Claire Stephen-Walker
Bio
Hi. My name’s Claire, and I spend all of my time writing. I have for as long as I can remember, because it is as close to magic as reality lets me get.
Stories (24/0)
Mother Shipton
If you go to North Yorkshire and walk along the River Nidd, you will find one of the most mysterious places within Britain. Or so it was when a nearby cave became the birthplace of Ursula Southeil, the girl who would eventually become known as Mother Shipton. The nearby waterfall and the pool beneath it have the ability to turn items left in the water to stone. Naturally, this has been explained by science in the centuries since, but in 1488, the Petrifying Well was a place of magic.
By Claire Stephen-Walker2 years ago in Humans
Rats!
I get one of two reactions when people learn that I have rats – fascination or horror. Sometimes a mixture of both. Truthfully, I got them as a matter of elimination. My flat is too small to make having a dog or cat practical, I knew if I got guinea pigs I’d want to breed them and I didn’t feel I had the emotional or physical resources for that, I’ve always found hamsters too bitey, and rabbits have never appealed. So I settled on rats. And I am thrilled that I did.
By Claire Stephen-Walker2 years ago in Petlife
100 Years of Gardening
It is well known that an outdoor lifestyle with moderate physical activity is linked to longer life. As we age, both seem to become increasingly difficult to manage, given the multitude of responsibilities that life comes with. Time to go and explore nature is a scarce thing, and it is always easier to use that time on other things. For those who cannot get into the wilds to go hiking, gardening is an excellent alternative. It offers a routine of work and daily low-intensity physical activity.
By Claire Stephen-Walker2 years ago in Longevity
Natural Disasters in Fiction
When natural disasters show up in fiction at all, they tend to be the focus of the plot. So why bother thinking about them in a range of articles on worldbuilding? Well, because they do affect worldbuilding. They will affect how your characters view the world, the stories they tell, the houses they live in.
By Claire Stephen-Walker3 years ago in Journal
Forests in Fantasy
Forests are almost an essential part of fantasy fiction. From the Greenwood of the Robin Hood legends, to Mirkwood and Fangorn in Middle Earth, the cool, richly scented shade of forests looms large across the genre. They are the home of monsters and wonders, the source of great magic and deadly enchantments. In the most cliché of examples, they are also home to elves, who will doubtless offer some useful bit of magic or knowledge to the hapless adventurer before sending them on their way.
By Claire Stephen-Walker3 years ago in Fiction
Deserts in Fantasy
Deserts are one of the most frequently used biomes in fantasy, but they are often written by people who have never been in one. I count myself in this, although I have experienced the arid areas of northern Victoria in Australia. Most writers who include deserts in their stories seem to feel that all that is needed are some descriptions of never-ending heat and sand dunes, replacing horses with camels, and offer a twist to local cultures which makes water a precious resource, and you’re done.
By Claire Stephen-Walker3 years ago in Gamers
Maps in Fantasy
Maps in Fantasy I have built several worlds since I began writing as a teenager, and at some point in the worldbuilding process, I tend to have a conversation about maps with my dad. He believes that fantasy authors are obsessed with maps. Not without reason. Most fantasy books come with a map of the world at the front. One I have seen but cannot now remember the title of had the wonderful idea of printing the map at the back of the book in such a way as to allow the map to be visible while reading it. To be entirely fair to my dad, this conversation usually happens when I am asking him for help in making my maps seem more realistic, a task I think he finds pointless when it comes to a fantasy world.
By Claire Stephen-Walker3 years ago in Fiction
The Shape of a World
I have been trying to outline a political fantasy story for some time now. While I have some good ideas, the need to constantly stop and make notes to ensure what I add is consistent with everything else I have already created has proved to be maddeningly frustrating. It seems that my original notion of ‘Knights! Castles! Battles!’ is not nearly enough.
By Claire Stephen-Walker3 years ago in Fiction
Marked
Walking beneath the black iron archway made Seffy shudder. The slim band of metal secured to her wrist bleeped, and a light flicked on. Green. So far, so good. The building in front of her was ugly. Only the illuminated cold blue light of the letters gave any real colour to the grey concrete. AMIC. The company that had saved the world. Or doomed it.
By Claire Stephen-Walker3 years ago in Fiction