#SFFChat All my books are love letters to Iceland and/or remixes of #NorseMythology. I’m writing what I love reading, or what I would like to read if it existed ( #WhyOdinDrinks). There’s space for so many original takes on Norse lore when you realise it’s character-based more than plot-based.
#WIPSnips Today, Odin demands to be taught more seiðr. The definition of seiðr for the needs of #WhyOdinDrinks is…not academically confirmed.
I just noticed the grammar needs help. My editor’s problem. This is a #WIP. Sorry.
Book I:
→ www.bjornlarssen.com/whyodindrinks
New #blog post: Bloodbath & Beyond is with my editor! What happened so far and what happens next?
www.bjornlarssen.com/2025/08/03/b...
#MondayBlogs @mondayblogs.bsky.social
(Previously published on ko-fi)
#WhyOdinDrinks #BookSky
#WIPSnips Today, I’m cheating a bit, replacing ‘engage’ with ‘engaged’ and ‘engaged’ with ‘busy’. Freya is playing with love to see what happens, because she doesn’t understand it. Her guinea pigs are, of course, unaware…
A bit more in alt text!
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
#SFFChat
Today, Sif is reading Thor’s future from a magical crystal. (Psst. It’s not a magical crystal and Sif can barely read her own name. But, spoiler alert, she soon becomes the Goddess of gold-digging.)
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
#WIPSnips Today, we find out that the tradition of witch-burning has its origins in burning the evil Gullveig/Freya at a stake because she liked gold too much. (This is, for once, accurate #NorseMythology)
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
List of #FantasyIndiesJuly prompts. July 21: “Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate for you/your characters?”
#FantasyIndiesJuly 21:
– rosé (which she calls pink wine) for Freya
– frappuccino for Frigg
– dry red for Odin
– THC ‘health drink’ for Loki
– chamomile for the elves
– Islay whisky for me
That would be quite a party, by the way.
#WhyOdinDrinks
#WIPSnips I have to go with ‘diploma’. Today, Odin receives his from Freya’s School of Seiðr. Even though what he has done isn’t actually seiðr. The Old Bastard mix’n’matched magics and the result is…
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks Book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
#WIPSnips Today, Freya is about to get burnt at a stake for the second time, and she has a realisation that’s even more unpleasant. (Fire can’t kill her.) (This is not the realisation.)
An extra sentence in the alt-text, because it didn’t fit.
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
#WIPSnips Today, Freya and Sif take a stroll through Freya’s gardens, becoming friendly. Ish.
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks book II
See www.whyodindrinks.com for book I!
#WIPSnips One day late, here’s a memory Heimdall doesn’t have – that of Freya turning herself into the most alluring horrible crone that ever walked through the Nine Worlds.
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
The list of #FantasyIndiesJuly prompts. July 15: ‘WIP line you’re proud of’
#FantasyIndiesJuly
“This caused Thor to short-circuit mid-ellipsis, allowing Freya to become the narrator again.”
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks Book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
#WIPSnips off-topic, but I’m a genius:
“Thor tore the jewellery off Sif as if the priceless strands of gold were a bodice and Thor an arrogant, yet handsome Scottish laird.”
#WhyOdinDrinks book II: Bloodbath & Beyond
www.whyodindrinks.com
#WIPSnips Today, Thor rrrrrumbles satisfied by a night of making sweet sweet love (and also morning of making sweet sweet love). CW: Freyr.
Longer excerpt with an extra rrrrrumble in alt-text!
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks Book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
#WIPSnips Today, Freya is getting schooled by Queen Taylor. She fails at modesty, but does quite well at being surprised. (If you’ve read The Ten Worlds, Bloodbath & Beyond will explain to you how Freya became Freya.)
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks book 2
www.whyodindrinks.com
A longer excerpt in alt-text!
I stretched the locker all the way to a jewellery room.
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks book 2
www.whyodindrinks.com
#WIPSnips #BookSky
#WIPSnips: ‘concert’
Today, we learn that Bragi, the God of poets and singer-songwriters, possesses the ability to alter reality with his words. You don’t even have to hear him, just listen to someone who has.
An extra bit in the alt text!
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks Book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
Today, Freya discovers the power of lemonade instead of the power of love.
Extra paragraph in the alt text!
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks Book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
The list of #FantasyIndiesJuly prompts. July 7: “First line of WIP.”
