Reposted from Liz's Looming Lunacy:

From The Desk of Liz Ensley:

Writing An Artist's Statement

Taken from the four viewpoints that I wish to use in my November's novel:




SAGE OF JUSTICE VALHOOR
Well, I'm an Advisor to Richel, King Tavitt. That's because of the Valhoor Gift, my family's Talent. It's referred to as The Sight, and it is a way to See; not only into the past, but also, into the future. The latter, though, is uncertain at best, and you can only foretell the future with any degree of accuracy when you are aware of all the main factors which impact upon it. Sure, you can get hints here or there, but nothing is one hundred percent certain; still, it has made a Royal Advisor of me, which also means that I have to sit in on sessions of the Coucil.


ORTH
I help Master Warren with his research into the society and habits of my people. I speak both my people's tongue, and that of the humans who come to visit us. Bezn has offered to try to teach me the tongue of the Prydewing. I have asked Master Warren's advice, but the tells me that it should be something I want to do, if I want to do it, and that it is my decision to make, and not his. I know that a human child at my age would not apprentice to a scholar, only because Master Warren has told me so; and none of my own people, save for certain ones like our leader, would not be able to assist Master Warren with his scribal records. Garroste, a friend to my older brother ad son to one who would rival our leader, Koprrh, dislikes all humans, though he, like the rest of us, is half-human. He goes out of his way to torment me; but he cannot touch Master Warren, who lives among us under Koprrh's protection. In my native tongue. in the ogre's language, my name means "fortunate one". I don't know as that I am really all that lucky: but if Master WArren had not helped Dame when I was born, neither Dame nor I would be here today. Still, I never wanted to be different from other ogres. I never asked for this to happen. But, I am different, so I will have to "make do" with what I have before me.


BEZN
I am the one who ferries messages and upholds the tenets of the Treaty between the Ogre and Prydewing clans. I manage to speak (and to read) three languages, though the learning of them has not been easy, save for my own. I did not want this task, but it has proved to be an enjoyable and informative one. Our Prydewing's Elder, Quda, believes in the Treaty which lets us live in peace with our neighbors, the ogres. Fyrrh, and certain of the Prydewing who follow him, disagree, and despise both the human-balanced Treaty and the ogres; but since succession is decided by either appointment or challenge, and he is unworthy of the first, and too cowardly for the second, we are in no trouble from him at the current time.


WARREN DANAU
Orth is so fortunate, and in in many respects. After my brother Garth negotiated the Treaty between the ogre and Prydewing clans, I chose to remain, and continue work here: I have no talent with steeds of any sort, though I am adept at chronicling events and analyzing situations, so we agreed that learning about our neighbors, and writing about them, was more important than that I help to deliver another foal; though strange to say that the one thing I have managed to do well, delivering a foal, also carried over when I helped Ayla deliver Orth. It was a difficult pregnancy in the last days, at best, and with a breach birth--well, with nothing to help the mother or child along, I had to do the best I could, with what I knew; and, strange to say, what I knew was horses, though not very well. I was fortunate that I managed to help deliver Orth in one piece, and that his mother also survived, though a great cat later killed her, and Orth's father. Strange to say, that I hardly remember his name now. Perhaps he wasn't quite so important to me as mother and child, though it will slip back into my mind unexpectedly, and unbidden, at the worst possible time--Akan, that's right. His name meant trouble, although he didn't exactly ask for it, himself.. Anyway, I've taken care of Orth for six years now. His elder brother, Alva, moved in with Garroste's family. Anyway, some months ago, I sent word to my brother, Garth, that I thought Orth had a Talent. I mean, I have none, myself, but it seemed that quickly, and so readily, and for some reason, despite Alva and Grroste, and despite losing both parents so early in life, that he has been uncommonly ortunate, that I was here to help deliver him, and that he has a palce here that would not have existed, had it not been for him; I was undecided about remaining here, but Orth's birth decided me. I have asked Garth to forward to the Council my request that Orth be tested for Mageability. If he has a Talent, then it should be recognized and trained, and not set to wither in some back-roots community.


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Now that I have what I wrote before here now, I can refer back to it, post-National Novel Finishing Month, and see jsut how far the story's changed since I first wrote this, back on 06 October.