by Barbara Letson
Although William C. Cronk has been writing since he first picked up a pencil, he began taking his creative skills seriously in 2017 when he won a contest to write a Dungeons & Dragons gaming module for none other than Ed Greenwood, creator of The Forgotten Realms. “I was ecstatic. I had no idea I could win,” William modestly says of his adventure module, set in the trading city of Ormpur. “Ed Greenwood is such a wonderful man, very down to earth. We still keep in touch.” William’s stories have appeared in Sylvermoon Chronicles’ 2019 anthology with a sci-fi tale entitled “Linear Rotation”, and another, “Not the One”, is due out in mid-2020.
William’s current project is a set of three short stories written specifically for the Magic Underground trilogy of anthologies. His story tells of a young boy from a remote desert village going on pilgrimage to the capital city in hopes of becoming a mage-priest. “These stories are a great fit for the anthology’s theme of ‘hidden magic’ because the current would-be rulers only recognize magic that works in a specific way. Their own beliefs will not allow them to see that other forms of magic exist. This boy has a kind of magic that has been hidden by their own prejudices.”
When asked why he chose this story, William confessed, “It chose me. The idea of a young boy with hidden magic, trying to find his place in the world, came to mind. Before I knew it, I had a main character and a setting.” His first story, “Bands of Gold”, will be continued with “Bands of Brass” and “Bands of Iron” in the Magic Underground trilogy of anthologies, now on sale.
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69 stories. 23 authors.
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