From My Fantasy Writing Desk:
A Fight Scene from a Blind POV
My writing challenge this week came in the form of a fight scene I had to write. Never having been in a physical fight in my life, I depend on the instruction I’ve gotten from various actors who put swords in my hands and told me what to do and from models written by authors I admire.
But this fight scene had yet another level of challenge. If you’ve read Priestess of Ishana you know I have a blind secondary character, Daniti. In this second in the series that I’m working on now, she steps forward as one of the point of view characters. I’ve enjoyed the challenge of writing with no sight cues. But a fight without them? I did have some help (or rather Daniti did), from her telepathic mythical mutt pet. That’s all I’ll say so I don’t spoil it. But I had fun with this imagination teaser.
Writers at the Library
I had a good time at the Red Mountain branch of the Mesa Library chatting with library visitors and participating in a panel about writing fantasy mysteries. It was especially fun to spend the day with my fellow writers from our local Sisters in Crime chapter, Desert Sleuths. I do love the camaraderie of writers.
Archaeology I Enjoyed:
New Sicilian Greek Theater Evidence
Ancient Greek theaters started out as open areas or hillsides without the characteristic tiered seating. The plays were performed as part of religious festivals and the theater area was considered a sanctuary. Eventually, from the 6th to 4th centuries, the theaters were built of wood.
Later, starting in the 4th century, they were built of stone—and looked like the famous theaters that survive at Epidaurus and the theater of Dionysius at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens. (In the photo at the top you can see the magnificent theater at Epidaurus, where you can still attend plays. That was one of the most memorable experiences of my college summer in Greece. Photo by Greg Schechter on Wikimedia.)
Greek theaters, like the ancient Greek people who used them, were scattered around the Mediterranean world. One of the largest Greek colony cities was Akragas on Sicily, and it surprised archaeologists that they couldn’t find the theater there.
Recent efforts have found it, however, and this excavation adds some interesting elements to our knowledge—such as the post holes from the original wooden theater and other layers from different stages of building.
They’ve uncovered the highest part of the stands where the commoners sat. Next up, they hope to work on the seats for the high-ranking types. Artifacts have also turned up such as a statuette of a musician playing a double flute and a terracotta theater mask with some of the original paint still on it. Click here for Archaeology Magazine, “Sicily’s Lost Theater”
Why Octavian Beat Cleopatra
How did Octavian outsmart Cleopatra and Anthony in that final naval battle that marked the end of the Roman Republic and led to Emperor Augustus?
It’s often been speculated that his ships were more maneuverable. Now there’s evidence of that, gotten by close study of a monument built at the time to commemorate Octavian’s victory.
The monument held battering rams from Cleopatra’s fleet and, while the bronze rams were melted down long ago, the niches into which they fit allow for some extrapolating about both the size of the unusually large rams and the ships that supported their use. Nimble ships do appear to have outdone big brawn.
The things you can learn by careful examination of the archaeology right in plain sight—well if you are on the northwest coast of Greece. Click here for The Independent “Secrets of Horrific Battle with Cleopatra that Gave Birth to the Roman Empire Revealed by Ancient Monument”