Money...Money...Money

Prior to modern states and the development of industry on a mass scale, as we experience today, most activities were artisanal, local and non-standardised. This applies to the minting of money. Standardised money (including, interestingly enough, paper money) only came with empires, such as was and is China.

What this means is that local kings and nobles would create their own currencies for use in their territories. The result is that if you went from one place to the next the money from where you came from would be viewed with suspicion if not downright hostility. The problem wouldn’t be acute between places that traded with each other since a degree of mutual acceptance was inevitable. There would be an exchange rate between the two. Two gloches for a minet, or whatever the local spcie was called.

A key function of authority, and we see this in the first states that evolved, was to try and standardise the currency in so far as possible to ease trade frictions and overcome the rejection issue of foreign pieces.

Another way, was to use a common unit of value. This would be precious metals. The usual way to do this was to divide the types of coin by value. Value here being dictated by whether they were base or precious metal. The key ingredient here was the weight of precious metal per coin. Hence, the exchange rate was based on the amount of gold in the respective coins. Equally, since the coins were made of gold, they could be accepted as equivalent to specie. It mean assaying the coins and wasn’t above fraudulent practice. Hence, any adventurer who wished to use their foreign coin might be subject to all sorts of issues and complications.

The above provides a possible plot point and even some opportunity for some humour and so on.

A final thought is that the need for standardisation meant that reputable kings and their mints would be readily accepted, whereas the ‘unknown’ coins would be shunned.

I think in fantasy stories, issues with money (having/not having and so on) are not really given much atterntion. Perhaps it is time to change that.

FOREVER WAR by Joe Haldeman

I read this book years ago shortly after it came out. It stunned me then and left an lasting impression. Recently, I came across a graphic novel version and me being me, re-read it. Again, the invention blew me away.

So, what’s great about this canon of the SciFi genre?

At the forefront are the themes. There are several interwoven ideas here that make up the unique nature of this novel. An initial impression will tell you this is a story about space travel and the relativity effect. This means that for the ship’s occupants and the novel’s protagonist, time passed on a mission is far less than time back on earth. This leads to so many great ideas. First is the fact that encounters are gambles since the enemy may have progressed beyond the technology of earth; or vice versa.

Another outcome of this relativity effect is that society back on earth changes whilst the attitude/behaviour of those on missions hasn’t. This leads to cultural disjuncture between those involved in the military and society back home. In fact, this becomes an important plot point of the novel and, as such, is woven seamlessly into the overall story.

A third dimension is the war itself, both the horrors and the effect on the combattants. This is the inner journey for the MC but also the change in culture from being in the military.

A key question is whether Haldeman aimed to make this story a parable of the effect of combat on members of the armed services. How the experience alienated (get that!) those involved from the civilian culture from which they come.

Regardless of all the details, IMHO, Forever War is a story telling tour de force where all the different elements are interwoven such that you couldn’t take anything out without damaging the whole. It comes as no surprise it won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1975, the year after its publication.

Quite some achievement.

P.S. It is said that the book reflects Joe’s experience in Vietnam. Is this a case of ‘writing what you know’, then?

THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA IN THEORY (but not in practice)

So, why isn’t the book finished?

Simple.

The idea of a magic heavy book, while a good one, still needs a decent plot and character evolution. On the plot front, the actual story—lifted it must be clear from Sleeping Beauty—failed to have all the necessary ingredients. Basically, the problem came from trying to adhere too closely to the basic fairy tale rather than simply using the idea as a point of departure. Consequently, it suffers from too many stale tropes. The stepmother, for instance, is a staple of fairy tales but is so worn out in fantasy that I should have known it would bomb. But how else was I going to shift the Aurora’s curse from one of the “witches” (well, I reamde them into magicians, but it didn’t change the premise too much) to another person who had a motive to want to harm the princess.

Enter the wicked stepmother. You can see how cringeworthy this all became as the writing progressed.

As if that was the only problem, I also came to realise that the characters mostly were cardboard cutouts and lacked proper motivation for what they did. Not all, but enough to make me look sceptically at my cast. Why wouldn’t Marlein confront the source of Aurora’s curse with the king rather than sneak around the castle doing what, exactly?

