In my many decades on this earth, I have read stories about dragons. The more I read, the more the stories of European dragons, Asian dragons, and oddities that could be dragons (think Scotland’s Loch Ness Monster) gave me ideas of my own.
So…one day I sat down and wrote a bookbout a Scottish villager cursed to change into a dragon at inopportune times due to a misunderstanding (yes, that’s all the plot I had at the time). Since I like to read about witches and witchcraft, I made my hero change into a dragon due to a witch’s curse. This book turned into Dragon’s Curse, which was originally published in 2010 by Whispers Publishing. When I got my ‘rights’ back, I published it myself. Research on the supposed habitat of dragons led me to choose an island known for its caves. What is more creepy than a damp, dark cave? Years later, further research brought a myth to my attention. Scottish folklore is full of dragon-like creatures, and when I researched dragons of Scotland, stories about the Loch Ness Monster came up. Some call it a wing-less dragon, and I used that information to write another book called Dragon In The Mist, my first self-published novella, which went on to win an award.
I have learned through trial and error that when dealing with mythological creatures instead of actual wildlife, the writer has a certain freedom over the other writer. Cheetahs and wolves, for example, look, sound, and act a certain way because they are real. Dragons have certain traits such as scales, talons, wings, fangs, spiked tails, etc. However, as a writer I can make it wingless, or purple. I can make it speak, fall in love, or shape-shift. The freedom to twist and turn the creature to enhance my story is why I love to write about dragons.I also set one book in America on the eve of the American Civil War after visiting Fort Sumter in the Charleston Harbor. That book, Southern Fried Dragon, is also found along with the other two in DRAGON Bites.
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Where Happy Ever After Takes the Road Less Traveled
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Great post, Nancy. Thanks for sharing. I love dragons, too.
great post , love dragons
I can’t help myself, I love to read about “good” dragons.
love dragons to, love reading about them
I love reading about “good” dragons and their adventures.
Thanks for your lovely comments. Who doesn’t love a dragon? Well, maybe a Hobbit, but that’s another story…
awe so true for a hobbit,lol