god’s harsh judgment?

Explore the dark realm of one of Cirena’s not-so-pleasant gods in this exciting new short story…

“The Cursed Halls of Kalecen” is the fourth stand-alone story in the series and was written as part of my collaborative adventure Facebook group.

The Cursed Halls of Kalecen

Fantasy Short Story

Read The Cursed Halls of Kalecen today!

Enjoy! 😀

1 Comment

Filed under Business Ventures, Writing

Tagged as daring adventure, epic fantasy, fantasy, fantasy novellas, fantasy short stories, Infinitas Publishing, judgement, justice, restless sands of neel, revenge, short stories, short story, Stephanie Flint, sword and sorcery, The Gryphon and the Mountain Bear, The Legends of Cirena, The Wishing Blade, unicorn, unicorns, vengeance, Wind Mage of Maijev, world-building, YA fantasy, YA fantasy novellas, young adult fantasy

January 27, 2020 · 6:00 am

The Restless Sands of Neel – Now Available!

Troublesome raiders?
Horses can outrun a raider.

A kid with untamed beast magic whose fear of raiders frightens said horses?
One overturned cart, countless bruises, and a bill of property damage later…

Ro’nor really wishes he’d inherited wings from his ancestors.

You can now grab the next Legends of Cirena story as an ebook! 😀

The Restless Sands of Neel is the third story in the series (currently all stand-alones, though there will be crossovers later) and was written as part of my collaborative adventure Facebook group. This one is a novella.

Like “The Wind Mage of Maijev” and “The Gryphon and the Mountain Bear,” this one takes place approximately 200 years before the events of The Wishing Blade series and the Stone and String series.

In this one, a not-so-powerful descendant of dragons finds his calling in helping a young kid rescue their family from slavers… but will his scrying magic be enough?

Read The Restless Sands of Neel to find out! 😀

The Restless Sands of Neel

Fantasy Novella

Troublesome raiders?
Horses can outrun a raider.

A kid with untamed beast magic whose fear of raiders frightens said horses?

One overturned cart, countless bruises, and a bill of property damage later…

Ro’nor might have descended from dragons, but he wasn’t born with wings or special powers, and he can’t shift into their form. No bards will sing of his heroic deeds.

His only magic is a gift for scrying.

But his uneventful plans to foretell weather patterns in a distant desert are thrown from a far-too-literal cart when raiders spook his horses and he finds himself the de facto warden for a terrified kid only his guide can understand.

According to her, the kid’s family has been kidnapped by slavers.

But with Ro’nor’s scrying skills and a careful redirection of the kid’s beast magic, he might be able to track the slavers and rescue the kid’s family.

Can he evade the dangers of the desert, mount a perilous rescue, and earn a tale that rivals the songs of his ancestors?

Adventure through the scorching deserts of Cirena in this exciting novella…

Read The Restless Sands of Neel today!

Enjoy! 😀

P.S. These short stories and novellas will be coming out every other month, starting with The Restless Sands of Neel. If you’ve already grabbed this one, look for The Cursed Halls of Kalecen coming in March! 😀

1 Comment

Filed under Business Ventures, Writing

Tagged as daring adventure, desert fantasy, deserts, dragon, dragons, epic fantasy, fantasy, fantasy novellas, fantasy short stories, Infinitas Publishing, novella, novellas, scrying, seers, short stories, short story, Stephanie Flint, sword and sorcery, The Gryphon and the Mountain Bear, The Legends of Cirena, The Wishing Blade, world-building, YA fantasy, YA fantasy novellas, young adult fantasy