So, I've recently decided to write more stories from The Great Sea. Not about it. From it. These will be stories not directly associated with my Swords of Fire Saga. They will be completely independent, taking advantage of the thousands of worlds which float upon The Great Sea.
Some that I've already written, such as Apprentice and Quest, fit nicely on The Sea. Others less so. But I'm still very curious about The Great Sea. As much as I already know about it, there is so much I have yet to discover, and Swords of Fire is not going to reveal it all to me. So the solution became simple: write other stories.
At the moment I do not foresee any of these stories (with the exception of my Kiahva series) becoming even a novella, much less a novel. In fact, my first go after making this decision is just a poem. I posted it on Tales From The Great Sea. I warn you, though. It's kind of sick. It's supposed to be. One of those culture shock things.
Originally, this blog was to be about Swords of Fire, but it has rapidly transformed into one more about my fantasy writing in general. I like that. Prefer it. Tales From The Great Sea (originally named SOF-The People) was orginally to be about Saga elements, but now it will take the role of all things pertaining to The Great Sea. I prefer that, too.
I feel this is an important year for me. Probably the most important year I have had in a long time. Something is going to happen this year. Something wonderful. Haven't a clue what it is, but I think I'm ready for it, whatever it might be.
For years I used to dream about speaking before an unknown number of faceless people. Always wondered what it meant. Now I find myself wondering if writing on my blogs isn't a fulfillment of those dreams.
Could be. I don't really know how many of you there are, despite having a blog counter. (It doesn't always work properly.) And since only a few of you have ever posted pictures of yourselves, most of you are quite faceless to me.
What I do know is that I feel better about doing this all day and every day than I have ever felt about any job I have done in my life, and I entered the job market thirty-five years ago. What a shame there's no money in this, huh?
Sailors on the Sea
Showing posts with label Great Sea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Great Sea. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
A Short History Lesson
Originally, I created this blog to talk about The Great Sea. Hence, the name: The Great Sea. And originally I was doing a lot with Swords of Fire. I had just submitted a failed query to Evil Editor and had learned why the query had failed. I spent a good amount of the next three months reworking my story and ultimately reduced it in size by about thirty percent.
But I got away from Swords of Fire and the blog has morphed into a blog about my writing in general. I will still post things which have nothing to do with my stories, but mostly that is what this blog is about. My stories, poems, plays, and creative ideas.
Well, Swords of Fire: Traitor (the latest title for Book I) has become active again. It is in the hands of a beta reader, and sometime in May my latest query letter should be harpooned on Evil Editor's blog. So I thought I would provide a little background on The Great Sea itself. That, of course, is what SOF-The People was ultimately supposed to be, but that blog has morphed into Tavaar's Background Story.
Below is a map I created in the late 1980s or early 1990s, after Swords of Fire had been around for nearly twenty years. The Great Sea is not just the ocean, although that makes up a significant part of it. The Great Sea is the entire place, including sun and stars and air and what have you.
In the map there is a dark blue ring which runs around the edge of the light blue circle. The light blue is simply to provide contrast to the grey void. The important part is the ring. That is the ocean. It is the route all The Great Sea's worlds travel as they circle the Fire in the middle. Don't worry about trying to read the captions. They're not important.
The worlds float around and along the ring like stripes on an old barber pole, or candy cane. The entire Sea is in a place, and that place is called, Time. You see, I am of the mind that Time is a place. For real. And that if one leaves this place, they leave Time. Perhaps one then is in a different kind of time, but one is no longer bound by the limitations of our time. That's the way it is on The Great Sea. And it is a significant point in the later books, beginning with the third.
Imagine being able to step out of Time. You could look at it like you would look at your house. There might be several doors in which to re-enter at different places. Or windows to crawl through. That is true on The Great Sea. However, not everyone has the power to leave Time. And not everyone is allowed in. The more I think about it the more confusing it gets with all of the possibilities. But the concept is very important to Swords of Fire. It explains some VERY important points which are introduced as early as Book I.
Oh, and the Fire in the midst (yellow circle) is not just fire, like our sun. There is a lot more to it. A LOT more. However, as that is revealed in the Saga's final book, I will say no more about it for now.
Couldn't think of anything to post about today, and yesterday's post was kind of a downer. Sorry about that. I get that way sometimes. (A lot.) But I had a infusion of good spirits from my a good friend and I'm feeling better. Hope you found at least some of this interesting.
But I got away from Swords of Fire and the blog has morphed into a blog about my writing in general. I will still post things which have nothing to do with my stories, but mostly that is what this blog is about. My stories, poems, plays, and creative ideas.
Well, Swords of Fire: Traitor (the latest title for Book I) has become active again. It is in the hands of a beta reader, and sometime in May my latest query letter should be harpooned on Evil Editor's blog. So I thought I would provide a little background on The Great Sea itself. That, of course, is what SOF-The People was ultimately supposed to be, but that blog has morphed into Tavaar's Background Story.
Below is a map I created in the late 1980s or early 1990s, after Swords of Fire had been around for nearly twenty years. The Great Sea is not just the ocean, although that makes up a significant part of it. The Great Sea is the entire place, including sun and stars and air and what have you.
In the map there is a dark blue ring which runs around the edge of the light blue circle. The light blue is simply to provide contrast to the grey void. The important part is the ring. That is the ocean. It is the route all The Great Sea's worlds travel as they circle the Fire in the middle. Don't worry about trying to read the captions. They're not important.
The worlds float around and along the ring like stripes on an old barber pole, or candy cane. The entire Sea is in a place, and that place is called, Time. You see, I am of the mind that Time is a place. For real. And that if one leaves this place, they leave Time. Perhaps one then is in a different kind of time, but one is no longer bound by the limitations of our time. That's the way it is on The Great Sea. And it is a significant point in the later books, beginning with the third.
Imagine being able to step out of Time. You could look at it like you would look at your house. There might be several doors in which to re-enter at different places. Or windows to crawl through. That is true on The Great Sea. However, not everyone has the power to leave Time. And not everyone is allowed in. The more I think about it the more confusing it gets with all of the possibilities. But the concept is very important to Swords of Fire. It explains some VERY important points which are introduced as early as Book I.
Oh, and the Fire in the midst (yellow circle) is not just fire, like our sun. There is a lot more to it. A LOT more. However, as that is revealed in the Saga's final book, I will say no more about it for now.
Couldn't think of anything to post about today, and yesterday's post was kind of a downer. Sorry about that. I get that way sometimes. (A lot.) But I had a infusion of good spirits from my a good friend and I'm feeling better. Hope you found at least some of this interesting.
Monday, April 20, 2009
A Different Kind of Venting - The Tired Kind
Progress. Hmm. Well, that's a matter of perspective.
Swords of Fire: Traitor has been sent to a beta reader.
Quest has been sent to a beta reader.
The query for Traitor is written. I'll submit it to Evil Editor once my courage rises.
The Animal Kingdom has not been worked on since I said I was going to work on it. But I seem to recall saying I might not begin until after the weekend. And I had forgotten about the marathon dentist appointment this morning. I live forty miles from my dentist, and it was decided to do all of the work at one time instead of having me make multiple trips.
Why do I travel so far to go to the dentist? Because he's the only dentist who doesn't hurt me. That's worth forty miles. And it's nothing compared to the guy who comes from New York State. This dentist is good. He's so good, in fact, that he doesn't work on Fridays, Saturdays, or when he's got a good tee time at the course.
