Reinvention

It is time for a reinvention. Neither the dragon, nor the believer, is dying. She's just... evolving.

There are events that can happen in your life that make you realize you are not the same person you once were. Somewhere along the way something happened, and you changed. Hopefully for the better. I don't know when that moment was for me, but I do know that I just recently realized that it had actually happened. Maybe it was hitting the two year mark at my job -- the longest I've ever worked in one place (since I've been out of college only three years), or maybe it was getting married and buying a house in the 'burbs with my husband. I'm not sure, but I do know that when I joined WDC six (yes, SIX!) years ago, I was Dragon Believer: a teenager with a crush on fantasy, a thing for dragons, and a propensity for gaming and the imagination. The teenaged me has grown up, but she hasn't lost her flare for the imaginative. I still love dragons, and I still love gaming. But I've grown so much in six years, and my writing has grown so much, that I don't think I'm still Dragon Believer. I think it's time for a new pen name and a new identity -- one that more closely represents who I am now, six years later.

One of my favorite fantasy novels of all time is The Curse of Chalion, by Lois McMaster Bujold. One of the characters from that novel stood out to me and earned my devotion and admiration. His name is Foix (pronounced "foy") dy Gura, and together with his brother, Ferda, he is a dedicated soldier to the goddess known as the Daughter. In his appearances throughout Chalion and its sequel Paladin of Souls, Foix earned a special place in my heart.

Another fantastic novel is Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay. The story centers around three main characters; Jehane bet Ishak, Ammar ibn Khairan, and Rodrigo Belmonte; however it is the wife of Rodrigo that captured my undying attention. The wife of the captain of the cavalry, Miranda Belmonte had to stand up for herself and for her two sons. She is a strong-willed woman who can hold her own in the man's world of Al-Rassan. She is the head of her household and does not let anyone push her around. Yet she is a kind and loving mother and wife, and it is clear through Kay's gorgeous writing how truly remarkable and complex of a woman she is.

In honor of these, my two favorite characters, I had adopted the pen name Miranda Foix a while back while signing up for a blog. It seemed an apt tribute to the characters and their ingenious authors, while also brining to the fore the attributes that I hope I embody myself.

It's time this persona made its appearance here. I am Miranda Foix.

So what does this mean for my presence on WDC? Very little. For one, you can call me Miranda now, which I have a feeling is slightly easier and less distracting than saying Dragon Believer, or DB. Secondly, it'll give me the freedom to change and expand my portfolio. All the old fantasy writing will stay, and the new fantasy will be coming in too, but I'll also be trying my hand at some other genres and item types. I'm stretching out my imagination, throwing ideas onto the wall, and seeing what sticks.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my little experiment. Sometimes change is necessary to foster growth and new ideas. So this is me, Miranda, hoping it works.