Erik Mercer

picture of two cats sleeping under a blanket

Happy #CaturDay from the Maru and Gajar, the #WritersCats!

If this can happen on Earth, it's easy to imagine that in #SciFi and #Fantasy we are regularly missing out on some goofy fun that could add a ton of character and depth to our stories.

Lessons to learn:

Life is stranger than fiction.
And, fiction isn't strange enough.

On February 17, we entered the Chinese Year of the Fire Horse. Happy New Year to all our friends!

What's interesting for #worldbuilding: Draco Malfoy (from Harry Potter) popped up as its a mascot, as the name roughly translates to "lucky horse".

#writingCommunity

Three points set it apart:
1) Texts for A2 students are rare.
2) Designed specifically to touch all requirements of the A2 certificate.
3) Each reading section is followed up by a translation cheat-sheet.
Done by native speakers, tested with real students and trainers.

Book cover featuring the title in German and information on the level being for students who are transitioning from A2 to B1 level.

A text sample.

An example of a training section featuring the names of parts of a human face.

While writing books in Italian might still be some way off, I will give edits on my German language training book a final push. I have the results of my target group research, so with some final touches, I may proceed to typesetting.

#amwriting #writingcommunity

It's not for everybody.

For me, I learn best with a tangible need, clear time frame, and opportunity to focus on what I'm trying to achieve.

Ergo, to me, Duolingo lacks focus. It feels like getting random phrases thrown at you that more often than not don't even make sense.

Don't get me wrong. It was enough to explain the menu of a restaurant to a bunch of tourists in broken Italian. A skill I didn't have 2 years ago. My personal bottom line is it helped memorizing vocabulary, but can't replace an actual language course. Your experience may vary.

It did motivate me to practice 30mins a day, that alone is a win. But to me, the results are underwhelming, since after investing more than 300hours, I still wouldn't pass an A1 certificate, which a conventional course would get you in 80h or less. Personal experience my vary.

Photo of the Colosseum in Rome.

I've learned Italian for two years on #Duolingo. Do I speak Italian? No.

That might just be me, but memorization isn't my style of learning, and the app focuses on it exclusively. What it does it does well, but knowing the "what" without the "why" isn't for me.

Two people holding hands.

#ValentinesDay is named after Bishop Valentine of Terni, killed February 14th 269 for illegally marrying young couples. He is believed to have paid the occasional dowry out of his own pocket, and to present newly weds with flowers. St. Valentine's Day was 1st celebrated in 496.

Book cover featuring a stylized bomb with a forbidden sign covering it and the title "package rejected, return to sender".

Book cover showing a stylized spiral galaxy looking a bit like a rotating liquid surrounded by the title "vegetarian chicken soup"

Book cover featuring a stylized face of an alien woman with thick red lips and her streaks of hair spelling out the title "muh meetha karo!"

I finally took some time to prepare covers for book 1 to 3.

Yes, writing and editing is the priority. However, adding a cover makes it feel more real. Like promise that "yes, we are doing this, and we are doing it now".

#amWriting #WritingCommunity

Book cover featuring an abstract Irish hard with stars instead of strings, mimicking the flag of a star system on a black ground. The publisher title reads "Rock - Paper - Dagger". The author is "Erik Mercer". The book is titled "Ruling the stars. A beginner's guide on how to build your own galactic empire; and live to tell about it."

In light of recent events, I decided to update the design of my book #cover.

#amWriting #WritingCommunity

Photo showing the flag of India flying over the Red Fort in Delhi

Happy #RepublicDay to our friends in India. Enjoy a wonderful and sunny day.

Happy lazy #Caturday

#WritersCats

I thought I had seen my fair share of weird stuff.
Then, tonight, I scraped a dead mouse from the inside of a car's cabin air filter.

Not sure I want to turn that particular experience into a "fresh" story.