Haven't written anything storywise since I submitted my hero story on the Legion Blog. Speaking of which, Mad Smart Pirate #2 posted today. You really must go read it. Blogless Troll wrote it, and it's absolutely hysterical. Well, it's funny anyway.
I've written a new poem, but I'm not going to post it. Not now anyway, despite April being poetry month. I wrote what I want it to say (for once), but I'm not sure it's good for everyone to know what I wrote. Suffice to say it was touching and meaningful, and I felt good for having written it. I don't want to lose that feeling by getting unfortunate reactions from others reading it.
Even having a difficult time writing for my blogs right now. Oh, not A Voice in the Wind. I'm old enough that I can usually find something from my past to write about. And SOF-The People is easy right now, too. I've posted from Tavaar's Background Story 22 days in a row. That makes 56 total posts about Tavaar, and I'm not even halfway through. I wrote several hundred thousand words about Tavaar. I love Tavaar. But more than that, I used Tavaar's Background Story to hide all kinds of information about The Great Sea, Madatar, Khirsha, and how things work. Because of Tavaar (you're not supposed to begin sentences with 'because', are you) I know how the Window works. I know who Madatar is. (I always did, but now I REALLY know.) I know why Hawnka's potions work and how she got her knowledge. I know how Abrin (Khirsha's grandfather) always knows things which are seemingly impossible for him to know. I know all of these things, simply because I invested a year writing Tavaar's Background Story.
How's that for shameless marketing? I guess I'm feeling bad because I don't think anyone is reading it. SOF-The People has probably the least ability to capture a reader's interest. I suppose it's because I seldom (if ever) reveal me on it. Not that I'm so interesting, but you know what I mean? Everyone who blogs tends to show themselves at whiles in their posts. Some do it a lot. Some only every so often. But that's what creates the connection between blogger and reader. SOF-The People is just contains a draft of a story which will probably never get published. After all, it's just background. A giant information dump.
The Legions Blog I needn't worry too much about right now. We've got four stories scheduled, and I believe Whirlochre will soon be adding another episode. With eight authors posting (together) three times a week I think we're fine.
So, for someone who's just been moaning about not having anything to write about, I've just written about three or four hundred words. Yeah, I must be off. On a good day I can post over a thousand words. Must be this weight loss thing I'm on. Using up all my energy.
Don't worry, Mother Hen. I'm taking care of myself. You do the same.
Swords of Fire: Traitor has been sent to a beta reader.
Quest has been sent to a beta reader.
The query for Traitor is written. I'll submit it to Evil Editor once my courage rises.
The Animal Kingdom has not been worked on since I said I was going to work on it. But I seem to recall saying I might not begin until after the weekend. And I had forgotten about the marathon dentist appointment this morning. I live forty miles from my dentist, and it was decided to do all of the work at one time instead of having me make multiple trips.
Why do I travel so far to go to the dentist? Because he's the only dentist who doesn't hurt me. That's worth forty miles. And it's nothing compared to the guy who comes from New York State. This dentist is good. He's so good, in fact, that he doesn't work on Fridays, Saturdays, or when he's got a good tee time at the course.
Haven't written anything storywise since I submitted my hero story on the Legion Blog. Speaking of which, Mad Smart Pirate #2 posted today. You really must go read it. Blogless Troll wrote it, and it's absolutely hysterical. Well, it's funny anyway.
I've written a new poem, but I'm not going to post it. Not now anyway, despite April being poetry month. I wrote what I want it to say (for once), but I'm not sure it's good for everyone to know what I wrote. Suffice to say it was touching and meaningful, and I felt good for having written it. I don't want to lose that feeling by getting unfortunate reactions from others reading it.
Even having a difficult time writing for my blogs right now. Oh, not A Voice in the Wind. I'm old enough that I can usually find something from my past to write about. And SOF-The People is easy right now, too. I've posted from Tavaar's Background Story 22 days in a row. That makes 56 total posts about Tavaar, and I'm not even halfway through. I wrote several hundred thousand words about Tavaar. I love Tavaar. But more than that, I used Tavaar's Background Story to hide all kinds of information about The Great Sea, Madatar, Khirsha, and how things work. Because of Tavaar (you're not supposed to begin sentences with 'because', are you) I know how the Window works. I know who Madatar is. (I always did, but now I REALLY know.) I know why Hawnka's potions work and how she got her knowledge. I know how Abrin (Khirsha's grandfather) always knows things which are seemingly impossible for him to know. I know all of these things, simply because I invested a year writing Tavaar's Background Story.
How's that for shameless marketing? I guess I'm feeling bad because I don't think anyone is reading it. SOF-The People has probably the least ability to capture a reader's interest. I suppose it's because I seldom (if ever) reveal me on it. Not that I'm so interesting, but you know what I mean? Everyone who blogs tends to show themselves at whiles in their posts. Some do it a lot. Some only every so often. But that's what creates the connection between blogger and reader. SOF-The People is just contains a draft of a story which will probably never get published. After all, it's just background. A giant information dump.
The Legions Blog I needn't worry too much about right now. We've got four stories scheduled, and I believe Whirlochre will soon be adding another episode. With eight authors posting (together) three times a week I think we're fine.
So, for someone who's just been moaning about not having anything to write about, I've just written about three or four hundred words. Yeah, I must be off. On a good day I can post over a thousand words. Must be this weight loss thing I'm on. Using up all my energy.
Don't worry, Mother Hen. I'm taking care of myself. You do the same.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
How I Write - Part I
Was reading someone else's blog the other day and they wrote about how they wrote, beginning with the story idea all the way to the end. Her style was very impressive. Very professional. Very much a different way than my style.
My stories NEVER begin with what I think people want to read. Including me. They begin with a scene which comes to my mind. It can be about anything. Most often it involves one of the stronger emotions, such those associated with love, battle, achievement and failure.
This scene will replay in my mind dozens of times over a period of days or weeks. As it does, I expand it. Who is/are this person/these people anyway? How did they come to be in this scene? What happened next?
That's how Swords of Fire was born. Several unrelated scenes kept playing out in my head. As I developed them in my mind they grew, like ripples expanding in a pond when one tosses a stone. Only I had tossed several stones this time, and as the ripples began to bounce against each other - they melded. I suddenly realized my main character in all the scenes was really the same person. This helped me identify just who he was and how he came to be in all of these scenes.
Each of these scenes became "sticks in the sand". Markers which I could point to from a currently unknown beginning.
That was the hard part! Deciding where to begin the story. I restarted many times before finding myself comfortable with Khirhsa and Kelso standing trial for yet another misdeed. Now I knew where the story began, and I wrote with the markers in mind.
The original story s*cked. I hate admitting that, but I tried reading some of it when I opened The Archives last month. It s*cked. But unlike all previous writing, I didn't drop Swords of Fire and move on to another project. (I did start many other projects. I just didn't drop Swords of Fire.) What I did was learn more about Khirsha's family history, and world history. I learned about who these people were and why things were important to them, and why they were afraid and why they made the mistakes they made. I discovered my "heroes" were far from perfect. (And my "villains" were far from completely bad.) Even those with the greatest knowledge suffered from ignorance. Those with the greatest power suffered from weakness. All of this knowledge helped me write in a manner which (I believe) brought Khirhsa to life. It made his conflict meaningful, and believable.
The story takes place in a fantasy world out in space beyond our galaxy. To be specific, in a star system located in the constellation Perseus, under the string arm. But the fantasy world is not the story. In Traitor, which opens the series, the only thing about the world which would reveal it is different from our reality are a few references to things. Otherwise, the story is in the background.
