Category Archives: Characters

Escape Velocity Has Been Achieved and Craft Holding (Another Chapter in a Very Irregular Series About One Person’s Approach to Writing)

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A while back I took the step of announcing the start of a new writing project

On Outlining A New Writing Venture (A post with no reason other than I was having fun with it)

The exercise was conducted to make sure that having ‘gone public’ I had better well carry on with this venture, there having been numerous other attempts which had faded away. The announcement was a boost to ensure my momentum kept moving to escape velocity. This is problem A Panster will often encounter. The process of not working from a true outline, or several pages of notes, but instead relying on ‘something’ popping into the imagination, or being inspired by the last few hundred words while only having maybe the vaguest of ideas as to where ‘this’ is going. Such an outlook can lead to falling prey to Life’s Daily Distraction or an attack of the Existentialist ‘What Is The Point Of It All’, or worse ‘Oh Heck…I’ve done all this before with different names and locations‘   (More about that problem a little later on)

My dependable notion of ‘Never Waste A Good World Build’ once more came to my aid. The Narrative would be set in the world of my previous trilogy. The fact that I could not decide whether in the Past, Present or Future of the previous trilogy’s setting was at the onset of little consequence at least there was a backdrop. As the narrative progress ‘The Future’ seemed the most suitable, this was made easier by the fact that in this ‘world’ of mine, Time was a flexible quality anyway, and there was the good old dependable ‘Ethereal’ an elemental force which is all things to all folk but woe to those who took it for granted or tried to control or expunge it. In this environment Continuity was not really a problem; and as a bonus enabled me to possibly sneak in the spice of a Hidden or Forbidden History factor. I kept the same Empire, Religion and some of the more powerful agencies as this would be useful for later on as to who was keeping what History from who and naturally for some stalwart characters to uncover ‘Stuff’.   

Maybe it’s because of having strong stalwart women in my life; my wife of 51 years, two daughters, a granddaughter and daughter-in-law that I have always tended to place women at the forefront of my stories (also because it will annoy the heck out of those lesser males who object to strong women). Thus, as I started off, there were another three women being drawn into very unexpected situations, and meeting and bonding, even the rather same types as before; trouble? Not really; at the onset this suggested a link between the previous three books. Descendants? That might be stretching things a bit and requiring a lot of explanations out of character with the previous three central figures. No, what was required here was an element explored in the previous works- The Ethereal as a reactive force drawing certain types of folks together; this gave some of the more dogged lesser characters cause to explore into what was taking place and delve into that ‘Forbidden History’ and of course all reach different conclusions. That could be interesting, all manner of possibilities.

Now what was missing? Oh yes….

As usual I had forgotten a central plot. Yes, my BIG failing, getting so much wound up with the characters that their day to day events become the whole story, and whereas it is fun to write you can’t really expect folk to read an entire book’s worth, not in a fantasy background anyway.

Thus far though plenty of material to weave in….

1.One heir to a throne has to get married soon, two rival houses intending their daughters to be his bride. He is very agitated with the politics and takes a ‘gap’ to clear his head he goes out with a military border patrol; lots more politics there. Suddenly ambushed! Escapes! How will this work out? Will he survive and how will his character develop? (By the way there is an Ethereal link between him and the three central women characters- one that none of them really know about, him least of all. What kind of relationships?) 
2.Somewhere else in the empire a very determined fundamentalist branch of the state religion are working up to a crusade. One fellow in particular. Note, don’t make him a pantomime villain. Give his side of things. Also they HATE the Ethereal. And let us not forget that no group is free from the whimsy of factionalism.
3. Where most of the characters live. Lots of local politics between two princedoms and one independent Dukedom, the latter favoured by the Empire. Also folk lurking in the wings there either barely seen or only thus far mentioned in name.
4. Also there’s The Empire, well a writer can certainly work with An Empire’s shenanigans. 
5. AND – Of course The Ethereal and those forbidden / unknown histories.
6. AND EVEN MORESO – All the ‘stuff’ I mentioned above with the central characters.
7. Not to mention several lesser characters with promise to develop.  And a few loose threads that need tightening.
Also
8, 9 & 10 – As write I don’t know what they are, but they are bound to be lurking around somewhere.

Plenty to work with. In fact so much I detect another trilogy. Too much colour and potential to spoil with a planned layout. In real life Wars and Politics never go to plan. One theme I am using again, the three central characters being swept up in events. Like real Life.  

