Story of a map

When I finally finished my first book in "The Crown of Palrad" series, I checked everything and thought it was good. However, there was just one thing missing. As the pages of the novel revealed several locations with numerous names coming and going, I realized that I needed to create a map like in other fantasy books that I had read. Since I chose self-publishing, it was an opportunity for me to learn something new because I had no idea how to make a map. So, I evolved by learning how to create a map, and that's my story.

  This is my first attempt, which looks more like a sketch than a map. It was just something casual that I used as a reference while writing the book. I pinned it next to me so that I could look at it whenever I needed clarification. To most of you, it would probably look like a coded chart. To me, it was the entire world that was alive while I was writing the book. Oh, how great were the adventures I lived through this little piece of paper...

  But then I said to myself, "Come on, Jim, you're an artist. You can do something better than this." I gave it a try, and as you can see, it didn't go well. What did I expect? I hadn't painted anything since I was a child. So, I thought there must be another way and I used my updated computer skills (or joking-level computer skills). People love things that are created by computers, I thought. It would be easier to draw.

  So, this is what I came up with! I used Paint 3D, and this was where it got me. It was a nightmare. I used the 3D library to make it more special, and this was the only evolution for me. However, I regret every single moment I spent on it. I say that mostly because it lagged. It lagged A LOT. If I could add the hours I spent waiting for my project to open and the 3D library to insert things into it, I would easily form a whole new day in my life. I don't know if it's me who is at fault or my laptop, but anyways it didn't work for me. This brings me to the assistance of a dear friend of mine. You all know that friend. It's called Google search, and it's always there when you need it.

  I googled "fantasy map maker for free" (I couldn't afford to spend a fortune on this), and it brought me to Reedsy. I tried several options, but Inkarnate turned out to be the ideal fix for me. After spending some time learning how to use it, I designed my final map. The platform is very user-friendly, and I made it without any cost other than my time and energy. There are some extra features that could be added for which they charge you, but even without them, I was good to go. My hard-earned skills from my adventure on Paint 3D came in handy when I designed the Atheral wall and the Silver gate (an option that Inkarnate was charging me for). And voila!

  It would have been much easier if I had searched Google from the beginning. However, the whole story was a personal process of evolution and learning that, in the end, made me a better person. The same goes for the four years that I spent writing the book. All's well that ends well, I guess...

Why do writers write in a language that is not their own?

  The first question that I receive from someone who finds out about my book is this: why did I write it in English and not my mother tongue, Greek? The first person I sent my book for revision/editing to was a woman from London, UK, who has lived in Greece for the last couple of decades, and she also had the same question. In this article, I'm going to explain why writers write in a language other than their mother tongue.

  In this category of authors, the list goes on and on. Vladimir Nabokov, Joseph Conrad, Kahlil Gibran, Khaled Hosseini, and others were born in countries where English was not their native tongue. Respectively, there are also writers who spoke English as their mother tongue yet wrote their works in another language, like Samuel Beckett, who wrote in French, Oscar Wilde who wrote Salomé in French, and others. Vis-a-vis, I'm not the first one, and definitely, I'm not going to be the last one. Let me give you the reasons why I personally chose to write in English, even though my mother tongue is Greek.

  1. The marketplace. When you write in Greek, you write a book that can be read in Greece, Cyprus, and possibly the Greek-speaking diaspora worldwide. When you write in English, you address the whole world. Everyone can read your work, share it, and discuss it, etc.

  2. It's easier. The internet is the land of opportunity. All these years that I wrote in Greek, many publishers approached me to publish my work, fascinated by it. Everyone wanted money, ranging from 300 to 500 euros. This isn't fair. You can't ask the writer to pay for their work to be published and pay them from the royalties. This is no win-win situation. The publisher has a certain investment, whereas the writer (who is the person making it all happen in the first place) gets their money back at best. Yes, this is how it works for first-time authors in Greece.

  On the other hand, I love that the mentality in the USA is completely different. I'm not only talking about Amazon KDP, which I finally chose to publish with. The self-publishing industry is there for you and could be free. The only prerequisite for you to submit is that your work should be written in English. Amazon pays 70% royalties, which is a number nobody can give in Greece. On top of that, self-publishing industries support you through promotion strategies and such. That's because if you don't sell, they don't make money. So, they somewhat care about your work. It's a win-win condition!

  3. It might come as a surprise, but people in Greece don't like reading epic fantasy. Although fantasy has its roots in Ancient Greek Mythology (remember Homer?), the genre was completely evolved by Tolkien and other English-speaking writers. As a result, even if I paid for my book to be published in Greek, the odds are that it wouldn't reach anywhere near my goal. And believe me, my selling goal is not that high.

  4. Why not write in English? Don't misunderstand me; I don't snob my mother tongue. I love the Greek language and its history. However, the articles I read are in English, the TV series/films I watch are in English, the books I read are in English, the songs I listen to are in English, and as a scientist, I have published several articles, courses, and a book in English. There are plenty of creative writing courses online in English, while there is not even one in Greek. One could say that this is a natural turn of events.

  To sum up, the English language, being the international language, offers greater opportunities for writers. Honestly, I don't understand why migrants from another country can move and work somewhere else, and that's not a big deal, but when it comes to writing, it's a no-go. If you're a language chauvinist, that's your issue; deal with it. Arts are international, can be produced by anyone, and should be relished by everyone, no matter what.

