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The Name the Forest Forgot

  " She came from the silence beneath roots and bones, where forgotten gods dare not look—crowned in ash, and kissed only by shadows." She was summoned in the stillness between lightning strikes and the first scream of the trees, when the veil thins and the forest whispers its secrets. Mushrooms unfurl beneath her touch, drawing sustenance from old bones and memories best left behind. She wanders barefoot through a tapestry of decay and bloom, her laughter both a curse and a promise, tangled in nettles.  No one recalls her name, only the sensation she leaves behind. Like silk slipping from your shoulders. Like breath, against your throat in the dark.  They say if you dream of her even once, you belong to her forever.  She does not stroll down the forest path.  The forest bends itself to her will.  With every step she takes on the mossy ground, the air thickens, rich and electric. Trees lean in, not in fear, but in respect, and even the mushrooms hold back t...
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Bypassing Writer’s Block


 Remember when I said my mind felt like a chaotic storm filled with worry and sadness? Well, it still is! But rather than stay stuck in this creative slump, I decided to dive into updating my Erandelle Guidebook. Just a casual 40 new pages, no big deal. On top of that, I created a guide for the Esir’s constructed language and its dialects for the Kril and Selies. Easy, right?

If you’re not up to speed, Erandelle is my fictional world that I’ve been shaping for a quite a while, and is connected to a novel that’s still giving me the runaround. I promise I’ll finish it eventually; I have until I’m 132! If you’re curious, my first post on Medium shares the details of the early draft.

But back to the guide. I desperately needed something to keep my creativity flowing, so I made a basic outline of the cultures and customs of my fictional characters. Feeling as creatively stuck as I was, I thought tackling something simpler might help. To my surprise, this mechanical approach didn’t just distract me; it pulled me deeper into the details of my world. And one of those details was the matter of Languages.

I’ve always felt that different peoples would naturally have different languages. Therefore the inhabitants of Erandelle should have their own languages.

The challenge? I’m no linguist.

True, I’ve learned a few languages, but to create one, I would really need a degree in linguistics or a professional — which I obviously can’t afford. Still, a while back, I explored constructed languages from Tolkien to Klingon, trying to piece together a list of words and even some awkward sentences. But eventually, I thought, “What’s the point?” and put it aside… until recently.

While going through my old notes, I found that clunky word list and thought I’d reach out to my AI “buddy”. After all, they’re called Language Models for a reason, right? Surprisingly, it provided some useful insights! With its assistance, I found a straightforward structure and was able to build on my previous ideas. Talk about a plot twist!

I know, I know, big bad machines are going to take over the world, nanobots are going to swallow us whole, and all dystopian creations will become a reality. Nevertheless, while we wait for the apocalypse, it seems like my creative path, though rough, is starting to clear up!

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