Also this is a first draft and a writer will know that’s a terrible version. There is plenty to be re-written, replaced, downright ditched. Onward- ever onward. To where I know not.

Gosh, this is fun….
Advice for Writers starting off and New Writers struggling……Keep all those scraps you have written or have buzzing around in your head, you never know when they will come in handy, get it down on paper or ‘doc’ and worry about the finer points later on. 

Writers: On The Risk of, Maybe Packing Too Much Into A Project

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After the sixteenth (or was it the seventeenth?) attempt at launching a new project there was a great temptation to indulge in the traditional Indy / Indie writer’s angst of episodic lamentations and cries of ‘ What is the point of it all’ and thence gloomy introspection.

Hamlet 1

However, it is also the curse / blessing within the Indy / Indie writer to be a’fix(ed) with the urge and need to keep on writing, and seek ever beyond the horizon fulfilment of that next, and in my case evasive big project. There’s six of the efforts marking up to roughly 100,000 words which are still archived in case there’s a need to ‘Copy & Paste’ useful chunks. And there is a new one which is tottering on the launch pad. You would think that with a pretty strong World Build there would be no shortage of material, inspiration and plot lines, so how come just ‘Might Have Beens’?

win_20210522_11_00_43_pro…Ponder….ponder…..ponder

On referring back to the previous trilogy….

It occurred to me amongst the total of 660,000 + words, aside from the traditional World Build, adventurous quests or tasks, conflicts and challenges set to three strong characters, the array of minor and not so minor characters with their own tales to tell there were a great deal of other themes and sub-plots which had found their ways in. Out of this grew the comic interludes, satires on common themes in fantasy novels, whole commentaries on various cultures and locations, parodies on traditional villain types, parallel realities, romances, personal sacrifices, allegories with various historical military blunders, the construction of an imperial administration and its agencies, threads which went in various directions and managed to tie up, entire family lives, one rather massive risk of a plot twist and a small tough ragged horse which travelled through realities without any explanation given. Along with some other stuff to do with lesser characters just put in because I felt like it suited the whole canvas, like my predilection to weave in John LeCarre style machinations of various government agencies simply for atmosphere.    

 And dear reader one has to ask ones’ self as you might. Was all of that necessary? In my defence, at the time it seemed so. When reading / listening to my favourite subject of military history as must be the case with other historical studies, there is encountered the factor of the importance of the small folk, not the Great and Influential, for without the small folk what would the Great and Influential achieve? Then there is the ‘Grit In The Machine’ factor which in the way of many a Grand Strategy, the overlooked seemingly inconsequential yet important item, the events of the second book hinged on such a quantity. These had, I reckoned, to be taken into account. And also how the events affected folks’ lives, motivations and own plans. Of course all and everything was necessary and fitted.

The problem with ‘Of Course’s being one might fit one type of book, ie factual history but might not work in a fictional setting, and that most important of persons, the reader could lose interest and particularly in Heroic Fantasy be looking for more dramatic interludes linking into one magnificent conclusion. Maybe.

I could of course cite the works of David Gemmel who would take minor and sometimes grimy characters and through the narrative elevate them, often against their will to major players. Brandon Sanderson and Joe Abercrombie are of the type of writer who populate their books with large lists of lesser characters who come and go through the narrative, sometimes returning when you least expect them and playing for maybe only a short while a vital role. They, Abercrombie in particular do not go in for Happy or Cleanly Ethical endings, which can be argued are most realistic. Me, I do veer towards clean, just and tidy endings, and the intention to do so without a Deux Machina (or several) might, just might have had an effect upon the whole narrative, for whereas I only had the haziest of ideas about the rest of the narrative that sort of ending  was a given. 

I could stand by all those decisions and maintain them by the dogged outlook beloved of a more stubborn sort of Indy / Indie writer summed up as ‘So what? If you don’t like It…Tough. It’s My Book’ . Somehow that might be avoiding the issue.

Is the reason why a new project is not taking off, because I have used up all my good ideas, scenarios, situations, themes and sub-plots? And will anything else be just repetition? There is an ‘Of Course’ there too. Since my work to date has had little to no success and in consequence a double edged truth would be; ‘Who would notice? Or care?’ . Now where that ties in with or contradicts the previous ‘So what? If you don’t like It…Tough. It’s My Book’ is another topic for debate. 

