Fast forward to last Sunday evening, and look what appeared on my bed:
Why? I'm glad you asked.
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| Velone, the character |
Velone is a Rider's dragon, bonded to Emma Alyron. Like Emma, Velone loves music. His favorite way to express himself is through humming: cheerful tunes when he's happy, slower melodies when he's thinking hard, and Emma's favorite songs for when he's trying to encourage her. When he's not trying to express a particular emotion or sentiment, his "default" tune is the first one he heard Emma sing in the moments before he hatched. Though she sang it as a lonely lament, it's since become a symbol of hope for both of them.
Velone might be tiny, but he has an enormous heart and a protective streak three miles wide. If something is threatening his Emma, he'll do whatever he can to stop it, and when she's feeling discouraged, lonely, or just not good enough, he'll hum, nuzzle her cheeks, and remind her of the truths she needs to hear. He doesn't entirely understand why Emma fears all the things she does, and he consistently nudges her to step outside her comfort zone, to be the person she could be rather than the person she sees herself as.
Writing about Emma and Velone is almost always really fun. Velone is very different from most of the other dragons in my stories when it comes to interactions with his Rider. For one thing, because he's so small, there's a lot more cuddling involved. (Yes, dragons do cuddle, or at least mine do.) For another, he communicates more through images, feelings, and humming than through actual words. This makes him a bit more challenging to write, but I enjoy the challenge. Also, as I mentioned earlier, Velone also serves as a catalyst for Emma's growth as a person, which makes their interactions doubly fun to write.
Do you have a favorite dragon or other mythological creature in your stories? Please tell me about him or her in the comments! As always, I'd love to hear what you have to say!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)
P.S. Just in case, Velone isn't the only dragon my sister's made . . . she's actually been really busy. To demonstrate just how busy, here's a picture of all her dragons:
I totally love it and Velone sounds so awesome! He sounds like the perfect dragon to have!
ReplyDeleteThank you! And yes, he is. :D
DeleteSo cuuute... I want a knitted dragon now... :'(
ReplyDeleteIf you or a friend knows how to knit, you can find the pattern here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tarragon-the-gentle-dragon
DeleteI think little dragons like Velone, Gymn and Dibl are some of the cutest creatures ever. (I have now made a note to reread your writing thread on the Underground.)
ReplyDeleteI love dragons, but I'm not sure why I've stopped using them in most of my more recent books. I have two angel-dragons as part of the worldbuilding for my OYAN novel, and while both of them are alive in present-day, I have no plans to include them in this book aside from possibly a passing mention.
Shaft isn't quite a mythological creature, but she's probably the best character of mine that fits the description. She's innocently, irritatingly literal, and she picks holes in everything Halo says—although she's argue with me that she doesn't have the ability to perforate sound. I believe you've read the only existing piece of story on her, the one with Silas Halo.
Yes, yes, they are. :D Thus why I want them to be real even more than I do large dragons. :D
DeleteMy guess is that you stopped using them because they're so common in other books . . . from what I've seen of your writing, you tend to go off the beaten path. Though I remember that some of your older stories had dragons- one small one in particular, though I can't remember his name.
I remember Shaft! She's cool. :D You should write more about her and Halo.
Me too.
DeleteThat's probably part of the reason. I enjoy having dragons in my stories, but I don't want to have dragons merely so I can have dragons, if that makes sense. (And I think the dragon you're thinking of is Fatty from the Union Saga.)
I probably should. They're both Legendarium characters; I haven't defined their place in the overall timeline yet, but I think they will appear in a few more stories.
Makes perfect sense. :) (And yes, that sounds right, but I couldn't remember if Fatty was his name or a nickname.)
DeleteGood. When these stories are written, I'd like to read them. :D Out of curiosity, do you think you'd ever publish Legendarium?
Aw!!! He's so adorable!! Tiny dragons are such fun, though I've personally dealt more with the huge variety. Ice Dragons are great, too. I have one planned for a secret project of mine, and I can't wait to write with him.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I can choose a favorite dragon in my writing ... because I have a lot, and they're all such fun to work with (especially the ones who can take human form, because that's just interesting.) I suppose I could go with Amber, who isn't strictly a dragon, but a sorceress capable of taking a dragon's form, thus earning her the title "Lady Dragon." She's a truly formidable villain to write with, and sometimes even scares me, and her arc has been interesting to write.
Thank you! And I know, right? Most of my dragons are large ones as well, but that just makes the little ones (like Velone) more special.
DeleteOoh. Amber/Lady Dragon sounds like a properly terrifying villain. I hope I get to read about her sometime.
I'm actually in the process of polishing the first book of her series for publication late this summer, and writing what is hopefully the final draft of the second book (I've been writing said second book for almost ten years, and it's been through four full drafts, and at least two half-drafts).
DeleteAnd ... since you're expressing interest ... I am looking for beta readers for part 1 of the first book. All you have to do is come over to my blog, ask nicely, and fill out a form: http://knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com/2015/02/wpfp-part-1-beta-sign-up.html
Ooh, coolness! *goes to do that*
DeleteTHEY ARE SO PRECIOUS!!! Out of curiosity, where did you find the pattern for these?
ReplyDeleteI know! And the pattern is free; you can get it here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tarragon-the-gentle-dragon
DeleteWhoah. THEY'RE ADORABLE!
ReplyDeleteI need someone who can knit. xP
I KNOW. And good luck finding someone. You could always teach yourself, if you really want a dragon- I don't think they're too difficult to make. I'd offer to get Rachel to make one for you, but . . . getting it to you might be difficult.
DeleteAww, man! I would totally buy one of those dragons! I would name mine Mavramorn, after one of my childhood imaginary friends, who happened to be a dragon. :)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, who did the picture of Valone, the character? It's pretty good. :D
So . . . my mom, my sister, and I were talking yesterday, and long story short, you might be able to do that if we can get something set up. And cool. Where did you come up with the name Mavramorn, BTW?
DeleteI actually found it on Google Images, and before that it apparently came from here: http://www.virtualpetlist.com/threads/dragons-dragons-dragons.26860/