3 things everyone hates in fantasy books.

In my previous post, I discussed the reasons why fantasy books are great. In this one, let me list some issues I find in fantasy books that are really irritating. By that, I mean issues that can get me annoyed as hell and make me skip whole paragraphs of my reading. We love them, they transport us away, and they will always be in our hearts, but reading fantasy books has some major disadvantages:

  1.I don't need to know every single character in the book. This is a common issue even among the classics. Why do I need to know the name of the farmer who looks angry or the name of every single village/town the heroes pass through or every silly detail about characters that don't have an important input to the story?

  This is irritating because: a) I'm not going to remember either the name or the characteristics given that I only meet them once, b) it takes my mind away from the protagonists, c) it causes me to struggle to keep my focus on the story's mainstay, and d) my day has already tired me a lot - I don't want a book that adds more tiredness to me.

2. The whole pattern is tiringly repetitive sometimes. For that, I blame the latest trends of fantasy TV series. Let me explain: back in the days when fantasy TV series didn't exist, reading stories about dragons and sorcerers was cool, mostly because you couldn't see it anywhere, and it offered you a way to escape from your miserable and meaningless life. So you wanted it.

  Today though, after the projection of the aforementioned series/movies on my laptop's screen, I don't like reading yet another story of dragons, elves, magicians, and good or bad kings/queens that the people want or not, but the protagonists have to step on, etc. I'm so bored by it simply because the fact that you need to use a dragon - which is such a repetitive and seen-again figure - in order to save the story of a book tells me that the mainstay is so uninteresting that you have to have a rescue board.

Let me put this the other way around: if Game of Thrones had no dragons, would it still be interesting? Not so much. Although we shouldn't compare films with books as they both rely on different aspects of the story's production, I think it's fair to say that the less someone uses fantastic figures in a fantasy book, the more interesting the book becomes. I think they call it reverse psychology (not sure, though).

  3.The names. I think most of you would agree with that. Names like Bombadill, Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, Nynaeve al'Meara, Korodullin, etc. The list goes on and on. You can check out a dialogue that I read on Reddit about it here (if you want to bore yourself to death). All in all, what's with the complicated names in fantasy books? I know, I know, we're going to love them anyway. But still...

  That's all for now. I can't wait to hear your opinions on the matter. I hope you're doing fine, and that my article was not too much of a disappointment for you.

Why fantasy books are the best!

  Many times, I've asked myself about the reason why I love fantasy books so much. Since childhood, I've read so many books from so many different genres, and most of them were captivating enough. They were nice, cutting-edge books. I have to admit that classic literature was my love for a long time, but the passion for reading this genre of books soon faded away when I realized that there isn't something more than what I have already read.

  This is not the point, though. To admire any sort of art, one should begin by admiring the classics as these are the pieces of work that formed the way to evolve. Classic is great but it ends, which brings me to the first reason why I love fantasy books:

1. Fantasy never ends! There are tons of fantasy books out there, so many different sub-genres to choose from, and there are even more books coming along. The reason for this is that the subject is infinite. Of course, some things remain the same in every book, like magic, kings, secret powers, etc. A repetitive pattern could be insinuated. However, the plethora of several combinations that the story can go definitely widens your horizons. Having said that...

2. Fantasy widens your horizons! Every fantasy book presents a different landscape, time, system of rules, people, creatures, situations, conditions, etc. Everything changes in an alternative fashion. This cannot be stated for other genres, such as crime books (in every book there is murder and you have to find the killer) or World War II books (we get it, it was war, everything just sucked, there was extreme poverty, Nazis were cruel, and there was love against all odds) or romance (love stories with good or bad endings).

3. Fantasy opens a field for experiments, like I did with my book series "The Crown of Palrad," where I imagined how a system like the one described in Plato's Republic would work. Interestingly, fantasy books are all about stories, and I understand why haters are going to hate. Stories are not real, but they are not lies. They create real emotions, and that is where fantasy addresses to: the person's soul.

  That's only three, but I can go on for pages, but that would just tire me out. Well, I'd love to hear from you. Why do you love fantasy books compared to other genres? Also, if you're a hater, bring me the reasons why you're doing this to yourself. I mean, come on...

Author's Bio

Jim Athanas is a highly accomplished neurophysiotherapist who has dedicated his career to helping others achieve optimal physical health and wellness. After earning his MSc at the prestigious Keele University in the UK, he returned to his native Greece to open his own private practice, where he has become widely recognized for his expertise and innovative approach to patient care.

But Jim's passions extend far beyond the field of healthcare. He is also a talented musician, with a gift for playing the piano, guitar, and ukulele, and a love for writing and performing his own songs. His creative talents have also led him to explore the world of literature, where he has published several works, including his highly acclaimed series, "The Crown of Palrad," and the thought-provoking short stories "The Pole" and "Talking to the Bush."

In his free time, Jim can often be found immersed in his latest book or documentary, exploring new ideas and perspectives that inform his work as both a therapist and a writer. With a rare combination of intellect, creativity, and compassion, Jim Athanas is a true renaissance man, whose diverse interests and talents have made him a respected and beloved figure in his community and beyond.