Thus having paused to muse over the whole business while doing my turn at the washing up and washing loading duties, I was left to conclude…… Was I taking ‘pantsing’ too far? Should I have laid out all of the ideas which came to mind and put some to one side for another day? Should I have edited the books into shorter volumes and instead of three weighty tomes have had six, or seven, or eight smaller volumes and attracted an audience who prefer shorter books with cliff-hangers? Did I cram far too much in. Truth be known from time to time the thought of dismantling all three, starting from scratch and taking that approach has occured….But…Ah me, the effort, seemed too much were I say thirty years younger…..

My advice then for anyone starting out, is by all means dive in and rattle away, letting your ideas flow like rivers, and the first drafts (there are always several) be a hodge-podges of all sorts of stuff, but then maybe step back and consider whether there is more than one book there, or maybe there should be more than one book there, which in turn will lead to more books.   

Maybe it is the genre…Fantasy…. Maybe we all would like to be a Tolkien and feel we have out own private Lord of The Rings simmering away. Maybe we should not give way to that lure. I can’t comment on Martin’s Ice and Fire series, they never appealed to me, but I would guess the same sort of conclusion would apply.

Anyway, the muses are tugging, the collection of characters might well have the inclination to nag at me to get going and shove a whole lot of their own ideas onto my table. Who knows, maybe this time I will get past the 75,000 word barrier and start to really once more have fun writing, and perhaps a bit of restraint?

Who can tell what lies beyond the next paragraph? 

Firstly A Cautionary Dry Heading – ‘This Narrative Might Be Developing’. (Another Episode In The Life of a Writer of Fantasy Fiction)

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Uplifting

Forewyrd  : This is one of those posts which new writers might be able to take ‘something’ from: either take heart or ‘Gosh I must not do that‘ or something in between the two. It is also one that writers of some experience but little practical evidence of Reader Enthusiasm can ponder over and experience an  ‘Ah. Not Just Me Then’ interlude That said, there is an element of optimism,    enthusiastic 2

which is vital to an new writer or the dogged Indy adherent.

OK. Brutal Reality first. Harsh Facts. Simple report. No ‘Oh woe is me. Alas Alack’. Just events. Those of  who having following my blog for a while will know for a few years I worked on a Fantasy Trilogy.

It seemed reasonable. It was ‘Kindled’,  subjected to edits and a couple of those free promotions. Yet, as is the common danger of any indy-writer who takes the self-publishing path. Overall response. Minimal. I take responsibility for less than proper marketing and networking. A parody advertising type series of blogs was great fun, maybe too much and was a distraction. Much thanks to those who supported me.

Still. No matter how much of a realist you might be, you still kinda, sorta,….Hope.

Annnyyyyyyyyy-way!!

While waiting for some kind of indication there might be a wider interest in these works I naturally put my mind to new projects.

A lot of writers will know how it goes. No matter what, you still cannot help but give into the whisperings of whatever Muse of writing calls. Sometimes they are not gentle; whisperings as a sharp tug on the ear ‘ole and a harsh ‘Are you going to sit there just dithering about web surfing or just footling about with ‘Stuff,’ Write, write.

Those Muses would not leave me be, be they

Calliope Calliope (epic poetry fantasy)

ThaliaThalia (comedy- displaying something of the understated approach here)

Melpomene Melpomene (Tragedy – another fine example of understatement)

(Actually it can be a real nuisance with those three all elbowing their way into a narrative. Particularly with Thalia and Melpomene ganging up and insisting you must have both elements to reflect a real narrative, then arguing who gets the bigger cut. All the while Calliope being of the Epic outlook is encouraging you to not use a sentence when a paragraph looks so much better.)

And supportin the call there was my own adage ‘Never Waste a Good World-Build,’ (Professionals and successful Indy Writers don’t!- so there!). My first mistake (which was naturally repeated) was to try and carry on from my trilogy or adapt into novel form a series of comically quirky parodies of the the fairy-tale style posts back in very early 2020, which ended just before Covid hit. The reason why the first didn’t work was probably because I had crammed all my good ideas on that narrative into the trilogy, and truth be known didn’t have much else to write, not without repeating myself. Brandon Sanderson or Joe Abercrombie I an’t. The reason why the second didn’t work was because you don’t easily turn quirky posts into solid books, the narrative collapses quite early on and the characters wandering about looking for funny things to do. A lesson learned.

