Like the Grail, the sword of power is an artifact of supernatural (even Divine) power, surrounded with golden light. In many ways the polar opposite of the Grail, Excalibur is a symbol of power in the world—of victory in battle and ruling a kingdom. The feminine Grail comes from a masculine source, the Fisher King in his Grail castle, but the sword comes from a woman—a goddess figure, no less—the Lady of the Lake.
Hey, did y'all know I have another blog, too? It's about stories, writing, fantasy, mythology, and Renaissance festivals. You can find it here: http://blackthornefaire.net The most recent post is about Renaissance fairs, and the feeling of falling into a story. I hope those of you who follow this blog will take a look at that one, too. I'd be grateful.
I often hear Mr. Martin called "The American Tolkien." I can see why people say that. Both write (or wrote) extremely complex fantasy novels, both have very passionate fan bases (with a great deal of overlap), both have created British Isles-inspired worlds rich with invented history and languages, and, well, both authors have the initials "R. R." in their names. But honestly, I think the resemblance ends there. The similarities are superficial at best.
As many of you already now, I've recently signed with a new agent, Mr. Peter Miller of Global Lion Intellectual Property Management. Peter's a great guy, and to be blunt, he gets things done and deals made. I'm just all kinds of lucky to be working with him. As as my books and scripts get closer to finding their way to bookstores and screens, I'm going to be sharing a little bit of that journey here.
John Adcox: Thoughts on My Author’s Journey 