Writing fantasy fiction is all about entering an unknown world. There are no limits as to how the world is structured, who inhabits it, what they wear and eat {or don't wear/eat} and what their lives are like. These unknown worlds find their way into my mind through various means.
I had the great fortune of living in Ireland for a while and, as a native New Yorker, was indeed entering an unknown world. Yes, it had been over a decade since I'd departed from city life, but the Emerald Isle was quite an eye opener.
Staying just down the road from Newgrange {pictured above}, I was awestruck by such an incredibly magical and mysterious site. Entering the grounds, let alone the chamber itself, was one of those spine-tingling experiences that I'll never forget.
At five thousand years old, Newgrange and the surrounding carved stones brought me straight into a fantasy story. Who were these people and what were they like? Everything was foreign and fascinating {and gorgeously green and round} and, personally, I never wanted to leave.
Particularly because Newgrange was built with intention for "passage", I find places like this very inspiring when writing fantasy fiction; rarely am I concerned with normal life as we know it. My imaginings of another world flourish when I visit the unknown of this one... either in person or by looking at certain photographs/art, or by reading history and lore. For me, it wasn't until I visited the British Isles that I truly felt the possibility for magic to occur -- in the past, in the present day, and hopefully in times to come.
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