However, the richer she got, the worse she treated her servants. One night, the maid found what she was doing. The angry maid summoned the dragon in secret, and replaced her lady's latest order of milk and wheat with a dropping from every dog; Then left the mansion before dawn.

One famous regional legend goes like this: Once upon a time, a woman had a house dragon do her bidding. To get ever richer without being caught, she summoned the dragon and demanded to steal a drop of milk from every cow, a grain of wheat from every stack, and so on.
#amWriting

If you are looking for inspiration, it may help to grab a book, and read up on underrepresented mythical creatures. Most of those come with rich lore that can teach us a thing or two about world building and inspire fresh ideas and stories worth telling.

Legends are rich with creatures, and tales. Folklore attributes to the dwarfs alone named kings and kingdoms, who even went to war with each other. Forests and mountains are filled with moss and forest people, spirits, ghosts, and countless stories we may utilize in our writing.

Cover of "traveling for witches" featuring the title, and a drawing of a young witch and an orange cat, looking at each other.

The #kidlit story I'm writing at the moment sees a young witch travel on foot to the Blocksberg for a dance, after she had an accident that left her unable to fly. The actual path taken exists, is 40km long, and can be walked in 10 hours plus breaks. Maybe a bit longer with kids.

Legend has it that if a dragon fancied a family, you could make a wish, and the dragon would see it come true. However, being a shapeshifter, to be close to their family, the dragon took the shape of a small animal or insect. Legend thus forbade to slay the last fly in the house.

Drawing of a dragon's head.

The legendary house dragon took the shape of a lindworm. It could fly, and looked like a white streak moving across the sky. When it was returning home laden with gifts, that streak took a thick barrel shape.

Wizards would beguile a dragon by leaving an offering at a crossroads.

These helpful forest spirits ask for but a piece of each loaf of bread when the family bakes, and no kummel to be used in the dough, as they can't stand the taste.

To this day, moss people are cherished and figurines can be found at most tourist shops.

en.wikipedia.org/wik...

I adore the stories of moss people living in the Harz forests. These sometimes helpful, sometimes vengeful spirits resemble folks, about half as tall as a man, and covered in moss and greens. They help around the house as long as the family lives a life of virtue.
#amWriting

Once upon a time, the matriarchs of two great families grew jealous of each other. Both families sent out their dragons to burn the other's house down. A battle ensued, thunder crashed, lightning struck both houses, and turned them to cinders with everyone inside.

The house dragon is a shapeshifter, visible only if it wants to be seen. Its only weakness: its sweet tooth for pudding. Keep it well fed and looked after, and the dragon protects the family, showering it with good fortune and even wealth. But as legend has it, this may go wrong.

Drawing of a lindworm, shattering a picture frame it was trapped in. Yes, that is my own drawing. And yes, it's not very good. Cut me some slack. I was twelve.

There are countless legends that fly under the radar. One such is the European "house dragon". I was introduced to this creature at a young age, when my grandmother told me that this particular dragon guarded families and brought great fortune when treated right.

#amWriting

Picture of a horseshoe-shaped imprint in the stone, which legend claims to have been left by Bodo's magic horse.

The "Bode" river and the valley are both named after the supposed giant. The floods of the river is believed to hold Bodo's golden crown, after he lost it when he attempted to jump across on his horse--and failed.
And I got a picture of the hoof imprint of his horse as it jumped.

Photo of the Bode valley overlook, where Bodo fell off his horse, according to local folklore.

I'm notoriously bad at drawing, but I have been there and happened to have a photo of the actual place, where legend says Bodo fell from his horse. Using that as a template, made things easier, and at least the background is authentic. Bodo is another story. Never met the guy.

A grumpy giant called Bodo sitting on top of a rock, overlooking the Bode valley.

Finally had the time to sketch one of the illustrations for my #kidlit #book.
Meet the giant "Bodo". Folklore has it, he is grumpy, because his bride-to-be got cold feet, stole his magic steed, and made a run for it. He lost his second favorite horse and his crown in the pursuit.