I am going to attempt something different with the blog for a while, since I haven’t been doing a whole lot with it. I have been working on my sword and sorcery fantasy trilogy for the past four years and many of the ideas have been knocking around in my head even longer. I’ve got the basics of books 1 and 2 pretty much in place, though I don’t like the flow and will need to adjust the timeline and probably do some major editing as I publish the chapters. I have a good outline and a rough draft started where I might take book 3, but I know they all still need a lot of work.

I did a LOT of work on the books last summer and then ran out of gas in the fall. Now it is time to get back to figuring out how and where Fenrar’s Journey will take him.

Over the years I have seen other fledgling writers use their blogs to share their writing publicly and as much as showing this side of my writing scares the hell out of me, the more I thought about it, the more it seemed something that would help me refocus on actually finishing this project over the course of the next few years. Hopefully overcoming what Steven Pressfield would probably say, without hesitation, that the Resistance is strong in this one. I would have to agree.

My plan will be to publish the story as I go through the editing process to make both books stronger and will make retelling Fenrar’s story more interesting and make more sense. More than likely a section or two at a time. What you are reading will be second draft quality, before any others have read it to give feedback or ideas to improve/tighten the story. There will be some times I am sure that I will not be happy at all with what I have written in a chapter and go ahead and re-write the chapter and there’ll be the original chapter and a revised chapter, which I will label accordingly.

As you can see by the changes I have already made.

Which is to show that I am actually editing this stuff and listening to feedback that I receive along the way.

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A Personal Journey

Wild Heart of the Whisperwinds

The tales of Fenrar Greenleaf – Book 1

By Harold L. Shaw, Jr.

Fenrar as looked while training

Image created by Gemini AI – 2025 (If I ever get around to actually attempting to publish these stories, I plan to use a real artist, this is simply to give us an idea of what Fenrar might look like in his twenties)

This book has been a long journey, marked by stretches of inspired writing and long, quiet pauses. Like a seed waiting for the right season, the stories of the main character lived in my mind for years before finally taking root and growing into something real.

The main character has worn many names over the decades of my thinking: Ni’Ran, Ka’elan, Faelan, Tal’lion, Raven, Tam’lin, Therin, Cain, and more than I can reasonably list. As this story took shape, however, one name rose above the rest.

“Fenrar Greenleaf”

In Elven, “Fenrar” can be interpreted as “He of the Wild Heart” or, more plainly, “Wood-Wild Heart.” “Greenleaf” signifies his ties to The Greenwood, his home, where he is simply another leaf in the living forest. The other names, I suspect, will surface again, woven into Fenrar’s journey. Not as central figures, but as fragments of his long and winding path, each with their own stories to intertwine with his.

My love of science fiction and heroic fantasy began long ago, buying DC and Marvel comic books at Foster’s General Store and then books at the Library on Main Street in the small town of Newport, Maine. Later came the authors who lit the fires of imagination: Heinlein (Glory Road), Tolkien, Howard, Brooks, Asimov, McKiernan, King, the Hickmans, and so many others. Their stories of courage, transformation, and perseverance left a deep mark on me and helped shape the kinds of tales I wanted to tell.

I discovered Dungeons & Dragons, the Red Box edition, way back in 1977 while serving in the Coast Guard, and quickly found joy in creating characters and their backstories. I loved exploring who they were beyond the rolling of dice. The connections between the stories I read and the lives I played in D&D became impossible to ignore, and that is when the idea first took root: perhaps I could write something of my own. Still, the leap from a few pages of character development to an entire book proved daunting. I started many times and stopped just as often.

Steven Pressfield would probably say, without hesitation. “That the Resistance is strong in this one.” I would have to agree.

If you recognize a name or personality trait that reminds you of one of your characters from a gaming table we shared, consider it a tribute to your memorable character. These characters linger with me, and their echoes make their way into the work not out of laziness, but out of respect. Shared stories have power; they live on.

Finally, thank you for picking up this book, for giving your time, and for taking this journey with me. Your attention is a gift. Whatever this offering is to the muses, I am honored that you are here to share it.