I think I've kind of veered from this post's original premise, so perhaps it is best if I just shut it down. I've been behind nearly all day. Our sump pump quit working at most inopportune time. We tried bailing the water, but it refilled almost instantly. Had to make an investment into a new sump pump, which we were not able to install, so we had to bring in a plumber. And I've been sick. And, and, and, and, and. Lots of stuff going on today. Not much of it was fun.
FairyHedgeHog had an interesting post this morning.
My stories NEVER begin with what I think people want to read. Including me. They begin with a scene which comes to my mind. It can be about anything. Most often it involves one of the stronger emotions, such those associated with love, battle, achievement and failure.
This scene will replay in my mind dozens of times over a period of days or weeks. As it does, I expand it. Who is/are this person/these people anyway? How did they come to be in this scene? What happened next?
That's how Swords of Fire was born. Several unrelated scenes kept playing out in my head. As I developed them in my mind they grew, like ripples expanding in a pond when one tosses a stone. Only I had tossed several stones this time, and as the ripples began to bounce against each other - they melded. I suddenly realized my main character in all the scenes was really the same person. This helped me identify just who he was and how he came to be in all of these scenes.
Each of these scenes became "sticks in the sand". Markers which I could point to from a currently unknown beginning.
That was the hard part! Deciding where to begin the story. I restarted many times before finding myself comfortable with Khirhsa and Kelso standing trial for yet another misdeed. Now I knew where the story began, and I wrote with the markers in mind.
The original story s*cked. I hate admitting that, but I tried reading some of it when I opened The Archives last month. It s*cked. But unlike all previous writing, I didn't drop Swords of Fire and move on to another project. (I did start many other projects. I just didn't drop Swords of Fire.) What I did was learn more about Khirsha's family history, and world history. I learned about who these people were and why things were important to them, and why they were afraid and why they made the mistakes they made. I discovered my "heroes" were far from perfect. (And my "villains" were far from completely bad.) Even those with the greatest knowledge suffered from ignorance. Those with the greatest power suffered from weakness. All of this knowledge helped me write in a manner which (I believe) brought Khirhsa to life. It made his conflict meaningful, and believable.
The story takes place in a fantasy world out in space beyond our galaxy. To be specific, in a star system located in the constellation Perseus, under the string arm. But the fantasy world is not the story. In Traitor, which opens the series, the only thing about the world which would reveal it is different from our reality are a few references to things. Otherwise, the story is in the background.
I think I've kind of veered from this post's original premise, so perhaps it is best if I just shut it down. I've been behind nearly all day. Our sump pump quit working at most inopportune time. We tried bailing the water, but it refilled almost instantly. Had to make an investment into a new sump pump, which we were not able to install, so we had to bring in a plumber. And I've been sick. And, and, and, and, and. Lots of stuff going on today. Not much of it was fun.
FairyHedgeHog had an interesting post this morning.
Friday, March 6, 2009
And I Thought I Was Doing So Well
Over on SOF-The People I posted about how cool it would be if my Swords of Fire Saga were to be published and successful, inspiring other writers to write stories from The Great Sea. Hey, I can dream, can't I?
There are so many stories I want to write. I can't keep up.
Back some time in the 1980s I drove to Wheaton College, near Chicago, IL, for a Christian Writers' Conference. It was the first time I had ever traveled so far from home on my own. One of the classes I took was by Myrna Grant, an established Christian author. (I couldn't find a Myrna Grant website, but here is a link to her credentials.) I liked her from the first. (Probably because she liked what I wrote.) One of the things she taught was that writers need to "find their place". Hers happened to be in Russia. She wrote a book, Vanya, about a young Russian soldier's experiences after becoming a Christian during a time of religious suppression.
Since she said that I have often thought about "my place". This is not the same as one's Happy Place, which I posted about before. This is about the place where one's stories are set. Myrna Grant wrote about Russia. Others write about city living. Some write about the hills of Appalachia. Others may write about the tundra, or deep in the ocean's depths.
My place is in medieval fantasy worlds. I guess that's why I made The Great Sea. I made it before hearing Myrna Grant's words. But it is my place. I can write most of my stories from The Great Sea and they do not have to relate to each other. All of those worlds mean independent stories. It's comforting to know I have a place for so many stories.
It is wearying to know virtually none of those stories are started, much less finished.
Speaking of that, I completed Chapter Fourteen (Judgement) today. Once again, Khirsha is in trouble. Serious trouble. The kind of trouble which is contagious to those around him. He may have just provided his grandfather's adversaries with what they need to remove him from being Head-of-Family. Not only that, but Sayla is involved, too. Oh, Khirsha. When will you learn?
The chapter came in significantly over word budget, despite my reducing its size by nearly 1,000-words. So once again I am about 2,500-words over budget. The good news is there are only a few chapters remaining. The bad news is I goofed on the chapter count. For some reason I was thinking there were only nineteen. There are twenty-two. This means my goal of 6,000-word chapters is too high. To achieve a word total of under 130,000-words I have to reduce the goal for the remaining eight chapters to 5,000-words. Quite a goal when I look and see only one of the remaining eight comes anywhere near that. No wonder I thought I was doing so well regarding story size. I had neglected to count about 20,000-words. Sigh.
I really do not want to have to go through this thing and tear apart more words. I hate it that so many assumptions are made regarding first books. I hate it that second and third books can violate all of those rules, and fourth books and beyond don't even have to be good. How many authors have I read who's works became less and less interesting as they added books? I won't name names, because someone is bound to get p*ssed off because I named one of their favorite authors.
But finding I have three more chapters than I thought was really bad news for me. I'm at 90,000-words. The book is supposed to be almost finished.
Ahhhhhhh!
There are so many stories I want to write. I can't keep up.
Back some time in the 1980s I drove to Wheaton College, near Chicago, IL, for a Christian Writers' Conference. It was the first time I had ever traveled so far from home on my own. One of the classes I took was by Myrna Grant, an established Christian author. (I couldn't find a Myrna Grant website, but here is a link to her credentials.) I liked her from the first. (Probably because she liked what I wrote.) One of the things she taught was that writers need to "find their place". Hers happened to be in Russia. She wrote a book, Vanya, about a young Russian soldier's experiences after becoming a Christian during a time of religious suppression.
Since she said that I have often thought about "my place". This is not the same as one's Happy Place, which I posted about before. This is about the place where one's stories are set. Myrna Grant wrote about Russia. Others write about city living. Some write about the hills of Appalachia. Others may write about the tundra, or deep in the ocean's depths.
My place is in medieval fantasy worlds. I guess that's why I made The Great Sea. I made it before hearing Myrna Grant's words. But it is my place. I can write most of my stories from The Great Sea and they do not have to relate to each other. All of those worlds mean independent stories. It's comforting to know I have a place for so many stories.
It is wearying to know virtually none of those stories are started, much less finished.
Speaking of that, I completed Chapter Fourteen (Judgement) today. Once again, Khirsha is in trouble. Serious trouble. The kind of trouble which is contagious to those around him. He may have just provided his grandfather's adversaries with what they need to remove him from being Head-of-Family. Not only that, but Sayla is involved, too. Oh, Khirsha. When will you learn?
The chapter came in significantly over word budget, despite my reducing its size by nearly 1,000-words. So once again I am about 2,500-words over budget. The good news is there are only a few chapters remaining. The bad news is I goofed on the chapter count. For some reason I was thinking there were only nineteen. There are twenty-two. This means my goal of 6,000-word chapters is too high. To achieve a word total of under 130,000-words I have to reduce the goal for the remaining eight chapters to 5,000-words. Quite a goal when I look and see only one of the remaining eight comes anywhere near that. No wonder I thought I was doing so well regarding story size. I had neglected to count about 20,000-words. Sigh.
