December is a Winter Frost Wonderland

2023 is coming to a close. Even though next year brings changes to our content and lineup as we grow, Undawnted continues spreading the Yuletide spirit in the now.

A Novelist Idea will have another graduation for completers of our newsletter's creative program, Hint of the Divine, but this curriculum will move from the newsletter to a fee-based membership in 2024. Stay tuned as Undawnted's Member's Only area develops. 

This last month of the year will see more events arise. The cover reveal party for The Town Santa Forgot will be hosted by our publisher: Sonoran Dawn Studios: Yuletide Jingle: Cover Reveal Party. December 9th-11th, this party will bring our audience new authors to follow and read, as well as contests and prizes. Don't miss your chance to celebrate the holidays with DL Mullan, especially her upcoming Winter Solstice and The Town Santa Forgot release parties (via A Novelist Idea Newsletter). 

Join now and be ready for more publication and cover reveals in the coming weeks. Undawnted's Winter Frost Seasonal Reads program helps with gifting and getting into the spirit of the season. 

This year has been wonderful for creativity and the imagination! 

Thank you all for your continued support of independent creators.

Have a joyous and fulfilling holiday season.

_____

A writer at heart, Undawnted's own creative spark, DL Mullan, began writing short stories and poetry before adolescence. Over the years, Ms. Mullan has showcased her literary talents by self-publishing several collections of her poetry. She also writes novels, designs apparel, and creates digital art. Ms. Mullan‘s creative writing is available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. As an independent publisher, she produces her own book cover designs as well as maintains her own websites. She is an award-winning digital artist and poet. 

 Keep up with her activities by subscribing to her monthly/quarterly A Novelist Idea Newsletter.

 

Welcome Sun Gods/Goddesses to Your New Life on the Hero's Journey

Today was the astrotheological day of resurrection. 

The day of the Winter Solstice the Earth begins its trek back to Spring. In ancient times, the sun looked like it stalled in the sky for three days. So that is where our mythologies (and religions) get the idea of dying and being resurrected on the third day. The narrative is prevalent in the stories of ole.

For instance, December 21st is the solstice. December 22nd, 23rd, 24th are the sun's immobile days (death). December 25th, the sun moves upward in the sky again and thus the sun (son) is resurrected. 

Every winter we go through our own personal hero mythology. This year, we again have been resurrected into our hero journey. We come out the other side and begin a new year. At this time, we make our resolutions, a blueprint, for the coming 365 days. 

So take some time and ponder the possibilities. You are on a hero's journey. You died, defeated death, and was resurrected. Your reward is a new year. You are living mythology. You are the hero. You are the god/goddess.

As an enlightened entity, what wisdom do you want to impart on the world? What are your goals? What is important to you? 

That is the mindset of a fiction writer creating their next protagonist, threshold to adventure, and positive story. 

Have a great and wonderful day. 

 

 

December 23rd: Today is the Last, Last Day of Your... Death?

You are living mythology and you don't even know you are doing it. 

Religions of the past and their current manifestations tell of a man born of a virgin who died and was resurrected.  

Mythology is why solstices are a little more exciting than equinoxes. Solstices are like we hit the edge (Earth's wobble) and at the last possible second, we are saved by someone yanking on our shirt collar.

The mythical aspects of this time of year, winter, is special too. Humans are connected to our Earth cycles from biology to religion. We are now in our death cycle. We will be in the winter season for 88 days and then spring will resurrect us.

For the mythology and literary aspects, December 21 of Winter Solstice is our annual death day. As religion mimics the natural cycles, the sun stays nearly unchanged in the sky for the next three days. That means December 22th, 23rd, 24th are our mythological death. We are Persephone. 

So on December 25th, the sun in the sky begins to move upward once again. That is how the ancient people knew that the Earth cycle was now on its way back to spring time, thus the resurrection. In a few days, everyone on Earth will be resurrected as was the sun gods of ole.

You are living mythology. You are living your death and will be resurrected. So how does it feel to be a sun god? 

Isn't mythology grand? 

 

Now how can you use mythology in your writing (literature)?

Hint: research Dionysus, Persephone, Osiris, Odin, Ganesha, Lemminkainen, Tammuz, Krishna, Quetzalcoatl, Attis...

Then how can you use these gods' qualities in your character(s)? plot? 

Have a great and wonderful day. 

Countdown to Yule

The UK's Telegraph has a countdown application and Winter Solstice is about 2 hours away.

Here is the link to the article with that meter:  When is the 2015 winter solstice? Everything you need to know about the shortest day of the year.

Not everyone in the world celebrates Christmas. There are a number of different celebrations during this time of year. One of which is Yule.

Yule harkens back to Odin and Norse mythology. It is a time to butcher livestock for their meat, the mead/ale was ready in their casks, and the freezing weather was the death cycle of nature. 

The Winter Solstice became a celebration of life, and the upcoming renewal of spring. 

So this night of the longest darkness and shortest light, be thankful that tomorrow begins the cycle of renewal. 

For the Sonoran Desert:

9h 55m Tomorrow will be 0m0s shorter.

Enjoy the legends, the history, and the holiday spirit.