The Everyday God Who Wished to Sleep

05/03/24 • 26 min

Alert: This episode contains heartbeat sound effects.

Long ago, the human heart experienced an extraordinary change, all because one god wanted to find a quiet place to sleep.

Genre: Mythology

Excerpt: A tale was once told among the ancestors of the people who live at the base of the great mountain to the north, from which a waterfall plummets into a river that winds across the land. The people who now live in that rich and lovely place still remember the tale of how and why their ancestors’ hearts once grew still and frigid. And they still remember what part the everyday gods played in the tale.

What’s the Writing Prompt that inspired the story?Finish the sentence, “I wish I could...” Source: A Writer’s Year: 365 Creative Writing Prompts. Text by Emma Bastow. Copyright © 2019 HarperCollins Publishers

Faster FictioneerEver wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn more about it right here: FASTER FICTIONEER

I’ve Got Issues For YouThe Storyfeather Gazette is a monthly round-up of my recent podcast episodes, short stories, trailers, news, recommendations, and more that I send by email. Follow the link to look through old issues and to Sign Up: STORYFEATHER GAZETTE

Storyfeather-themed merchandiseT-shirts, mugs, stickers, notebooks, baby onesies, and more featuring artwork from stories and art challenges STORYFEATHER TEEPUBLIC STORE

Music: “Trip-Hop Lounge Abstract Background” by Digital Emotions (Intro/Outro)

Music by BENJAMIN CARR (Scythuz)* "Crystal Caves” “Flying Fortress” “Ice Cavern” “Underwater Temple” “Ancient Ruins” “Fire Dungeon” “Mystical Forest”

*These tracks were part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.

Music by Benjamin Carr licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle and GameDevMarket Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping to align with my narration.

Find more music by Digital_Emotions at audiojungle.netFind more music by Benjamin Carr at gamedevmarket.netFind more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com

Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. A human torso. The entire expanse of the chest contains the image of a heart symbol split into four chambers. The borders of the heart are composed of tiles like a mosaic. Kneeling on left knee in front of the heart, and seen in left profile, is a humanoid figure in a costume reminiscent of a court jester, with a headdress shaped like feathers, and long straight hair. The left arm, held bent and slightly extended, is covered in flower and circle tattoos. The left hand is held palm up and a flame rises up from the palm. Border at top and bottom with square textures matching the colors of the main image. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along edge of bottom right chamber.

Alert: This episode contains heartbeat sound effects.

Long ago, the human heart experienced an extraordinary change, all because one god wanted to find a quiet place to sleep.

Genre: Mythology

Faster FictioneerEver wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn more about it right here: FASTER FICTIONEER

Storyfeather-themed merchandiseT-shirts, mugs, stickers, notebooks, baby onesies, and more featuring artwork from stories and art challenges STORYFEATHER TEEPUBLIC STORE

Music: “Trip-Hop Lounge Abstract Background” by Digital Emotions (Intro/Outro)

Music by BENJAMIN CARR (Scythuz)* "Crystal Caves” “Flying Fortress” “Ice Cavern” “Underwater Temple” “Ancient Ruins” “Fire Dungeon” “Mystical Forest”

*These tracks were part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.

Music by Benjamin Carr licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle and GameDevMarket Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping to align with my narration.

Find more music by Digital_Emotions at audiojungle.netFind more music by Benjamin Carr at gamedevmarket.netFind more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com

Previous Episode

The Moths in the Moon

A moth dreams of visiting the Moon, but is too small to fly all the way.

Genre: Mythology

Excerpt: When first the moths alighted in the world below, the land of earth, they did so out of curiosity. And they did so because they were sent forth from their home by their creator. Their home and their creator were one and same, and she bore the name Moon.

And she was the moon.

Faster FictioneerEver wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn more about it right here: FASTER FICTIONEER

Storyfeather-themed merchandiseT-shirts, mugs, stickers, notebooks, baby onesies, and more featuring artwork from stories and art challenges STORYFEATHER TEEPUBLIC STORE

Music: “Trip-Hop Lounge Abstract Background” by Digital Emotions (Intro/Outro)

Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)* “Compass” “Scroll of the wind walker” “Don’t move” “Here we go” “The plan” “Seasons” “Elevation” “Infinite” “Wide place”

*These tracks were part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.

Music by Nicholas Jeudy licensed from GameDev Market Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping to align with my narration.

Find more music by Digital_Emotions at audiojungle.netFind more music by Nicholas Jeudy at gamedevmarket.netFind more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com

Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. Top center, the glowing disc of the moon under a dark sky. The bottom part of the disc is obscured by a Luna moth seen from the top, wings outstretched. A thin string connects the moth to another moth beneath, a small Cinnabar moth, also seen from the top with wings outstretched. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along inner curve of moon at top right.

Next Episode

A Wish Upon the Fountain Fish

The youngest of three siblings makes a wish at a mall fountain, where unseen fish supposedly live, helping people’s wishes come true.

Genre: Fairy Tale

Excerpt: I twisted my mouth to one side, and stared at the coin that I held in the middle of my palm.

“There’s a scientific explanation for it,” my sister said.

"For what?” I said, glancing up at the fountain. We were standing three feet away from it.

"For the wishes coming true.”

What’s the Writing Prompt that inspired the story?Rory’s Story Cubes. I rolled three cubes. They landed on “fish, magnifying glass, and fountain”

Faster FictioneerEver wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn more about it right here: FASTER FICTIONEER

Storyfeather-themed merchandiseT-shirts, mugs, stickers, notebooks, baby onesies, and more featuring artwork from stories and art challenges STORYFEATHER TEEPUBLIC STORE

Music: “Trip-Hop Lounge Abstract Background” by Digital Emotions (Intro/Outro)

Music by JONATHAN SHAW* “Checking Inventory” “Afternoon Chat” “In Tranquil Spring” “Market on the Sea” “Thoughts” “A Tale of Water”

*These tracks were part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.

Music by Jonathan Shaw licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle and GameDevMarket Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping to align with my narration.

Find more music by Digital_Emotions at audiojungle.netFind more music by Jonathan Shaw at gamedevmarket.netFind more music by Jonathan Shaw at jshaw.co.ukFind more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com

Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. At left, a child seen from waist up and from the back, wearing a bright hoodie and a flower pin in short bobbed hair, with right arm bent at the side, and right hand holding a coin. The child stands in front of a fountain with a central goblet-shaped piece spouting water over the edge. A smaller goblet-shaped piece sits above the first, spouting water, and another piece that extends beyond frame spouts water down. Small translucent fish swim in schools and clusters in the air around the fountain. Watermark of “Storyfeather” around bottom curve of fountain.