Hello again! Next Saturday (21 November 2020) I'm going live over on my Instagram (@maimurray_is_writing) to talk about how shapeshifting works within the context of my fiction as well as answer any questions you have! With Hidden just a month away from publication, I'm really excited to talk to you guys.
The rules that govern the science and magic of shapeshifting (or, as Ruv dubs it, the "Art of Sanguina") within the context of my stories is something I have spent quite a bit of time developing, because it's an integral part of the world of Aorea, and especially because I *hate* it when the "rules" of a fantasy novel don't make sense. That's one of the quickest ways to make me put down a novel and not open it again: the book's system of magic--or whatever else governs the world--is inconsistent. Inconsistencies drive me crazy. (I am a rather typical Type-A Virgo in that regard.) Thus, I have done my best to make sure that not only does the system of magic that governs the rules of Aorea in general--and shapeshifting in particular, as that is one of the key manifestations of that magic--is not only consistent, but also makes sense.
One of the great things about fantasy as a genre is that you have so much freedom, but I have always believed that it's important to maintain a certain extent of realism. If the magic is just chaotic and runs rampant and is subject to no limitations, you lose that realism. Balance is key; you can't get something out of nothing. I'd like to think balancing science and
magic is one thing I do well in my fiction, but then I always loved physics.
It's really about the only science in which I really excelled in school...as should come as no surprise, my academic interests tended more toward the language arts side of the house (to include, obviously, languages other than English).
Thus, I'll be talking about shapeshifting next Saturday. I hope you'll drop by and ask a question, or even just say hi! And don't feel like your questions have to be limited to the general topic -- I'll happily answer anything, whether that's updates on Hidden (not that there are too many updates at this point besides you have only a month to wait for it!), or how that post hardcore band I formed is coming along. Hope to see you there!