Another lesson learned was. ‘Don’t footle around with other genres’. I did invest some time in an SF project in which the interstellar travel problem had been solved by an quantum approach using the theoretical ten / eleven dimension approach. It didn’t take, firstly because my science wasn’t all that deep and more importantly the characters simply were not enthusiastic about the project and didn’t seem to have much idea what they wanted to do after the first couple of chapters and there was more wandering about only in this case folk talking to each other.

Going through a period of ‘Not Bothering’ was a bad move. The Muses and the Characters from my previous trilogy descended on me. They nagged, cajoled, and even threatened, the latter in an existentialist sort of way.

It was obvious there would be no peace until another epic was undertaken.

On a sober note. I had been spend a great deal of time on the political side of my writing, and essentially looking for trouble from those I wanted to offend, but since I was not diving into FaceBook that didn’t happen. Which was just as well, a swim in that pool looking for targets can leave you as polluted as them; there’s no glory there. Put the hound back in the kennel. Far better to use the time to support those on WP whose views I agree with.

Thus being directed to get moving, I sat, mused, paced, pondered, ran through several possibilities, muttered a lot and ended up back with that parodies of the the fairy-tale style posts

Aureyborealice, A Fable in Several Parts…Part I

(Actually I – XIII)

Ah well, says I, let us not waste the bits and pieces of what might be a workable plot, because everything else is going nowhere.

The approach was to take all of the characters, in roughly the same locations, and work from the general premise of arranged marriages, particular gifts or powers and plans not going according to plan. Since a World Build was not to be wasted, I used roughly the same geographical setting and environment, but set a bit in The Past, before the empire of the other books. Opportunities for origins of various agencies from said books peeked over the horizon. As this is a Fantasy, which might be set in a far future of our own world, I didn’t have to worry too much about those problems which writers of fiction in history have to deal with, ensuring the mindset and day to day items belong to the era the book is set in. I could fool around as much as I liked, particularly as the plot in true Pantser style would develop as the narrative progressed.  All this process may be dreadful heresy to some anyway, but since there is an urge to write this and since the likelihood of many folk reading it could be low, so what? Not a jot care I, just so long that at the end of the day the whole thing hangs together and I enjoy what I am doing.

(Pause for Back-Story: I originally started this post back in late October 2023; image and opening paragraph only. Then held off, lest the narrative of the project went like the others; stale and faded. It’s quite embarrassing to announce to a readership all ‘Gee-Whiz. This is Flying’  enthusiastic 3  Only to end up a month later bereft of enthusiasm and material, like this ….

Hamlet 1  with not even a decent soliloquy lamenting on the capriciousness of The Muses)

So I carried on with the narrative, visited the post with a passage here, a passage there, and having found there was the urge to rattle off 400 words in one session, something only in recent past enjoyed in Gary’s BlogBattle –  https://bbprompt.com/    thanks mate!

Finally to be cosmological in the allegory it appears, the various dust particles of themes and scenarios are beginning to coalesce. There is an idea of where this all might go, the protagonists are stepping out of the murk and best of all the characters are starting to argue with me, talk about sub-texts, and even the villains normally created simply to take a fall are making guarded suggestions on character development. At the last general meeting with the ever growing but enthusiastic cast it was by consensus admitted that none of us had a clue exactly how it was all going to end up, but we were agreed that (A) There could be another trilogy in the making (B) It was going to be a lot of fun.

Of course this is the first draft; which is going to be a mess and will need to be revised, rationalised and resolved, for all pantsers have to accept that they will encounter several, if not dozens of ‘What Was I Thinking About, If At All. When I Wrote That!’  interludes, and that as much fun as they may have sounded at the time will simply have to go.

And thus to the keyboard I return, with a vague idea of just what will arise out of the next clutch of thoughts and notions. The only certainties will be whereas the going might be tough and there might be tragedies there will be no grimdark and the the endings will be upbeat. This is why I write; there is enough misery, injustice and evil prevailing in the real world, I am not going to add any more with my fiction.

There might be up-dates on the progress, or simple commentaries and observations on The Writing Process, or maybe just some announcement at another venture in the Kindle-verse.

Anyway:

Onwards:

Sailing Ship

Motivations, Inspirations, Imaginations…And Characters. A Journey Care Less and Content

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Strolling

Foreword

You know how it goes. You have this idea for a topic, and you start off. Then some allied aspect else occurs to you, which begs to be added on, which in turn leads you off down an interesting lane and somehow the original topic is behind you, round a bend somewhere and you are there, scratching you’re head wondering ‘So?… How did I get here?’

