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The Great Fan Quest
By:
Sheri McGathy
Recently, on many of my writer's mailing
list, discussion has turned to readership, more importantly, to a fan
base. You know those lovely readers who say you're an auto buy for them.
The ones who will go to bat for you if someone dare defile your name!
These discussions made me curious, did I have a fan base, and if so, where
were they? I decided I needed to find out, but where to start?
I shrugged and started walking. It wasn't long before I came across a
patch of grass surrounded by knee-high mushrooms. Beneath one of the
larger mushrooms stood a small faery staring into a book propped against
the thick stalk.
"Hello," I began, but his upheld hand silenced me.
"Where's the ring of mushrooms?"
"Pardon?"
I noticed the title of the book: TWILIGHT CROSSINGS. He was reading Thief
of Dreams. I wondered if he was a fan, but before I could ask, he raised
one bushy brow and said, "The mushrooms, the mushrooms!" He stabbed the
inside pages of the book with his stubby finger. "Faery Rings should have
mushrooms."
"Well, I, I used old legends, those before the use of mushrooms came
along, See, I wanted..."
He dismissed me with a wave of his hand. Slamming the cover shut, he
grabbed the book by its corner and started to walk away, dragging the
spine through the dirt behind him. "Next time, use the mushrooms."
"Well, I'll think about it," I shouted after him, but he had already faded
into the ring. "So like faeries," I mumbled before resuming my quest.
I walked around the mushrooms, careful not to step into the ring and
resumed my search for a fan base.
I hadn't gone far when I came to a field of flowers with a stag standing
near its center. The beast tipped his antlered head at me then turned and
bounded across the field.
I shrugged. "Sure, follow the stag. It worked for Nerys."
By the time I'd waded through the sea of flowers, the stag had disappeared
from sight. I swiped a hand over my brow and sighed. Finding a fan base
was turning out to be a lot of work!
A thick line of trees bordered this side of the field. I paused and peered
into the shadows lurking within and then sighted along the field's edge.
The tree line stretched as far as I could see. I'd have to enter the
forest if I wanted to continue.
I hadn't taken five steps when I heard a loud snort from behind. I spun
about only to find my way blocked by a very large, very wide dragon.
Before I had time to panic, he pulled a book out from under one of his
golden scales and thrust it along with a slender charcoal stick toward me.
"Oh," I said taking the copy of
FROM WITHIN THE MIST from him. As I
signed my name on the inside cover I asked, "Are you a fan?"
He countered with, "And if I were?"
"You'd make me very happy. You see I'm on a quest to find my fan base."
"Happy enough to join me for dinner?" He batted his long lashes and leaned
forward to flash his sharp teeth at me in what I hoped was a smile.
I handed the book and charcoal back even as I took a step back. "Well,
maybe not THAT happy."
He took the book and proceeded to turn the pages with one of his rather
sharp claws. "Then I am undecided if I will become a fan. I do like Talwyn,
but I am not sure I like those trees." He cast a quick glance around and
snorted. "Not sure at all."
"But the trees, they are only..."
"Do not bother to explain. I have only just begun The Ancient One." He
lowered his bulk to the ground and leaned back against one of the trees.
Without lifting his eyes from the pages of the book, he added, "Come back
later, perhaps then I will know if I am to be your fan."
"Oh, okay. Sure," I said already hurrying on my way. I knew better than to
argue with a dragon.
I wandered through the forest, stopping to check under leaves and peer
behind trees, but I could find no fan base.
The sun was setting by the time I exited the forest and found myself on a
dirt path heading toward a stone circle. When I entered the circle, the
first thing I noticed was an old man sitting cross-legged on the altar at
its center. The second thing I noticed was the angry glint in his eyes as
I approached.
"You," he said while shaking a crooked finger at me. "You should be
ashamed of yourself."
"Why? What did I do?"
"This!" He flashed a PDA under my nose. "Are you trying to destroy my
reputation with this, this..." He flipped the PDA around and squinted at
the screen. "With this
WITHIN THE SHADOW OF STONE story?" He
clicked the screen off. "People were quite happy believing I brought the
stones here with MY magic. Now you come along and say they were sung into
place!"
He bunched the hems of his robe in his hands and scooted off the altar.
"Stones sung into place, indeed! You should be ashamed of yourself."
Without waiting for my reply, he stomped away. I could still hear him
mumbling as he disappeared into the shadows of the forest.
I shrugged. Climbing up on the altar, I lay back and stared up at the
twinkling canopy of starlight above. A smile played across my lips as I
realized even though I hadn't found my fan base yet, I was sure, tomorrow
would be a brighter day.
Copyright ©
2004
Sheri McGathy
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