I really do not want to have to go through this thing and tear apart more words. I hate it that so many assumptions are made regarding first books. I hate it that second and third books can violate all of those rules, and fourth books and beyond don't even have to be good. How many authors have I read who's works became less and less interesting as they added books? I won't name names, because someone is bound to get p*ssed off because I named one of their favorite authors.
But finding I have three more chapters than I thought was really bad news for me. I'm at 90,000-words. The book is supposed to be almost finished.
Ahhhhhhh!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Feeling Happy - (I Must be Somebody Else [ha])
Received lots of good news over the past 24-hours. As a result I am feeling especially happy.
Who'd of thought, huh? Bevie James smiling and laughing?
Well, truth be told, there was a time when that was pretty much all I did. Seems like an eternity ago now. But it's still there. It just takes a bit more to wake the feelings of youthful exultations.
But they're awake now, and I have made some changes to my Music of the Day pieces. I added one to Cat in the Buff. Alice Cooper's, Under My Wheels. I've never thought of myself as an Alice Cooper fan, but he does have several pieces I enjoy a lot. Under My Wheels is probably my favorite. I wish I could compose a video of how I would like to perform it. I doubt there are many who know me who would believe it was me. Stephen would. But he knew me well.
Over on A Voice in the Wind I wasn't so "energetic". I was happy. I chose Jim Croce's, I've Got a Name. I don't know why, but that song makes me think of Daddy, but in a happy way. Every time I hear it I feel like I can go on - and succeed. At least I feel like I want to go on. I feel like I have a purpose. (Just haven't a clue what that purpose might be. [grin])
I left Allan Parson Project's, Eye in the Sky, on SOF - The People. Right now, that seems to fit the tone of Swords of Fire and what I'm writing. It's good music.
Here on The Great Sea I chose Creedence Clearwater's, Sweet Hitchhiker. For me, it's another high energy, happy song. D*mn, I wish I could play the bass to these pieces. I try. Just can't keep up. Neither am I sure about the notes. That's all guesswork.
One thing that is wrong with the music has nothing to do with the music. It's the technology used to play it. For about a week now it's been taking up to two minutes before my YouTube links load and play. It wasn't that long ago that it would only take seconds. I think it's Blogger, but I'm not sure. It could be my own internet connection or something.
Have you noticed Blogger running slower than normal recently? I know they've made changes to it. The Followers gadget looks different. (And there was a fiasco with it, too.)
On my way back to Cat in the Buff. I'm under the wheels again.
y y y y e e e a a A A A A A A H H H H H H H H H H H H ! ! ! ! ! ! !
EDIT: Forgot. I was going to post that I just completed Chapter Ten of Traitor (thanks, LaughingWolf for the title suggestion). Not only that, but I dropped nealry 3,000-words from the chapter to bring it in under budget. I hope I still have a good novel after I'm done. Think I will.
EDIT2: Spouse just came down and scared the cr*p out of me. I'm wearing headphones so I don't wake anyone up. Turns out I need footphones, too. I was hitting the floor so hard it was echoing. Spouse came down and got all the way up to me before I realized there was someone there (I only have one small light on at the computer). I jumped so hard my headphones came off. Now Spouse is laughing too hard to go back to sleep. It's hard to listen to Under My Wheels without moving. Real hard.
Who'd of thought, huh? Bevie James smiling and laughing?
Well, truth be told, there was a time when that was pretty much all I did. Seems like an eternity ago now. But it's still there. It just takes a bit more to wake the feelings of youthful exultations.
But they're awake now, and I have made some changes to my Music of the Day pieces. I added one to Cat in the Buff. Alice Cooper's, Under My Wheels. I've never thought of myself as an Alice Cooper fan, but he does have several pieces I enjoy a lot. Under My Wheels is probably my favorite. I wish I could compose a video of how I would like to perform it. I doubt there are many who know me who would believe it was me. Stephen would. But he knew me well.
Over on A Voice in the Wind I wasn't so "energetic". I was happy. I chose Jim Croce's, I've Got a Name. I don't know why, but that song makes me think of Daddy, but in a happy way. Every time I hear it I feel like I can go on - and succeed. At least I feel like I want to go on. I feel like I have a purpose. (Just haven't a clue what that purpose might be. [grin])
I left Allan Parson Project's, Eye in the Sky, on SOF - The People. Right now, that seems to fit the tone of Swords of Fire and what I'm writing. It's good music.
Here on The Great Sea I chose Creedence Clearwater's, Sweet Hitchhiker. For me, it's another high energy, happy song. D*mn, I wish I could play the bass to these pieces. I try. Just can't keep up. Neither am I sure about the notes. That's all guesswork.
One thing that is wrong with the music has nothing to do with the music. It's the technology used to play it. For about a week now it's been taking up to two minutes before my YouTube links load and play. It wasn't that long ago that it would only take seconds. I think it's Blogger, but I'm not sure. It could be my own internet connection or something.
Have you noticed Blogger running slower than normal recently? I know they've made changes to it. The Followers gadget looks different. (And there was a fiasco with it, too.)
On my way back to Cat in the Buff. I'm under the wheels again.
y y y y e e e a a A A A A A A H H H H H H H H H H H H ! ! ! ! ! ! !
EDIT: Forgot. I was going to post that I just completed Chapter Ten of Traitor (thanks, LaughingWolf for the title suggestion). Not only that, but I dropped nealry 3,000-words from the chapter to bring it in under budget. I hope I still have a good novel after I'm done. Think I will.
EDIT2: Spouse just came down and scared the cr*p out of me. I'm wearing headphones so I don't wake anyone up. Turns out I need footphones, too. I was hitting the floor so hard it was echoing. Spouse came down and got all the way up to me before I realized there was someone there (I only have one small light on at the computer). I jumped so hard my headphones came off. Now Spouse is laughing too hard to go back to sleep. It's hard to listen to Under My Wheels without moving. Real hard.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Progress Report
Figured I'd do another progress report. Got up at 3:00 a.m. This gave me four hours of uninterrupted writing. The result? Chapter Two is in the book. I also came in 211-words under budget, too.
In case you find it at all interesting, in ten days I have completed one interlude, two chapters, and 15,128-words. If the current pace holds true I should finish some time in the middle of March at around 110,000-words. Don't hold your breath on the pace holding, though. There are plenty of things to get in the way, including not waking up at the right time. Also, Mother's surgery is next week on Thursday. I can forget about writing that day. Maybe the day before and the day after, too. We'll see. It's a scary surgery.
Lots of characters are being left on the cutting room floor. Good characters. Interesting characters. Lots of background, too. The infodump is being dumped.
The changes do neccesetate me moving a scene. What once took place in Chapter Nine is now going to have to occur in Chapter Three. I had planned on moving it to Chapter Two, but it just refused to fit. That's the problem with stories. Once they're on their way they begin to dictate storyline as much as accept it. I think I can do it, though.
A Traitor in the Midst (still would like some feedback on that title - before I marry myself to it) will be the first installment of what I hope to be an extended series. Book II, The Prophecies of Madatar, is already primed and ready to go. Book III, Bonds of Love, has been begun but put on hold. Book IV (untitled) is mostly in my head. I did write a few scenes under inspiration. Thanks to Risa, Isista, Quixa, and Sonja, the Muses who inspired the work. Book V (untitled) is also mostly in my head. I may have written a couple of scenes. Not sure. Book ? (untitled) is interesting because I don't know if it is Book VI, VII, VII, IX, or X.
