Now, on Earth, there is little doubt about some things which have happened, they have been recorded as history.  These things are written.  Before and between the stone of written history are legends of things not written, but perhaps true none-the-less.  In fact, the mortar of reality is the life between the stones of history, some of it legend, some of it mundane.

History and Legend, Tir na Nua is neither and both. Have you wished that there was a land where the Celtic world did not fall beneath the Roman? Have you wondered what that world might have been? Such things have happened in the new land and we have word of it, remembered by bards, lineage by rote, History in mind and on their lips, a legend, a mirror of reality, but not reality itself.  I bring these Stories.

Stories That Grow in the Telling

Tir na Nua means the new land.  That is appropriate, as I work out both detail and the craft of writing here on these pages.  New can mean rough and unrefined, but it can also mean fresh.  I hope, more than the former, that my take on Celtic myth and legend and in particular Irish lore, is a fresh take on a fascinating people and time.  The why and how of what I’m doing on these pages are on my Author’s page: HERE

I have in mind several novels, but I have made so little progress putting them on paper in a traditional manner that when a friend encouraged me to write a blog I decided to do it when I realized that I could write fiction in a blog format instead of engaging in the usual navel gazing that populates my conception of what a blog is (in particular one that I might write.) SO, to begin writing, I have taken breaks and lunches at my current J.O.B. to fictionalize.  I think of these stories as my writer’s note-book, writing exercises, process, and I confess that they are rough because they are not well thought out AND because it has been a pretty long time since I’ve done much more than thought about writing. Anyway, here is a page that gives access to some of these Stories.

Free CELTIC Fiction

My hope is to create fiction that speaks to the Celtic Heart.  I am concerned that my current skill does not do it justice, nervous to present what I’ve done so far.  I found myself writing about Eskimos and Ismaelites and the Elven instead of what I really intend to present.  Well, that should not be.  Warts and all here is a new story that I rip from Celtic legend and set in my new world, Tir na Nua, the Red Son of Concubar.

the Abbott and the Djinn

I’ve begun to post a rough first draft novel that I plan to finish on or before my birthday 2011. At least that is my intent.  the Abbott and the Djinn is the tale of a long lived grey elf orphan, who comes to be called Iamerge in this story, and a monk of my Biblious House named Gospels.  Iamerge follows Gospels and eleven other companions Eastward on an odyssey of discovery, both personal and corporate.  I am writing this on the fly without recourse to a lot of notes or plotting so that I am often surprised by the turns that the story takes. 

Here is the novel beginnings: Intro to and Beginning of The Abbot and the Djinn.  Follow my progress HERE.

Rough Draft Fiction Free Online

I don’t pretend to be a polished novelist. Let’s just say I’m a work in progress. Still, despite getting B’s in English (I thought I had done better than that, but I guess Mr. White wasn’t as complimentary as I remembered), I always wanted to write fiction and I felt like I could.

After all, I’m a man with a story. Even my name, O’Neill, has tales attached to it (like this one of the Hand Gules that is prominent in our heraldry,) but don’t we all? I love old tales, tales of heroes, tales of real people in strange times and strange people in real times. I have wanted to write such tales and, prodded by my friend, Jeffery, I have.

Using a sort of “just start writing and see where it goes” technique I’ve completed the first draft of a short story.  In the end, Concerning The Deer Riders wandered a bit farther than I had anticipated.  Legendary wanderings?  You can read Concerning the Deer Riders yourself and see what you think.

My Polished Stones

Since this is my process, a good deal of it is rough here as I begin.  My hope is to get better and better at writing Celtic Fiction so that reading it free will become a bargain and not a chore.  I plan to work on a few of my stories to make works of fiction closer to my potential.  That is, I plan to polish them by rewriting them for your reading pleasure and in particular the reading pleasure of those who might come across this sight and have little patience for my early fumblings unfiltered from my imagination?

Recently I’ve realized that I should not.  My first goal was to get something, anything here, secondly I NEEDED to write because it had been a long time since I had.  I have courted your opinion to no effect, but then why should I expect it?  Do I read other’s work and offer up my opinion, my help?  Not recently and can I help? 

So, I intend to polish up a few of the stories that have accumulated.  The raw novelization of the Abbott and the Djinn will continue, undoubtedly I’ll put up more unfiltered imaginings like the Deer Riders and Child of Moss.  Then, in a section before those unpolished stones, I will begin to offer some that have had my attention and effort so that you can judge me or at least have a better chance of being reliably entertained.  Some may read on to the raw.  HERE is the page that will list the more polished work. (it is currently empty <sigh>)

Other Stuff

I am in the process of writing several novels, but on the way to that I offer these thoughts, insights, resources, and diversions of interest to me and, I hope, to you.  Here I hope to gather legends and lore, notes on antiquity, and present day reality.  Have a look HERE

For now, welcome, and please tell me what you like or you don’t.  I value your insights.

LSO

PS. HERE are some authors I have read and admire by way of giving you hints about where I’m aiming