“Unbidden, an image of a city half-built, half- carved into Ashar’s sandstone mountains jumped before Gilaon’s eyes. In one of his mother’s books, thee had been an illustration of Cin’Mazra’s entrance-a large facade of columns and a yawning, rectangular doorway carved right into the rock. It led inside a mountain riddled with passages and an entire subterranean city. Gold and iron ore were mined deep beneath the city, which helped feed the voracious appetite of the empire’s armies in Na’Kath, Siilagö, and Tieragon.” (The Dark Pilgrim, pg235)
Often in the process of writing, specifically fantasy, we must create the worlds in which our characters inhabit. There is a beautiful freedom in imagining a city or an entire landscape that can be entirely what we want it to be. However, when we see something in the real world so strikingly similar to something we have created for our book it makes us pause. I (Amanda) had such an encounter over Memorial weekend.
I took my family on a road trip through the snowy San Juan mountains, into the vibrant little mountain town of Durango, Colorado. We had trekked the seven hours down to southern Colorado for one purpose, to explore Mesa Verde National Park. It had been on my husband’s list of “Must Visit Places” for years. Though I knew little about it, I’m always game for a good hike, spending time in nature, and hopefully learning something new about the beautiful state I live in. I wasn’t prepared for the majesty that greeted me.
The first spot we chose to explore was named Cliff Palace. We drove nearly an hour and a half to the top of a mesa where we stood beneath a crystal blue sky and were able to see clear to Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. From the top of the mesa we hiked down winding trails, squeezed between boulders, and stepped out onto a space of flat rock at the base of ancient cliff dwellings. It was as if the city of Cin’Mazra (in The Dark Pilgrim) had come to life. An eight hundred year old city lay nestled beneath the red sandstone cliffs. Cliff Palace was built entirely by hand by the ancestral puebloans. These people belong to twenty six tribes whose descendants still live in the four corners region today. This city contained kivas, or cylindrical homes built into the ground. The daily life and activities of these people took place inside and above the kivas. It was here an entire civilization flourished, survived the long winters, and built a lasting legacy.
While it can be exciting to build your own civilizations inside your head, it can be equally as inspiring to look to real life events to add depth and richness to the world you’ve made. I can’t even begin to put into words what I felt standing there, imagining what life would be like all those years ago. The ranger present held a moment of silence for all gathered. The descendants of these people believe the spirit of their ancestors still remain in the dwellings. So we took a moment to thank them for allowing us into their homes and for giving us a glimpse of their lives. It was a hauntingly beautiful moment filled with emotion.
It can be so difficult to get away from writing, to take the time to travel and see new places, but I highly recommend you take the time to do it. The magic you’ll experience is time well spent. And the experiences of living life will only enhance your writing.
Comments