Writing About Patriotism

All right, there really isn't much patriotism in my books, mainly because I write fantasy and I don't USE patriotism as a motivating force for any of my characters.

For the Celtans, they are all colonists from Earth and still struggling to keep a toehold on Celta and I decided early that there isn't any religious or property (in the largest sense) struggle. Those who didn't want to be part of mainstream Celtan life simply left. There are other communities with other religious backgrounds (one was slated to be in Heart Duel but didn't make it). With a frontier, and with no one claiming sacred places, there is no conflict there. There are communities over the ocean, enough so there's a thriving import/export business. I envisioned that one of the colonial starships went down "over there," then most of the upper hierarchy (FirstFamilies) came to Druida, but many of the crew stayed. I thought there was much moving back and forth in the early days. CELTA:

For the Lladranans, they are simply bone-deep patriotic in that their country has something the Dark that battens on and is draining the planet wants. They are defending their country and their planet. I mention other countries in Sorceress of Faith and Protector of the Flight, and you can take a look at my maps and see there are City States to the East and Shud to the South. Lladrana

As an American, I'm smack dab in the middle of the country, and though that is true geographically, I'm also a "Westerner." That is, I feel Denver is more like California than the East Coast, which is probably why my landscapes are more oriented to a western coast than an eastern.

I DID write one patriotic piece, for an anthology to fund a veterans memorial, with forwards by Dole and Kerry (see link above). Since I sold just as it was coming together, and it was supposed to be two volumes, and volume two was never published. I don't know if my small (true) story was included in the book.

And, I think that's all I'm going to say about patriotism on this blog. From my writing, you should know I'm idealistic and believe in love for all of humanity. I definitely don't believe in getting political in the public, though I also definitely believe in whirled peas.

May love imbue your writing today.
Robin