The intention was to write about World Building and how the one which formed out of my work was a place I liked to revisit, just to be there. Then the theme became something else. Here was another writer wandering through This, That and The Other. For no other reason than ‘Just Because’….

The books which are part of the post are not mentioned because there is no intention to publicise them. You’ll find enough information in earlier posts. The subjects of this post are creativity, inspiration and motivations. Anyway back to that start…

The Beginning

Sometime ago I promised myself ‘Tone down on the politics. Concentrate on the writing. Be at one with your creativity,’………………..

The next day……

Back on the soapbox or picking fights on Facebook. Will I ever learn?

Learn what? To desensitise myself against thing which get under my skin? Remove some part of me?

Well, maybe not picking on an easy FB target and ridiculing them. Maybe ‘They had it coming. Taste of their own medicine. See how they like it,’ Are not worthy and mature reasons, perhaps those sentiments border on excuses. Weighing down someone’s ‘one liner’ with three paragraphs of International Relations Theory and History? Maybe that’s showing off a bit. Overkill much?

I tell myself my political and social comments should be addressed to Word Press where generally the standard of debate is higher.

The fact, though, the political part of me, is one reason why I write fiction as I do; the challenge being to try and tone down the preachiness. A character sounding off on some political issue in the middle of an action episode sounds ‘odd’. A lesser character taking up half a chapter on observations on an injustice just spoils the narrative and detracts from the plot.

Yet there is nothing wrong with placing your opinions or views in a narrative, the characters will let you know if they think you’ve been too wordy. Those lesser characters’ two or three lines of conversation will suit just as well.

On reflection my views were one of the driving forces and at the same time a bit of a challenge to fit in neatly. I loathe the latent misogyny trying to slither back into our cultures. Thus was more than happy with Three Strong Women characters appearing. Prejudices on the grounds of race, religion, adult consensual choices tend to be a red flag, so those who embrace any or all of these prejudices would truly hate my trilogy. Sometimes a mischievous part of me nurtured on Facebook would snigger while whispering ‘If anyone hates this part. Good…they got it coming,’.

Another motivation and this is not criticism just personal taste, I did not wish to read anymore grimdark or ‘gritty’. The real world had enough of that for me. Happy endings and good folk running rings around bad folk was my intention.

In addition is a little fantasy of the whole trilogy being on a public forum where I would wait for the inevitable feeble whinge that is it is all ‘woke’, whose users are such easy targets…. (Ah but there I go again. Looking for confrontation)

Yet as I go treading into more dangerous and delicate yet related ground; it has been an observation that there is more than one way to receive criticism or even ire for portrayals of characters outside of your own social, ethnic, political, belief system grouping. This observation, and the word is stressed comes from reading commentary from those whose group is portrayed, in a sympathetic or positive light and yet is perceived by the commentator as not being the correct portrayal. My own conclusion is in this fraught world where colonialism, in the European sense has died out and the old Cold War alignments disintegrated and social norms are altering it is for many people or peoples essential their group are portrayed accurately and in a balanced, mature context. Of course my get out clause being; ‘These books take place in a Fantasy World. Not this one,’, though human natures being what they are it is unlikely this response would be seen as satisfactory. Never mind… ‘You can’t win them all,’ . And anyway folks this is a world of my characters and they led me through allowing me to explore (or was that witness?) all manner of the possibilities.

Characters eh?

One advantage, or salutary warning is once you let your characters in on the act and they start to influence you, the pace of writing picks up until the creative or speculative processes reach a velocity which leaves all caution behind. In a very paradoxical, maybe cussed mood, the lack of sales encouraged me and them onwards. We reached the ‘What The Heck’ Stage, followed by ‘C’mon Rog’. We just have to go this way, you know parts of the back story have been building to this. Remember the sub-text kiddo,’. This of course led to other directions for taking the main narratives too.

Maybe the final result would seem to some a vainglorious mash-up of genres, sub-genres and styles. And there would be no argument from me. In my defence this is what happens when the driving forces within you set the imagination in movement and in turn you feel confident enough to let the narrative take control.

Should the whole work come to public attention and there is consequential criticism of the plot line, characters and result, let it be so.

For I had far too much fun putting the whole together to regret. (apart from those stupid persistent typos and a few instances of getting the names wrong- sometimes you can be too indie).