There are a lot of scenes to be written, and a fair number to be rewritten. Some, I know, are going to go away. Even some of my favorites. That's the way storywriting goes. Once you jump out of the plane it's too late to do anything on the plane. Whatever is left out is gone. But, given clever writing and design, some things can be raised from the dead.
That's what happened to the original ending of Book I. The ending line was magnificent. It was just beautiful. However, as I began developing the story as it needed to be, I suddenly found myself confronted with the reality that there was no longer any place for that line. It was gone. Then, as I carried the story forward into places I had yet to explore, I discovered the line could be used after all - at the very end. Of course, I haven't got there yet. I still haven't finished A Traitor in the Midst. Could someone tell me what they think of that title?
In case you find it at all interesting, in ten days I have completed one interlude, two chapters, and 15,128-words. If the current pace holds true I should finish some time in the middle of March at around 110,000-words. Don't hold your breath on the pace holding, though. There are plenty of things to get in the way, including not waking up at the right time. Also, Mother's surgery is next week on Thursday. I can forget about writing that day. Maybe the day before and the day after, too. We'll see. It's a scary surgery.
Lots of characters are being left on the cutting room floor. Good characters. Interesting characters. Lots of background, too. The infodump is being dumped.
The changes do neccesetate me moving a scene. What once took place in Chapter Nine is now going to have to occur in Chapter Three. I had planned on moving it to Chapter Two, but it just refused to fit. That's the problem with stories. Once they're on their way they begin to dictate storyline as much as accept it. I think I can do it, though.
A Traitor in the Midst (still would like some feedback on that title - before I marry myself to it) will be the first installment of what I hope to be an extended series. Book II, The Prophecies of Madatar, is already primed and ready to go. Book III, Bonds of Love, has been begun but put on hold. Book IV (untitled) is mostly in my head. I did write a few scenes under inspiration. Thanks to Risa, Isista, Quixa, and Sonja, the Muses who inspired the work. Book V (untitled) is also mostly in my head. I may have written a couple of scenes. Not sure. Book ? (untitled) is interesting because I don't know if it is Book VI, VII, VII, IX, or X.
There are a lot of scenes to be written, and a fair number to be rewritten. Some, I know, are going to go away. Even some of my favorites. That's the way storywriting goes. Once you jump out of the plane it's too late to do anything on the plane. Whatever is left out is gone. But, given clever writing and design, some things can be raised from the dead.
That's what happened to the original ending of Book I. The ending line was magnificent. It was just beautiful. However, as I began developing the story as it needed to be, I suddenly found myself confronted with the reality that there was no longer any place for that line. It was gone. Then, as I carried the story forward into places I had yet to explore, I discovered the line could be used after all - at the very end. Of course, I haven't got there yet. I still haven't finished A Traitor in the Midst. Could someone tell me what they think of that title?
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Spoilers
How do you feel about spoilers? You know, when you're told what's going to happen before you get a chance to figure it out for yourself?
For myself, my feelings are mixed. There are certain things which I very much want to know up front - because then I don't want to read/watch/listen to the story. The first book I never finished was The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair. It was part of the assigned reading in a Novel class I took in high school. I was at the front of the class with a girl named Rebecka. We read the books in a day or two while the rest of the class got a week, and most failed to complete the reading. Then came The Jungle. I understood from the first what Mr. Sinclair's point was, and that is what caused me more and more unease as the book progressed. Like any book I read I chose two characters with which to identify. If they could surive what was happening then I could read the book. But as I read I began more and more to fear they would not, so I read slower. Rebecka had no problem. She read on and on, so when it came time to discuss portions only she knew what was going on. When she confirmed my worst fears - that my hero character (Jurgis Rudkus) would lose his wife and be eaten by rats, and my heroine (Ona Lukoszaite) would be forced to have sex with her boss in order to keep her job - I was done. I couldn't read about my characters being destroyed. I put the book down and have never picked it up again. That spoiler was good - to me. It spared me the ordeal of having to read it.
I had a similar thing happen when I read J.R.R.Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. There were really only nine characters to choose from as identity characters: the Nine Walkers. And they were all male. I liked Galadriel (I took one of those 'Which LOTR Character are You' tests and found that I am Galadriel. Cool.), but she wasn't in it much. So Gandalf and Legolas became my characters. I know I was supposed to identify with Frodo, or maybe Aragorn, but with the exception of Bilbo and Sam (and Farmer Cotten), Hobbits were annoying, and I just didn't click with Aragorn. Well, of course what happens during The Fellowship of the Ring? Gandalf is lost in the Mines of Moria. Same old same old. True, I had Legolas, but just as Ona was my primary identity character in The Jungle, so was Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. I put the book down and quit reading. Then, after a week, a thought occured to me. Unlike The Jungle, Lord of the Rings was not about realism. The ideas and messages were real, but the manner in which those ideas and messages were being communicated was fantasy. What if Gandalf wasn't really dead? The book hadn't explicitly said so, had it? It just said he fell. He was a wizard. Maybe, he didn't die! So I grabbed Return of the King and began flipping through pages until I saw his name associated with dialog. I confirmed the dialog was taking place later than the Mines of Moria incident and put Return of the King down. I picked up Fellowship of the Ring and began reading where I left off. My primary character was coming back. That was all I needed to go on.
Spoilers can help me, because when I involve myself in a story I so identify with one or two characters that I cannot bear to have them destroyed. No matter what the story is telling me, and no matter how much I have enjoyed it to that point, once my main characters are gone, I feel I have been taken out of the story. It no longer holds any meaning for me and I no longer take any message from it. That's just the way it is. I'm sorry.
However, that does not mean Main Characters can never be destroyed. I don't always identify with the Main Character. Many times I find the Main Character annoying, and I will choose a minor character - with character - as my identity focus. If that character survives, grows, what have you, I don't really care what happens to the Main Character.
That's why I liked the movie, The Poseidon Adventure. All of my characters survived. I had no doubt from the beginning that Gene Hackman's character would die at the end. Shelly Winters, too. So I didn't bother to identify with either of them, although Shelly Winters made that difficult. No, it wasn't a great movie, but Shelly Winters could act. But I loved the kids, Pamela Sue Martin and Eric Shea. I figured the little boy would survive, but I wasn't sure about his sister. Then there was Red Buttons, who I've liked in everything he's been in. I didn't want him dying. And finally, there was the very vulnerable Carol Lynley who, because she was so vulnerable, became my primary character. Oh, and don't make fun of me - and Ernest Borgnine. He was vulnerable, too, but in a different kind of way. We saw it at the end, and he actually was the one who made me feel like crying (good crying). If they could survive, it didn't matter what happened to the others. So, bad as the movie was, my characters suriving made it a good movie for me.
So, why all of the rambling, bambling about spoilers, books not finished, bad movies and such?
I'm considering making a series of posts in which I present the synopsis to Book I. If I do, then anyone who reads it would have significant events 'spoiled' before actually reading the book.
So what do you think? Is it a good idea, or am I just succumbing to the fear Book I (and Swords of Fire in general) will never be published anyway?
Should I just hold off?
