But on the other hand, if I tie the story to a specific real-world culture, how can I create a story that speaks to many different kinds of Pagans, those from different continents with vastly different beliefs? And what is the point of including religion in a fictional story of suspense and heartbreak anyway? Shouldn’t I write about real Pagan gods? Surely, we have enough of them and too little serious representation in literature. Not only did I want to avoid arguments about the authenticity of my portrayal, part of the point of the story is its universality. I had to make the Pagan gods of my story different enough that I would not appear to be pointing at any particular traditional Pagan or neo-Pagan religion because of the nature of the story I was telling. She isn’t a “real” moon goddess-not one honored on the waking Earth by the ancestors of anyone living today. That is what bubbled up out of the cauldron of a story. She comes to the aid of those who must fight their own temptations and those who fight for justice alike. She is capable of brilliant attack, tactical defense and healing retreat. The crescent is the edge of her sword and the full moon is her round, shining shield. In this dispatch, she discusses building fictional Pagan gods and religious systems. This entry comes to us from Arie Farnham, author of The Kyrennei Series, an epic dystopian thriller. Dispatches from the Word Mines is an irregular blog series about literature and writing from the perspective of writers themselves.
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