And now I am learning restraint and economy on a monthly Blog Battle*, which is as much fun being very instructive, while keeping my interaction of Face Book to a minimum.

*

BlogBattle

Read. Inspire. #BlogBattle

Musings on an Aftermath of Writing.

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Reflective(Allegorical image by the way)

Some of you will be familiar with the opening of this tale.

Commenced I suppose from 2015, maybe, (although there were myriad false starts) and completed end of 2021. A fantasy trilogy written without much respect for the apparent ‘Rules of Writing’. And that was that. Completed.  Like any writer there were all sorts of ideas, whispers of ideas and the like swirling about. The same characters a few years down the line? Maybe the next generation, their children? A few experimental paragraphs suggested; it wasn’t going to work, not now anyhow. The scene was as if I had spent some time with this varied group, recorded these parts of their individual and joint narratives and now a parting of the ways was taking place, all by mutual consent. There was this singular notion any further novels would be intrusive into their lives. The conclusion was almost as if I had indeed strayed upon another fragment of Creation and had been a mere observer. Time for us all to move on.

The obsession to craft three volumes had been, of course unobtrusive. At the time, simply three basic ideas with plots and sub-plots spinning out all weaving into a pattern of cause and effect. The warning how obsessive I had become was the evening I flew into a rage because Kindle would not accept the download of the final cover, normally the solution would have been quite simple, but when Obsession takes hold anything that gets in the way in a foe…right?….Well no, wrong. Toxic.

Anyway, with the whole project completed and ‘Out There’, a calm settled. The urge to read books rather than listen to audio versions returned. An experiment to paint emerged; by numbers I add, because my perception of colours is rather variable; seriously an adult paint-by-numbers is a challenge, with tiny, tiny patches and titchy, titchy numbers therein; fun though and to be worked on at a leisurely pace. Finally there was the focus to stop trying to take up Quantum Mechanics as a serious interest, the maths and the terminology are beyond my capabilities. Back to History reading and in consequence looking into International Relations and the attendant theories. (Yes there are graphs and data but only for those who have made it their Life’s Work or intending to do so, a working knowledge of what is what is sufficient).

Does that mean you have quit writing? Some may ask. No, comes the simple answer. The Muses still flutter around me (or poke me in the back, if thus inclined). The frenetic side has evaporated. There is an idea to work a series of posts from way-back into a neater format and set in the same realms of the trilogy
Aureyborealice, A Fable in Several Parts…Part I

And there is  https://bbprompt.com/

Which supplies a monthly prompt for short stories and is quite a buzz to join as well as read.

There is a weight lifted though, the notion it was all for fun and relaxation was a flaw in perception, I was in deep. Of course being in deep is something a serious writer should be to embrace, but when you start to live with the characters, muttering phrases of possible conversations to yourself, going over and over in your mind situations, not being able to truly focus on anything else other than the day-to-day living and ‘Your Book’. No, maybe not. It maybe necessary for the true professionals with a contract but for the rest of us; the rest of the world needs to come in.

Maybe therein is the true reason why I’ll not be going back there. Even though it was fun at the time.

Writing eh? You love it. You can’t leave it alone. But it is as well to have boundaries.

For those New Around Here or Simply Passing Through. Something about The ‘Precipice Dominions Trilogy’

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Whereas I had tremendous fun with Marketing earlier on this year, it seemed more appropriate to be serious now that the full trilogy will be up and running in the next few days. Apologies to those who have read previous posts on the subject, this is for visitors and potential readers

The Precipice Dominions Currently available on Kindle. Free from 27th October to 31st October

The Gilrs in Yermetz in Finality Will be on Kindle in the coming week. (No thanks to Amazon’s unhelpful ‘error’ message on cover…sorted by human effort)…Free from 27th October to 31st October.

Overview

Fantasy. Not in the style of George R R Martin or Joe Abercrombie. By Fantasy standards- overall theme ‘Lite’ . Complex interplays, adventure, battles, some graphic violence, snatches of satire, some comic interludes, romance ( with adult themes). Warning for those who read Fantasy: overall up-beat theme throughout, to repeat you’ve been warned; don’t moan to me if you read them and don’t find them ‘gritty’ enough.

