O - Old Woman

Via Pinterest. Completely the wrong setting,
but close enough.

O - Old Woman

In Do You Take This Quest? I had the old man. In The Ankulen I have the Old Woman.

I think the Old Woman was inspired by the Good Magician Humphrey in Xanth (a series by Piers Anthony that I enjoy), but I don't really remember. I had started chapter three, Jen had found her Ankulen, and was in her imagination ... but then I went ... uhhh ... what happens now? Chris? Do you have any ideas?

Chris, being the nice character that he is, suggested that they go visit the Old Woman, and I, being the clueless author that I was, thought it a great idea.

(Yes, I pantsted much of The Ankulen. I sometimes wonder how it managed to make sense at the end. Although, that may have a good deal to do with my decision to rewrite the whole thing)

In Xanth, Humphrey is the Magician of Information. Whenever someone decides to go on a quest (i.e. a new book begins) they decide to go to him to learn what they need to do. He charges a year's service in exchange for the question, but most are willing to pay the price.

The Old Woman in Jen's imagination is similar. She knows everything there is to know about Jen's imagination, and more about her Ankulen than any of the other imaginary friends. Whenever they decided to go on a new adventure, Jenny, Tisha, and Chris would go to her to ask what they needed to do. (A note, whenever I refer to the younger Jen, it's Jenny.) Unlike Humphrey, however, she doesn't demand service!