For myself, my feelings are mixed. There are certain things which I very much want to know up front - because then I don't want to read/watch/listen to the story. The first book I never finished was The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair. It was part of the assigned reading in a Novel class I took in high school. I was at the front of the class with a girl named Rebecka. We read the books in a day or two while the rest of the class got a week, and most failed to complete the reading. Then came The Jungle. I understood from the first what Mr. Sinclair's point was, and that is what caused me more and more unease as the book progressed. Like any book I read I chose two characters with which to identify. If they could surive what was happening then I could read the book. But as I read I began more and more to fear they would not, so I read slower. Rebecka had no problem. She read on and on, so when it came time to discuss portions only she knew what was going on. When she confirmed my worst fears - that my hero character (Jurgis Rudkus) would lose his wife and be eaten by rats, and my heroine (Ona Lukoszaite) would be forced to have sex with her boss in order to keep her job - I was done. I couldn't read about my characters being destroyed. I put the book down and have never picked it up again. That spoiler was good - to me. It spared me the ordeal of having to read it.
I had a similar thing happen when I read J.R.R.Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. There were really only nine characters to choose from as identity characters: the Nine Walkers. And they were all male. I liked Galadriel (I took one of those 'Which LOTR Character are You' tests and found that I am Galadriel. Cool.), but she wasn't in it much. So Gandalf and Legolas became my characters. I know I was supposed to identify with Frodo, or maybe Aragorn, but with the exception of Bilbo and Sam (and Farmer Cotten), Hobbits were annoying, and I just didn't click with Aragorn. Well, of course what happens during The Fellowship of the Ring? Gandalf is lost in the Mines of Moria. Same old same old. True, I had Legolas, but just as Ona was my primary identity character in The Jungle, so was Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. I put the book down and quit reading. Then, after a week, a thought occured to me. Unlike The Jungle, Lord of the Rings was not about realism. The ideas and messages were real, but the manner in which those ideas and messages were being communicated was fantasy. What if Gandalf wasn't really dead? The book hadn't explicitly said so, had it? It just said he fell. He was a wizard. Maybe, he didn't die! So I grabbed Return of the King and began flipping through pages until I saw his name associated with dialog. I confirmed the dialog was taking place later than the Mines of Moria incident and put Return of the King down. I picked up Fellowship of the Ring and began reading where I left off. My primary character was coming back. That was all I needed to go on.
Spoilers can help me, because when I involve myself in a story I so identify with one or two characters that I cannot bear to have them destroyed. No matter what the story is telling me, and no matter how much I have enjoyed it to that point, once my main characters are gone, I feel I have been taken out of the story. It no longer holds any meaning for me and I no longer take any message from it. That's just the way it is. I'm sorry.
However, that does not mean Main Characters can never be destroyed. I don't always identify with the Main Character. Many times I find the Main Character annoying, and I will choose a minor character - with character - as my identity focus. If that character survives, grows, what have you, I don't really care what happens to the Main Character.
That's why I liked the movie, The Poseidon Adventure. All of my characters survived. I had no doubt from the beginning that Gene Hackman's character would die at the end. Shelly Winters, too. So I didn't bother to identify with either of them, although Shelly Winters made that difficult. No, it wasn't a great movie, but Shelly Winters could act. But I loved the kids, Pamela Sue Martin and Eric Shea. I figured the little boy would survive, but I wasn't sure about his sister. Then there was Red Buttons, who I've liked in everything he's been in. I didn't want him dying. And finally, there was the very vulnerable Carol Lynley who, because she was so vulnerable, became my primary character. Oh, and don't make fun of me - and Ernest Borgnine. He was vulnerable, too, but in a different kind of way. We saw it at the end, and he actually was the one who made me feel like crying (good crying). If they could survive, it didn't matter what happened to the others. So, bad as the movie was, my characters suriving made it a good movie for me.
So, why all of the rambling, bambling about spoilers, books not finished, bad movies and such?
I'm considering making a series of posts in which I present the synopsis to Book I. If I do, then anyone who reads it would have significant events 'spoiled' before actually reading the book.
So what do you think? Is it a good idea, or am I just succumbing to the fear Book I (and Swords of Fire in general) will never be published anyway?
Should I just hold off?
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Oh, WOW!
Boy, did I call this one. Whew!
Today, Thursday, is my assigned day to talk about how Evil Editor and his Minions have responded to anything I have written. Well, New Beginning 584 is mine, and it was posted yesterday while I was taking a restless nap. I woke to find an enormous amount of constructive criticism. I spent several hours trying to take it all in. I took a break to visit another blog and provide a frivolous comment just to free my mind. After a few more hours I posted my thank you's and response. A wordy response.
The posting was the novel's first 150 words. I took it from what I called, First Interlude, which precedes Chapter One. The Interludes (of which there are four) are brief moments when I take the reader away from the main story in order to reveal activity taking place outside the story characters' knowledge. To spare you the trouble of jumping to Evil Editor right now (although I do recommend you visit his blog (http://evileditor.blogspot.com for more reasons than to just see my work critiqued) here is what I posted:
In the darkness he brooded. But it was not the darkness that oppressed him. Darkness was his ally. His image, when shrouded in darkness, terrified the so-called Free People even more than in light.
He looked at this thin, drawn and deathly grey hand. Frail in appearance, it was stronger than any creature on the Sea save, perhaps, the great dragons. But even they lacked his raw power. His face was a living skull with unblinking eyes and a taught, skin like covering pulled and stretched to reveal the form benath. to those lesser things across the Sea he was the living dead, and all but one would cower before him. This Other, though. Where was he and when would he appear?
Time moved forward. Time was he enemy. He was trapped in time. But to be anywhere else was to risk assault, and he was not ready for that. He was not invincible. Not yet. That had been a difficult lesson. Curse Kensington and his interference! How could he reclaim his advantage? Then he felt it! The feeling of new inspiration. With a quiet breath he summoned his servant.
I confess, I thought it was great. My big fear was that no one would comment. My fear was unfounded. So were my thoughts about greatness. If you know anything about critiquing then you have probably already seen at least a half dozen things wrong. The Minions certainly did. I counted forty-eight. And then there were three more postings.
Now the fear was I would take it all to heart and feel crushed and incapable. I did shed tears, but not tears of despair. When BuffySquirrel and Writtenwyrdd put in the final comments, I felt like I had just won the lottery. So much help! So much information. I just cried. These people are giving me a chance, and a chance is all any of us ever get. Some don't even get that. I don't quite feel inadequate, but I have a lot of work to do. A LOT of work. The end is so much further away than I believed. But I am being herded in the right direction for success. That, I believe.
May God grant me the time to get there. I have such a long way to go.
Thank you, Minions. I love you all.
I have received help from other Minions on other pieces, but here is a list of those who posted for this submission. I am thinking the best way I can say "Thank You" is to point others in their direction.
Writtenwyrdd - http://writtenwyrdd.blogspot.com
Evil Editor - http://evileditor.blogspot.com
BuffySquirrel - http://inthedarknesshiding.blogspot.com
Anonymous - sorry, no link to give
Dave F - http://fragments-fiction.blogspot.com
Chelsea - http://www.blogger.com/profile/16301150715189103602
Danceluvr - sorry, no link to give
Jeb - sorry, no link to give
Today, Thursday, is my assigned day to talk about how Evil Editor and his Minions have responded to anything I have written. Well, New Beginning 584 is mine, and it was posted yesterday while I was taking a restless nap. I woke to find an enormous amount of constructive criticism. I spent several hours trying to take it all in. I took a break to visit another blog and provide a frivolous comment just to free my mind. After a few more hours I posted my thank you's and response. A wordy response.