Introductions 

The trilogy charts the progress of three women caught up in a series of events which are part of the long history of The Oakhostian Empire; this has lasted not because of the iron grip of one family, or a dreaded back ground administration, but for the simple reason no one has come up with a workable alternative. There are agencies which keep the whole thing running with the usual smatterings of rivalries aided or sometimes encumbered by the composite of princedoms and city states. There is religion which at this stage is usually nodded to but generally not very influential in the ruling process.

What everyone does pay attention to is The Stommigheid or Ethereal or Astatheia, depending which agency or preference you work for. This is an elemental which manifests itself in various ways, physical, mental or spiritual by a combination of these it has given rise to Realms which are linked to The World Physical and thus can be utilised as a means of travel. Those who have managed to gain some deeper knowledge of this enigmatic manifestation appreciate no one has control over its potentials at best only having an accommodation; there is dispute over whether it influences people or the other way around. How or when this arrived upon The World no one is wholly sure of, there are records of great disruptions and the appearance of the demonic apparitions The Lords of The Land and the Lords of The Deeper; later The Lords of The Air, collectively called The Zerstorung.

Against this backdrop the three major characters move:

Trelli (later known as Trelyvana Waywanderer). Once satisfied to be a dutiful and responsible housemaid with an eye on becoming a Housekeeper to a general respectable merchant family. However thanks to the meddling in the The Stommigheid by the younger son Wigran, she has been inadvertently suffused with some of its abilities; the process and manifestation making her a source of interest amongst various folk. She has to struggle with keeping a perspective and responsibility with this ‘new gift’

Arketre Beritt  Initially a medician (medic) in the military  LifeGuard. A state within a state in The Oakhostian, charged with security and specific military actions. Beritt is chosen as part of a file (unit) charged with seeking out Trelli. Seemingly easy going, friendly and skilled at her task, Beritt has a mixed at times roguish past, while can be chillingly brutal against foes, either physically or mentally.

Karlyn Nahtinee Seeming to have originated from Elinid a city of dubious reputation and possessed of a peripatetic mind. Karlyn discourses with animals and plants, has a singular sense of smell and direction which includes the Stommigheid, a talent for arson and an acrobatic prowess. Despite all evidence to the contrary she is initially recruited by a Custodian (think Inquisitor) to seek out Trelli. At the onset her true background is a mystery, even to her.    

Volume One: Of Patchwork Warriors (As spoiler free as possible)

This introduces the three major characters and something of the world(s) they inhabit. Karlyn and Arketre as part of separate missions to find out ‘what is going’ in a port town (The ‘what’ being Trelli). The ‘what’ has attracted others. In the confusion it is Karlyn and Arketre who find themselves responsible for Trelli. They start to bond, Arketre begins to have doubts over handing Trelli over to her LifeGuard commanders. Karlyn, literally sniffs out other issues and leads the party off track on what she sees as more important a cause. In another realm they have their first conflict with The Zerstorung and an inefficient group known as The Obsidian Council.  It is here the three start to demonstrate their differing potentials . This volume also brings in other characters and groupings relevant to the whole narrative and sets the backdrop for complexities in the following volumes.

Volume Two: Our Skirmishers of Lace, Steel and Fire

In this volume more is written of Elinid and its crime family The Silcs, The LifeGuard, The Devoteds, the once legendary and assumed powerful race of The Shadow Lords and the Oakhostian. Karlyn learns more of her previous life, Arketre faces the conflicted demands of her medician training and her instinct to take on the harder role and demands of battle, Trelli’s relationship and skill with The Ethereal grows as she begins to appreciate the full and possibly dangerous potential.     

Following on from the events in ‘Of Patchwork Warriors’. Karlyn and Arketre are in the North East of the Oakhostian in the Princedom of Terasonia, content with being snatched there and have an opportunity to explore their love. However they are despatched by the LifeGuard to investigate a rebellion by the local Grand Dukes against their prince. Trelli is in the South under the care of  The Devoteds, an ambitious member Coltello  wishes to utilise Trelli’s abilities to ‘harvest’ a source of Ethereal in a nearby land. Through the bond the three had forged in the previous volume, their paths cross. Karlyn assisting Trelli, leaving Arketre to be the Officer on the Ground trying to broker between Prince and Grand Dukes. The situation is complicated by an incursion from the domain of a Shadow Lords Prince with ideas of starting his own empire. The theme of conflict is based on the history of many a seemingly superior force being bested by a local opposition familiar with the terrain, particularly when the sophisticated weaponry of the former is found wanting. Again there is the presence of the Zerstorung in manifold forms.

