There are times when I can tell you precisely how and why a story was written. The sources are always the same: things I’ve seen, things I’ve heard, and—most commonly—a combination of circumstances. There are times, as with the story entitled “Homunculus” in which I can say very little. I don’t know how the story came to me, except to say that it came in small steps. It wedged its way into the narrative of another tale, didn’t work there, and was removed; what I’d removed stood on its own, and was short enough to post here, on Renderosity. This post is a follow-up to that one. For those familiar with my writing, connections with another particular world might have become evident in the text of “Homunculus.” Hieronymüs, a historical figure, makes yet another vague appearance: this time, as a portrait hanging on a wall. This establishes that the story takes place in the world first defined in “Songs of Wrath and Valor”, a bit far back in my gallery, and most recently (Before “Homunculus) in “Three Termite Cities.” The world, as depicted in its tales is a strange, shifty place: I suppose. Symbols change, timelines warp, narratives overlap and diverge in unexpected ways, especially for me. As I worked on “Homunculus” I found myself looking to different sources for further inspiration. The tale (for those who haven’t read it) occupies itself with alchemy: the construction of a golem (a homunculus) though literal applications of algebra, calculus, and a heavy dollop of creative license. Though I’m fascinated with golems, one in particular, I didn’t want to write a “traditional” golem tale, nor did I want the actual golem to appear; I wanted to write the meaning of the homunculus, as recognized by its creator, its “gestation” within the boundaries of a character’s mood and desires. Whether or not I succeeded there is for my readers to determine. * I created an image to sweeten my creative juices. The image in question is a murky thing: an overlay/collage derived from 8 or 9 distinct images. I liked the overall effect: the emotional ambiance (and ambivalence.) It bears little in common with “Homunculus” the tale, but it captures the visceral mood I attempted to convey. As I wrote the story (late Saturday night and early Sunday morning) I felt the murky shadows and grit in this image. The homunculus remained somewhere offstage, despite the presence of its shadow amid the emotional action of the tale. As to whether or not this image is a success, I don’t really know: but I like it, and for me, at least, it’s a nice symbol of the story that precedes it in my gallery. I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing this image as much as I’ve enjoyed making it, and as always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all having a great week.