The posting was the novel's first 150 words. I took it from what I called, First Interlude, which precedes Chapter One. The Interludes (of which there are four) are brief moments when I take the reader away from the main story in order to reveal activity taking place outside the story characters' knowledge. To spare you the trouble of jumping to Evil Editor right now (although I do recommend you visit his blog (http://evileditor.blogspot.com for more reasons than to just see my work critiqued) here is what I posted:
In the darkness he brooded. But it was not the darkness that oppressed him. Darkness was his ally. His image, when shrouded in darkness, terrified the so-called Free People even more than in light.
He looked at this thin, drawn and deathly grey hand. Frail in appearance, it was stronger than any creature on the Sea save, perhaps, the great dragons. But even they lacked his raw power. His face was a living skull with unblinking eyes and a taught, skin like covering pulled and stretched to reveal the form benath. to those lesser things across the Sea he was the living dead, and all but one would cower before him. This Other, though. Where was he and when would he appear?
Time moved forward. Time was he enemy. He was trapped in time. But to be anywhere else was to risk assault, and he was not ready for that. He was not invincible. Not yet. That had been a difficult lesson. Curse Kensington and his interference! How could he reclaim his advantage? Then he felt it! The feeling of new inspiration. With a quiet breath he summoned his servant.
I confess, I thought it was great. My big fear was that no one would comment. My fear was unfounded. So were my thoughts about greatness. If you know anything about critiquing then you have probably already seen at least a half dozen things wrong. The Minions certainly did. I counted forty-eight. And then there were three more postings.
Now the fear was I would take it all to heart and feel crushed and incapable. I did shed tears, but not tears of despair. When BuffySquirrel and Writtenwyrdd put in the final comments, I felt like I had just won the lottery. So much help! So much information. I just cried. These people are giving me a chance, and a chance is all any of us ever get. Some don't even get that. I don't quite feel inadequate, but I have a lot of work to do. A LOT of work. The end is so much further away than I believed. But I am being herded in the right direction for success. That, I believe.
May God grant me the time to get there. I have such a long way to go.
Thank you, Minions. I love you all.
I have received help from other Minions on other pieces, but here is a list of those who posted for this submission. I am thinking the best way I can say "Thank You" is to point others in their direction.
Writtenwyrdd - http://writtenwyrdd.blogspot.com
Evil Editor - http://evileditor.blogspot.com
BuffySquirrel - http://inthedarknesshiding.blogspot.com
Anonymous - sorry, no link to give
Dave F - http://fragments-fiction.blogspot.com
Chelsea - http://www.blogger.com/profile/16301150715189103602
Danceluvr - sorry, no link to give
Jeb - sorry, no link to give
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
A Spearhead's Duty
Swords of Fire is a saga. It will go at least six books. (Two are already written, and a third has been begun. But none are "finished".) The Great Sea is a place. It has hundreds of stories which can be told as short stories, novels or epic sagas. I already know some of them.
Flames of Hatred (yes, I will rename it some day) has the honorable - and difficult - position of being the first book "out of the gate". It will introduce the Great Sea. It will present key characters. It will set the tone for the entire saga. But most importantly, Flames of Hatred must have: a beginning; a middle; and an end. Yes, the book must end, despite it being the first volley in a series. There is one other requirement for Flames of Hatred: it has to be interesting.
When I began writing Swords of Fire back in 1976, I had no thoughts about it ever being published. It was simply a logical progression of one of my favorite pastimes: writing stories. No one read them. Not ever. I completely understood the George McFly character (played by Crispin Glover) from Back to the Future when he tells Marty (played by Michael J. Fox) he never let anyone read his stories. What if they didn't like them?
It was by accident the story came to the attention of some people I worked with. They wanted to know more. I had to read it to them. Suddenly, I had an audience! And with an audience came responsibility. I could no longer afford to write just what I felt and leave it be at that. The writing had to at least make sense. (When writing for myself I will change names, places and events - sometimes in mid-paragraph.)
When friends, lovers and relatives began speaking about Swords of Fire becoming a published novel I made a closer inspection of the story. I had begun too late. I abandoned the project and went back in time to restart. I would do this three times before I came to the time of Flames of Hatred. Now I had to establish who was important - and why.
Ultimately, I chose Khirhsa as my POV character. I introduced Abrin, Shello, Klarissa, Khaiu, Tura - and Kelso. NO ONE liked Kelso as I originally portrayed him. I guess I don't blame them. But the truth is, I failed to present any of the characters well. I'm embarassed to admit I ever thought that version was worthy of publication. In my defense I will only say this: I wasn't alone.
I don't remember how, but I suddenly found myself in contact with a man who had once edited books at some big New York Publishing House. He agreed to read my book - for $25. Not knowing any better, I sent him the book with a check. That was on a Monday in January. The same week on Thursday he called me at my work (I didn't have a home telephone) to tell me he very much liked the book and read it in one evening. He lived in St. Paul, so we arranged a meeting at his favorite restaurant on Saturday. During the meeting he not only returned my check, but he told me that, while the book was clearly written by an amateur, the story had tremendous potential. It did need to be edited - heavily. Then he told me something completely unexpected. He told me to send the book to his friend: Lester Del Rey. No promises. The book needed a LOT of work. But if I used his name (I don't remember it, but "Demerest" sticks in my head. I have the documentation in the archives some place.), Lester just might be willing to take on the project. That was what he was willing to do for me.
I did send the book to Lester Del Rey. After what I considered to be an interminable amount of time he returned the manuscript. The story was good. Unfortunately, the writing was not, and it would take an inordinate amount of effort to make it good. Sorry.
That was twenty-five years ago. I have rewritten the story several times since then. The original story, Prophecies of Madatar, eventually was divided into two books: Flames of Hatred and Prophecies of Madatar. This past spring I had thought the story ready at last. I have since taken another painful lesson to learn that is not so. But now I am receiving some quality help in learning to present a novel length story. Flames of Hatred should be ready to go by spring of 2009 - with a new title.
When it is ready it will have a beginning, a middle and an end. It will be written well. The story will still be interesting. And the readers will learn about Khirsha, Kelso, Sayla, Avalina, Tavaar (I just love her), flameswords, the Great Sea and - Madatar.
Flames of Hatred (yes, I will rename it some day) has the honorable - and difficult - position of being the first book "out of the gate". It will introduce the Great Sea. It will present key characters. It will set the tone for the entire saga. But most importantly, Flames of Hatred must have: a beginning; a middle; and an end. Yes, the book must end, despite it being the first volley in a series. There is one other requirement for Flames of Hatred: it has to be interesting.
When I began writing Swords of Fire back in 1976, I had no thoughts about it ever being published. It was simply a logical progression of one of my favorite pastimes: writing stories. No one read them. Not ever. I completely understood the George McFly character (played by Crispin Glover) from Back to the Future when he tells Marty (played by Michael J. Fox) he never let anyone read his stories. What if they didn't like them?
It was by accident the story came to the attention of some people I worked with. They wanted to know more. I had to read it to them. Suddenly, I had an audience! And with an audience came responsibility. I could no longer afford to write just what I felt and leave it be at that. The writing had to at least make sense. (When writing for myself I will change names, places and events - sometimes in mid-paragraph.)
When friends, lovers and relatives began speaking about Swords of Fire becoming a published novel I made a closer inspection of the story. I had begun too late. I abandoned the project and went back in time to restart. I would do this three times before I came to the time of Flames of Hatred. Now I had to establish who was important - and why.
Ultimately, I chose Khirhsa as my POV character. I introduced Abrin, Shello, Klarissa, Khaiu, Tura - and Kelso. NO ONE liked Kelso as I originally portrayed him. I guess I don't blame them. But the truth is, I failed to present any of the characters well. I'm embarassed to admit I ever thought that version was worthy of publication. In my defense I will only say this: I wasn't alone.
