War Effort: I am still writing, you just can't see me.

So, it's official. I will be buying trades from kalahari.net. I probably should have said that a couple of days ago, but I've been really busy. With work I made for myself, so it’s no excuse. I've always wanted to write a novel (and I've had people telling me I should for years) so I sat down and started writing one. I've already got further than any other attempt, and it’s only been four days, so it’s highly likely I will actually finish it.

However, I am finding trying to write a fantasy novel set in the present day that won't get me sued by JK Rowling very hard work. For example, I have taken a lot of ideas from the blood elves of Warcraft. Inspired by the blood mage and dragonhawk rider I created the Knights of the Phoenix - only to realise that people will probably think I'm copying Rowling's Order of the Phoenix. Darn. Inspired by the enchantment skillset from the online text game Lusternia, I created a Lightning Wand for my main character. It is powered by the feather of a lightning phoenix, which I thought of whilst reading Brenda Rosen's Mythical Creature's Bible. Then I was reminded that Harry Potter's wand was powered by a phoenix feather - so, no lighting wand. In the present day, young children have to go to school - but any mention of a school where magic is taught will get accusations of copying Rowling. Which is only fair. But I don’t know how to get around it, even Terry Pratchett gets asked if the Unseen University is based on Hogwarts. (According to Pratchett, it is, though time machines are involved.) And I really want to include the Philosopher's Stone (a really cool item in history, and in Lusternia) but I guess you can see how that might be a problem. I've even resorted to renaming wizards sorcerers, and magic sorcery.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel though. My main character is female, partly elven and has neither glasses nor a scar. And my elves are obviously Tolkeinesque, rather than ugly creatures who do housework (those are cobolds). I can call female sorcerers by the awesome sounding name ‘sorceress’, and confuse people by having a male witch. I believe my version of gnomes is a unique creation (though admittedly it was my sister’s idea). I know Harry Potter has never met a werehyena. And I am fairly confident that the only other person ever to use the word Bism is Clive Staples Lewis.

So, if you don’t hear from me for a while, rest assured I am slaving away, still writing a book that in all likelihood will get me sued because I forgot someone had already published a similar story. And it’s hard to get excited about comic books I won’t be able to get for six or more months.