From Dragon Egg to Manuscript: My Unexpected Journey into Fantasy World Building

My husband made a 3D-printed crimson egg the size of a small dog and set it on the table like it was perfectly normal.

For him it was just another project. For me it was apparently the beginning of an entire fantasy universe, because within a few months I had two manuscripts, a world called Draignatur, a teenage girl named Tupi who steals a royal dragon egg, and a dragon named Beatrice who spends 3,000 years waiting in a lava tube on Earth for her destined girl to be born. I did not see any of that coming.

The writing part came easily. It always does. The stories just showed up — one for teens, one decidedly not — and I wrote them both. Characters, worlds, prophecies, Norse gods making questionable decisions. All of it.

The publishing part is where I started getting burned. Query letters. Submission guidelines. Literary agents. Publishing houses. None of that has anything to do with storytelling and everything to do with selling yourself, which is a completely different skill set that nobody warns you about when the story is flowing and you think you're almost done.

Tupi and the Red Dragon Egg has been in query-letter purgatory — bouncing between agents and publishers, waiting for someone to recognize what it is. I've submitted exactly one synopsis so far. It takes a different kind of courage than writing does.

So I'm putting the synopsis here too. Partly as a backup. Partly because if you're curious about what's coming, you should be able to find out. The more people who know what Tupi and Beatrice are waiting for, the better.

Here's the story.

Tupi and the Red Dragon Egg — Dragon Academy Book 1

On her fifth birthday, Tupi visits the hatchery to bond with a dragon egg. She chooses a desert egg that warms to her touch, but a mysterious red egg also calls to her. Known to only choose royalty, the red egg insists she steal it and take it home. Confused but intrigued, Tupi decides to plan a way to steal the red egg. The desert egg encourages her to go through with it, so she takes it home and begins plotting her heist. Meanwhile, Odin learns from the Norns that Tupi's actions are part of a prophecy crucial to both worlds' survival. They instruct him to secretly help Tupi steal the red egg and then return in ten years to transport her to Earth.

Tupi breaks into the hatchery and escapes with the red egg. She hides it at home, even after her desert dragon Cula hatches and they start school together. Tupi frequently talks with the still-unhatched red egg, which reveals its name is Beatrice and that it's waiting for its own girl. Beatrice enjoys hearing about Tupi's adventures, which help her feel less lonely during the long wait.

The real adventure begins when Cula gets her wings, and Odin reappears. He takes Tupi, Cula, and Beatrice to Earth, causing a rift with her parents when she returns after an extended absence. Odin believes he can take Tupi wherever he wants; she visits Asgard and other realms before finishing school. The Norns constantly remind Tupi of her role in a prophecy that will save both Earth and Draignatur. She must keep it all secret except from Odin, who only knows his involvement is necessary for lifting a curse he placed on his brothers.

At fifteen, Tupi receives another visit from the Norns, informing her that Odin is coming again. She knows he trades with their world but doesn't understand why she must trust him so completely. However, she remembers saving Beatrice from a disaster at the hatchery by removing the egg early. Beatrice assures her that the Norns know what they're doing, so when they insist, she goes with Odin quietly, despite knowing little about what awaits them.

Odin arrives unprepared for dealing with a teenager and her equally rebellious dragon. As they travel through various realms, tensions rise as both Tupi and Cula challenge Odin's authority. Despite this friction, Tupi begins piecing together more about the prophecy: she was chosen because of her unique ability to communicate with dragons before they hatch and because of Beatrice's importance in maintaining the flow across worlds.

The group faces numerous challenges as they race against time to fulfill their roles in the prophecy. They narrowly escape danger multiple times due to Tupi's quick thinking and refusal to blindly follow orders. Through these trials, even Odin acknowledges Tupi's growing strength and independence.

As events unfold, Beatrice remains unhatched, destined to spend 3,000 years on Earth — placed in a lava tube, waiting. Waiting for her girl to finally be born. Waiting for everything to align exactly as the Norns planned. It's a long time to wait. But Beatrice is patient, and the Norns are never wrong.

In the end, Tupi returns home more assertive and more confident than ever before. Her relationship with her parents mends as they realize how pivotal she has been in saving not just one world but two. With the prophecy fulfilled, both Draignatur and Earth face bright futures thanks to the girl who dared steal a royal egg against all odds—and who, through that one act, changed everything forever.

Tupi goes on more adventures. Beatrice's story unfolds in a different series.

And it all started with a 3D-printed egg on my kitchen table. 🐉