I have spoken before about the Writing Gods. They are the embodiment of the supernatural forces governing writers' efforts. You may be skeptical but try writing a book and you'll soon become a believer. 

 The Writing Gods can be kind and they can be cruel. They are sometimes the bearers of revelation, but just as frequently the harbingers of migraines. A work in progress can be going along swimmingly and then all of a sudden you're in a writing swamp up to your neck.

This is because the Writing Gods have a wicked sense of humour -- sadistic at times even. Allow me to cite an example from The Seer Trilogy books.

In Book I, The Druid and the Dragon, (p. 12) Declan makes a statement that Maeve doesn't understand and so she says, "That sounds like a riddle. I suppose that is why you are a bard. You are clever with words." It was a perfectly innocent, logical thing for her to say, and that should have been the end of it.

But no. In swoop the Writing Gods and after a brief huddle, they decide that riddles should become a recurring device in not just that book but ALL the books in the trilogy. Declan will speak in riddles, Bradan too -- and even the red dragon.

Nooooo! I don't even like riddles. (I told you the Writing Gods were sadistic.)

So now, in addition to the problems associated with plot and character (and all that other book-writing stuff), I am forced to find a way of weaving riddles into the fabric of the story. 

It's bad enough playing with characters' words to make them seem like riddles, but sometimes I need actual riddles that I have to conjure up in my own little head. And that is really hard to do when I can't hear myself think over the Writing Gods' gales of laughter.

• In ancient and medieval literature, riddles were widely used to create suspense and to pass on cultural traditions. 

• Bilbo Baggins told Gollum a riddle in The Hobbit. (It worked for Tolkien so my fingers are crossed.)

• The Riddle of the Sphinx is thought by many to be the oldest riddle of all time. According to Greek mythology, the Sphinx sat outside of Thebes and asked passing travellers a riddle. If they got it wrong, they were struck dead. When Oedipus responded with the correct answer, the Sphinx was so distressed, it destroyed itself. (Seems a bit extreme. I have used that riddle in The Bridge of Whispers, but don't worry -- no one dies.)
  

And now for a limerick, for no other reason than my warped mind connects riddles and limericks -- and because The Seer Trilogy is set in Ireland and that's where limericks originated. Or so I thought. But it would seem that the Irish and the English are at odds about that. However, they are agreed on one thing -- true limericks are obscene and foolish. 

So what I've done is write all but the final line of a limerick about Maeve. You get to provide the final line. The degree of obscenity and foolishness is your call. I'd love you to share the results. 

Here goes: (Rhyme scheme is AABBA)

There was a young lass who was shunned.

The villagers all thought her stunned.

'Til she uncovered a plot

And the blackguards got caught;

Now ... (your turn)

• I signed the contract for Book III of the trilogy. This one is titled The Sorcerer's Revenge. I'm just finishing the fourth chapter. The beginning chapters often take the longest to write, because I have to build in backstory and lay the groundwork for what's to come without turning the story into an info dump.

• According to my publisher, a cover for The Bridge of Whispers is in the works and there should soon be something to see.