Volume Three: Daughters of Circumstances. Arbiters of Consequences.

This is the volume where the full potentials of the three women are realised in various and some unexpected ways. And here is the book blurb:

Nothing is simple in the aftermath of Our Skirmishers of Lace, Steel and Fire. Wars, conflicting agendas, calls to fealties. All these range across The Oakhostian empire and the Realms beyond the World Physical. Ever present the enigma known as The Ethereal, Stommigheid,  or Astatheia  is no one’s to control, though maybe the opposite is so.  As Officer of one small LifeGuard outpost Arketre Beritt’s initial attention is on the invasion of her jurisdiction, Valeneg, by neighbouring Krenderenberg’s opportunistic prince. Trelli, is drawn to investigating the  possibility of dangerous and nefarious activities by the Silc Clan in their home city of Elinid. Both women however are swept up by concerns of Karlyn Nahintee, spouse of the former, best friend of the latter and assumed to be of Custodian rank by most, she believes all troubles can be laid at the feet of one of the Zerstorung demonics The Lords of The Air. A surprise request to aid in a rescue of a previous opponent enthuses her belief  to the point of dragging (in Arketre’s case, literally) the other two off to confront these Lords. This pitches the trio into or back again across the complex relationships between groups within the Oakhostian empire and those dwelling beyond the World Physical. The three women must face, individually, in pairs or together conflicts, avoiding conflicts and demands of duty while struggling to hold fast to their own personal ties. Seemingly ever fated never to start anything but constantly to be drawn in; their skills, judgements and courage are constantly tested at a juncture which threatens to tear beyond one empire into other entireties, as some dare to believe they can control not only events but the evasive elements of The Ethereal. Conceits which neither Arketre, Karlyn or Trelli subscribe to, nor intend to leave flourish.

(Not blurb just additional information: The Battle for Yermetz takes some of its influences from German/Italian/Romanian/Hungarian conflict with the USSR at The Battle of Stalingrad in 1942/43)

That’s it folks

With this trio around in your town, admit. Feeling Safer Already?

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The Girls in Yermetz

Matt keeps on adding more depth. This is image of Karlyn, Trelli and Arketre represents them walking through the town of Yermetz, the scene of a battle (based on the events at Stalingrad in 1942).
The little bird was something Matt just felt was significant of part of Karlyn’s affinity with Nature, and is certainly worth a couple of extra sentences    

Getting to know Characters- Trelli (& Trelli with Arketre ‘walking shotgun’)

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Matt continues to let his imagination and artistry work wonders with the characters out of my work.

Here is Trelli, moving up in a modest way leaving behind her housemaid’s drabs and travel robes. Now wearing sedate clothing when assisting others with diplomatic ventures.

Trelli by volume III in Colour Matt 

Of course separation from her friends does not last long and here she is striding out with Arketre, about to get her hands, boots, blouse and skirt dirty.

Trelli with Arketre

Getting to know Characters- Arketre

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As Daughters of Circumstances. Arbiters of Consequences,  Volume III of my trilogy The Precipice Dominions draws closer to its final edit Matt, the artist who carried out the evocative cover of Volume II Our Skirmishers of Lace, Steel and Fire has started work on the latest volume for me. Here is Arketre, even with just a few simple lines of a sketch he has brought her character.

Arketre by Matt Continue reading →

You, The Writer. They, The Characters. And The Blurring Lines

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Blog posts, articles and entire books have been written about how a writer should approach the creation and maintenance of characters. Then there is the other industry where folk examine famous works of literature and the characters therein from all sorts of angles; along with the motivation(s) of the author.

So then.

When you have passed the toe-twiddling stage at the water’s edge of the sea that is your project and are now wading out, determined to swim to the other side…

Opinions please:

At some stage is there part of you in one or maybe a few of the characters, reflecting various personal moods, views and the rest of the complexity of the average person?

Or.

Is there a little secret part in which you indulge in living through the character’s life. A place you can go to to shake off the usual frustrations of the daily life? Be someone else

Or.

Are you The Supreme Being of the world, moving everyone around as you see fit on a Four-Dimensional chessboard?

Or.

Having introduced these folk  to a narration are you now running after them waving a document and crying after them ‘Plot! Don’t forget my plot!!’, only to have at least one of them turn around and smiling benignly say ‘But dear writer. Have you not read the sub-text? Do keep up,’  

Or.

Is it a case of a combination of all or some of the above?