A Dragon Mule…?

If you haven’t already noticed, this week’s mythological creature doesn’t have a photo. The reason behind this is mainly…there weren’t any paintings drawn up about this legend – more word of mouth. So do what you want with the information provided today! Or you can look up this creature to gather an idea of how modern adaptations portray this creature!


La Guita Xica | Spain

“Green, serpentine dragon that protects the people of Catalonia.”

Basic Facts: 

  • La Guita Xica was brought into Catalonia legends in 1890. It began as a demon but morphed into a protective entity over the villages.
  • More known as La Guita Xica, there are MANY names given to this serpent.
  • Labeled as a “dragon,” this creature is half-mule! Mainly because mules were prominent in the nearby mountains.
  • Because La Guita Xica is considered a protector…there are festivals to celebrate the dragon, where the handcrafted dragons shoot fireworks.
  • The neck of the dragon is compared to that of the Loch Ness monster. I think we may have solved something here…

Take A Breather

We always need a friendly reminder to not rush.

If you’re a bit slower on the creation process, don’t let outside influences push you to think you’re not writing fast enough. With speed, may come plenty of plot holes, missing events or a lot of fluff. Readers can easily be turned away.

Take your time building your story, creating your characters, and finalizing the setting. Don’t let your writing fall victim to the speed demon wishing to take control within you!

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Age Is Just A Number

It’s true! As cliche as it sounds, age really is just a number.

Whether you feel you’re too young or it’s past your time to start, we want to remind you: it doesn’t matter.

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If you’re one of those people thinks they’re too young…think again. Below is a list of authors who wrote their best-sellers before the age of 21. Check out the blog for their ages and story behind the publication.

  1. ALEXANDRA ANDORNETTO
  2. GORDON KORMAN
  3. CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI
  4. KODY KEPLINGER
  5. S.E. HINTON

Another Week, Another Horse

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Unicorn Greece

“Dazzling horse with a spiral horn.”

Basic Facts:

  • The unicorn did not come from Greek mythology but rather from Greek literature but has been referred to in ancient myths of India and China.
  • Drinking from the horn of a unicorn can help or protect from stomach trouble, epilepsy, and poison.
  • Inspiration for the description of the unicorn in Ctesia’s work is most likely the Indian rhinoceros.
  • They’re representative of independence and grace.
  • If you come across a unicorn, they’ll always run away. So, no on is going to believe you.

Listen To Us! [5]

We’re at it again with the audio publications. If you’re interested in seeing what is in the works, we recommend following us on Facebook or seeing our memes on Twitter. Get ready to dive in!


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8/1

  • Eva Chase // DRAGON’S DESIRE
  • Marion Kummerow // UNRELENTING
  • Mila Young // CHARMED

8/2

  • Stella // DR. FELLATIO

8/7

  • Michael Chatfield // SACREMON

8/8

  • Charleigh Rose // BAD INTENTIONS

8/9

  • Isabella Starling & Demi Donovan // TEACH ME DADDY
  • Isabella Starling // PEEP SHOW

8/14

  • Diana Forbes // MISTRESS SUFFRAGETTE
  • Jenna Wolfhart // A SONG OF SHADOWS
  • Marion Kummerow // UNYIELDING

8/15

  • Amie Knight // AN IMPERFECT HEART
  • J.H. Croix // 4 TITLES
    • BURN FOR ME
    • BURN SO BAD
    • HOT MESS
    • SLOW BURN
  • J.L. Bryan // THE TOWER

8/16

  • Kate Canterbary // FRESH CATCH

8/21

  • Ashley Meira // HIDDEN MAGIC
  • BJ Harvey // SECOND CHANCE
  • Elle Cross // GRIT
  • Eva Chase // CONSORT OF THORNS
  • J.R. Rasmussen // A DARK RECKONING
  • Lidiya Foxglove // PRIESTESS UNLEASHED

8/22

  • Lillian Cole // HIS TO CLAIM

8/28

  • Alex Rivers // HUNTER’S SOUL
  • Crystal Daniels & Sandy Alvarez // UNDAUNTED
  • June Winters // FORBIDDEN PUCK

8/31

  • Nina Walker // BLACKOUT

 

Petrify!

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MedusaGreece

Basic Facts:

  • What happened after the death of Medusa? Her head was put onto Athena’s shield, the Aegis. The name of the shield has been used in multiple fantasy and video game scenarios characters can equip.
  • Medusa’s image is still used in modern-day culture…anyone ever heard of Versace?
  • Many artists have taken the time to paint Medusa…like Leonardo da Vinci, Benvenuto Cellini, and Hubert Gerhard.
  • Medusa was the only one of her sisters who was not immortal.
  • Although seen as a villain in the stories, Medusa’s image is said to represent large ideas such as philosophy, beauty, art and even feminism.

Murder In The First Degree

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When someone is convicted for murder in the first degree, that means they planned out this particular death and executed their target. While there are many levels of first degree murder, this is the general idea. How does that relate to writing? Well, let’s talk about how planning out the death of one of your characters may come in handy.

First of all, you should ask yourself a series of questions before you decide to stick a knife in one of your characters. One being: has this character served their purpose in the telling of your story? Or maybe, has it become difficult to write in a character after a revelation in the plot? Or as simple as day, are they the ultimate sacrifice type of character?

If you’ve answered any of these questions with a whispered “yes,” I think it’s time to cut a character out.

As mad as we get when the tables are turned and we’re the reader, a character’s death comes with purpose. There have been so many book deaths that were needed to fuel emotion in the story, or further the plot. (Always kill a character to further the plot.) The characters we hate to lose are usually the ones who get killed off. Sometimes the character needed to serve a quick purpose and needs to be written off…in the most dramatic way possible, aka death.

Don’t feel obligated to keep all of your characters; they won’t all see the finish line.

Fighting Game For Writers!

We are big advocates for demolishing writer’s block. We’ve talked about a variety of methods, websites, and apps to use against a writer’s worst nightmare. Here is a new one for you: Fighter’s Block.

So, after playing around with the online app for a few levels, I can officially declare this as a fun way to defeat writer’s block. There’s only a select amount of characters you can choose from and there’s only one enemy unlocked but there are little details in the structure and immersion of the game which makes it worthwhile.

Let’s break it down!

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Cute pixel sprites go up against each other in a game that challenges you to write, write, write before your character’s health reaches zero. You start off by choosing your hero (you can choose between Red or Karen, Quin is locked until you reach level 11) and your word goal for that particular level. Once you click fight, the battle has begun.

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You’ll notice the health bar of your character slowly (or quickly) diminishing if you’re not typing. As you write, the character’s health is regenerated and the enemy’s lowers.

To add more flair to your experience, you can customize your fighting background and writing difficulty to challenge yourself. The theme can be changed to different color schemes that can better your playing/writing experience. With the opponent you can easily change its speed and attack which works against you as you’re writing.

Your writing space can also be customized. From font to the display of your text box, this game is perfect for any writer looking for new ways to get back into the swing of things.

A Greek Hybrid

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ChimeraGreece

“Fire-breathing hybridization of a lion, goat, and snake.”

Basic Facts:

  • The chimera is female. Unless you love Greek mythology and knew that already, some may think the chimera is genderless.
  • Offspring of the Chimera are the Sphinx and the Nemeian lion, a huge lion that had an impenetrable hide.
  • She was killed by Bellerophan, a hero sent by a King…what a likely story.
  • Other classical writers thought the Chimera represented a Lycian volcano.
  • If you like constellations, Pegasus and Chimera may have once opposed each other in the stars, but is usually associated with the Capricorn.