Day 9 of #FantasyIndiesJuly:
“The Number Ones and the Number Twos of the dead warriors and the Valkyries don’t seem to mix well, Your Grace.”
(This line will be changed before publication. But it’s a WIP.)
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks book II
#BookSky #NorseMythology but not as you know it
Today, we meet Freya after she’d spent four nights with the dwar— dark elf Artisans who created Brísingamen. Loki is about to start slut-shaming her. She doesn’t care much. She thinks.
(Thanks for the stripe suggestion @marianlthorpe.bsky.social)
WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks Book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
The #WIPSnips word for July 5 is ‘sparkle’ and Freya discovers that elves of Álfheim are a bit British.
An extra paragraph in the alt text.
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
#NorseMythology
The #WIPSnips word for July 4th is "finger"
Quite a lot of fingering in Bloodbath & Beyond. Freya finds out about ‘jewellery’ by acquiring her first ever dwarf-made ring.
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
#NorseMythology
The #WIPSnips word for July 2 is ‘yesterday’.
Today’s snippet is quite special. Odin finds out why Odin will drink. (Idunn didn’t get to wine yet.)
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
Today in #WIPSnips Odin and his brother Vé meet to discuss ending the war between the Æsir and the Vanir.
#NorseMythology won’t know what hit it.
Book I: www.whyodindrinks.com
#WhyOdinDrinks
#WIPSnips June 30: ‘truth’
Today, Freya explains to Thor that the reason why he hasn’t found The One yet is that he keeps finding lots and lots of the ones. Also, fourth wall breaking warning. (See alt-text for extra paragraph. No, really, DO.)
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
The #WIPSnips word for June 29th is "deliver"
Today, Heimdall is chasing #Loki, who stole Brísingamen from Freya. It’s not easy to catch a shapeshifter, but Heimdall is 1) also a shapeshifter, 2) loathes Loki (the feeling is mutual).
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks Book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
The list of #FantasyIndiesJune prompts. June 28: “Saturday Snippet: Thinking”
Thinking ‘it can’t get any worse’ was always a mistake. Numb, Sif took Freya’s hand and wobbled towards the gardens, as unsteady on her feet as if she started her day with imbibing a jug of wine. All eyes turned their way when they stepped into the gardens. Everything – everything – was a vision of white and gold. The tables, bending under the weight of food and drink, wore white, silky tablecloths. The cutlery and plates were gold, so were the vases and bowls. Sif looked like a table. Only less useful. “You look stunning,” Heimdall finally said. Sif began to blush as the devastatingly handsome Sentinel approached them… and kissed Freya on the cheeks. “Would you join us?” Freya let go of Sif’s hand and joined them. Sif blinked convulsively. This was not… this was… not… “My beloved!” something boomed right into her ear. Sif barely had time to shriek before a giant, hairy hand grabbed her arm to stop her from falling, finding the exact spot that still hurt from Freya’s iron grip. “You look stunning! I can’t wait for the wedding night! Is it getting dark yet? Rrrrrummmm. Let’s eat. You’ve met Freya? Of course you have. You’ve been staying here all this time! I missed you like… like I would miss my goats! Almost as much. Rrrrummmm. Is this ox I see?” “Um,” Sif managed. Thor was wearing soft, brown leather and tall boots. He didn’t bother with plaiting his hair or beard which created something of a very hairy cloud around his face. He looked like he was about to go into the woods in search for a brewery.
#FantasyIndiesJune 28: snippet – ‘thinking’
Today, Sif – about to get married to Thor – discovers that there is such a thing as too much gold. And that her husband has manners of an ox himself.
(Extra paragraph in alt text.)
#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
The #WIPSnips word for June 27 is "side"
In today’s instalment, Freya is trying to understand humans. It’s going simultaneously really badly and all too well.
#WhyOdinDrinks II
www.whyodindrinks.com
(there’s an extra bit in the alt text)
The #WIPSnips word for June 26 is ‘challenge’ and, as it happens, we’re close to finding out what Odin drinks. Well, Idunn (I’m glad to finally show her off!) is close.
#NorseMythology #WhyOdinDrinks book II
www.whyodindrinks.com
#WorldBuilding challenge:
In the #WhyOdinDrinks series, I take something from #NorseMythology and then basically try to figure out what it would become if Sir Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams turned it into a 1980s BBC comedy series.
(PLEASE don’t learn Norse lore from those books. I BEG.)