I don't remember how, but I suddenly found myself in contact with a man who had once edited books at some big New York Publishing House. He agreed to read my book - for $25. Not knowing any better, I sent him the book with a check. That was on a Monday in January. The same week on Thursday he called me at my work (I didn't have a home telephone) to tell me he very much liked the book and read it in one evening. He lived in St. Paul, so we arranged a meeting at his favorite restaurant on Saturday. During the meeting he not only returned my check, but he told me that, while the book was clearly written by an amateur, the story had tremendous potential. It did need to be edited - heavily. Then he told me something completely unexpected. He told me to send the book to his friend: Lester Del Rey. No promises. The book needed a LOT of work. But if I used his name (I don't remember it, but "Demerest" sticks in my head. I have the documentation in the archives some place.), Lester just might be willing to take on the project. That was what he was willing to do for me.
I did send the book to Lester Del Rey. After what I considered to be an interminable amount of time he returned the manuscript. The story was good. Unfortunately, the writing was not, and it would take an inordinate amount of effort to make it good. Sorry.
That was twenty-five years ago. I have rewritten the story several times since then. The original story, Prophecies of Madatar, eventually was divided into two books: Flames of Hatred and Prophecies of Madatar. This past spring I had thought the story ready at last. I have since taken another painful lesson to learn that is not so. But now I am receiving some quality help in learning to present a novel length story. Flames of Hatred should be ready to go by spring of 2009 - with a new title.
When it is ready it will have a beginning, a middle and an end. It will be written well. The story will still be interesting. And the readers will learn about Khirsha, Kelso, Sayla, Avalina, Tavaar (I just love her), flameswords, the Great Sea and - Madatar.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
A Saga Begins
The Great Sea. Final creation of the High King. Stretching beyond the reach of mortals, it harbors a myriad of worlds under the High King's constant vigil. Surrounding the worlds is the Cloud: the Dark Buffer which separates Time. For, by the High King's design, time moves independently in each world. The Cloud itself, however, is not measured in units of time. Within the Cloud there is neither morning nor evening, sun nor stars, wind nor rain. A Twilight Zone of eternal mist it is, leaving all within its clutches at the mercy of the Sea's wayward currents.
The Great Sea. Wild and dangerous. The Peoples of its worlds seldom venture far onto its waves. Few terrors cannot be faced in preference to the Sea. Once out from the security of land, vessels would be exposed to the unpredictable and cruel nature of the expanse. Yet some terrors are better fled from. Even if it means facing the Sea.
The Great Sea. Endless is the reach of its arms and influence. From its depths all worlds sprang, and to its depths all worlds shall again return. The Great Sea. To some: an insurmountable barrier and captor, holding them fast to their world by fear. To others: a highway to freedom.
So, at one time, began the first of the novels to arise from the Swords of Fire saga. This prologue, now thirty years old, is poor at best. Even so, I begin this historical trek through the creation of Swords of Fire with it, despite it having been abandoned many years ago. This is the version which followed the original book's failure to be published way back before my 'great awakening' to what I really wanted to write. If you think the prologue above silly and stupid you should try reading the actual novel. I don't know that I can anymore, although I still have it, tucked away in cardboard boxes down the stairs and hidden in the utility room with the other early efforts. They are quite embarrassing for me to read now. Still, much of what this prologue says remains true through more than three dozen attempts to rewrite from scratch. It is kind of like cornerstone.
The Sea, the Cloud, the High King, many worlds and differences in time are all integral parts of the expanse my characters now call home. I know what it looks like. I know the governing laws by which it operates. Thirty years ago I don't know that I could have said that. But thirty years ago I was far younger and trying to write something completely different than what exists today. This prologue isn't even the original. The original, which may or may not exist in the cases of old writings in the utility room, was over thirty pages long. A good friend, who loved to read, very gently coaxed me into reducing it a little at a time, until I finally got the message and rewrote from scratch three paragraphs to set up what was to happen. That's why this version lasted so long, I think. After thirty pages three paragraphs looked pretty good no matter how ridiculous they read.
The main problem with this prologue, and indeed, the entire original novel, was my youthful effort to sound 'mystical' and 'wise'. It's a tendency I clearly struggle with even today. For me, the writing of Swords of Fire became much more relaxing when I ceased to write about mystical and wise people doing great and wonderful deeds, and I started writing about real people with real problems, who happen to exist in a place which has some fairly fantastic properties. It became much more fun when I admitted it was not a story about dragons, burning swords, time jumps through portals, war or quests or anything like that. It's a love story. I guess that's why I love it. I know now who the main characters are.
Forgive the rambling. I like to do that. You should see some of my first drafts. I once wrote twenty pages describing an important event in Flames of Hatred. When it came time to incorporate that event into the actual storyline, I wrote a single paragraph which said everything. I've kept the twenty pages, though.
The Great Sea. Wild and dangerous. The Peoples of its worlds seldom venture far onto its waves. Few terrors cannot be faced in preference to the Sea. Once out from the security of land, vessels would be exposed to the unpredictable and cruel nature of the expanse. Yet some terrors are better fled from. Even if it means facing the Sea.
The Great Sea. Endless is the reach of its arms and influence. From its depths all worlds sprang, and to its depths all worlds shall again return. The Great Sea. To some: an insurmountable barrier and captor, holding them fast to their world by fear. To others: a highway to freedom.
So, at one time, began the first of the novels to arise from the Swords of Fire saga. This prologue, now thirty years old, is poor at best. Even so, I begin this historical trek through the creation of Swords of Fire with it, despite it having been abandoned many years ago. This is the version which followed the original book's failure to be published way back before my 'great awakening' to what I really wanted to write. If you think the prologue above silly and stupid you should try reading the actual novel. I don't know that I can anymore, although I still have it, tucked away in cardboard boxes down the stairs and hidden in the utility room with the other early efforts. They are quite embarrassing for me to read now. Still, much of what this prologue says remains true through more than three dozen attempts to rewrite from scratch. It is kind of like cornerstone.
The Sea, the Cloud, the High King, many worlds and differences in time are all integral parts of the expanse my characters now call home. I know what it looks like. I know the governing laws by which it operates. Thirty years ago I don't know that I could have said that. But thirty years ago I was far younger and trying to write something completely different than what exists today. This prologue isn't even the original. The original, which may or may not exist in the cases of old writings in the utility room, was over thirty pages long. A good friend, who loved to read, very gently coaxed me into reducing it a little at a time, until I finally got the message and rewrote from scratch three paragraphs to set up what was to happen. That's why this version lasted so long, I think. After thirty pages three paragraphs looked pretty good no matter how ridiculous they read.
The main problem with this prologue, and indeed, the entire original novel, was my youthful effort to sound 'mystical' and 'wise'. It's a tendency I clearly struggle with even today. For me, the writing of Swords of Fire became much more relaxing when I ceased to write about mystical and wise people doing great and wonderful deeds, and I started writing about real people with real problems, who happen to exist in a place which has some fairly fantastic properties. It became much more fun when I admitted it was not a story about dragons, burning swords, time jumps through portals, war or quests or anything like that. It's a love story. I guess that's why I love it. I know now who the main characters are.
Forgive the rambling. I like to do that. You should see some of my first drafts. I once wrote twenty pages describing an important event in Flames of Hatred. When it came time to incorporate that event into the actual storyline, I wrote a single paragraph which said everything. I've kept the twenty pages, though.
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