There are other problems here, too. But I won’t elucidate these.

Now, it’s not all bad. I think the opening isn’t bad and it works fine (pace the above) until we get past the first plot point. But after that?

I put in a few too many poorly constructed and thought out plot points and characters. It would have been throwing good effort after bad if I’d actually finished it. But I did write quite a bit before I came to my senses and that is perhaps why I stopped and took a look around and the book stopped. Dead.

There is a positive lesson here. I know many others have written about failed projects. They end up in the writer’s bottom drawer, so to speak. They are part of the learning process and the honing necessary to produce a decent story with interesting characters that isn’t simply a tired rehash of old cliches from other books.

In my defence, I think all authors have to fail a bit; perhaps most of the time even. Why? You have to try things to see if they work. To paraphrase Edison: “I have not failed, I have found ten thousand ways in which it won’t work.”

THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA (in theory)

The plan was (and perhaps I might revive it, as if!) to write a magic heavy story. So, I came up with the following outline idea based a little bit around sleeping beauty and the witches who bless or curse her. So, the story loosely borrows from the original but has its own take. But the key idea was to have magic being an integral part of the plot.

Story/Plot

Pressures:           TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR AURORA

Antagonistic forces:        hunters after Derexam and anyone connected with him (Marlein or others?)

Complications:  Injuries / getting about / Derexam losing his magic ability and needing to rely on Alboni and Mel

 1

Aurora about 1 month from 16th birthday—realisation of curse (wards have been set up to prevent the curse) [Assumption, given what Marlein said on her kinder day is that he set the deadly curse as he was seen uttering a spell over her on the day. Challenged, he escaped after a fight involving magic.]

Derexam summoned to meet with king and is commissioned to go find and kill Marlein after spending many years failing to undo the curse set upon Aurora [This was desperation as her birthday and the curse became effective as Karlos, the king, had been reluctant to let Derexam leave the castle in case the curse manifested itself or Marlein appeared—but with time now short before Aurora’s 16th birthday, Karlos feels he has to act]; we are introduced to Alboni

Derexam meets with Ebener and Faraham

Says farewell to Aurelia

Attacked by assassins who have broken into his rooms in castle / survives with Alboni’s aid

 2

Leaves castle on quest with Alboni and flitters, Kaia and Jareth (these small sentient flyers keep themselves hidden)

Spends night in inn – attacked by magic users and assassins

Escapes into woods with Alboni

Travels woods to river – spends 2nd night in wood – sets alarms and traps an intruder, Mel, who is magically contained and linked to Derexam. She is angry at her treatment as a slave having escaped such a fate that befell her mother and sisters.

Morning build raft—but attacked by mounted soldiers with tracker dogs searching for them – Derexam seriously wounded by arrow after running out of magic

Alboni & Mel (?) raft to nearby town outside of territory with injured Derexam

 3

Derexam saved by healer but is still being pursued; Alboni & Mel take the wounded Derexam in a cart towards their destination – but are pursued

The hunters set of a magic bomb that releases a demon (name?). Derexam et al have no defence against this creature; it is the end

Kaia and Jareth try to fight it off but are sent sprawling by the beast.

Marlein appears within a farseeing orb and defeats the demon through magic.

They go to Derexam’s [and by later implication, Marlein’s] home

Alboni is sent on a mission to nearest town to find out what is happening about his pursuit and to get information on Marlein. He is captured by Ebener and imprisoned. He reveals where Derexam is hiding.

 4

Break – scene re-opens in a country house [Derexam grew up in]

Derexam starts to teach Mel (very capable at magic) some spells when they are attacked by Troogs (trolls) and their pursuers

Kaia and Jareth?

Using an old invisibility cloak that he knows is there from his childhood [there is only one] Derexam escapes with Mel. Initially pursued by a troog, Mel is attacked by a soldier intent on raping her. Derexam stabs and kills the soldier. They escape into the woods using a magical pendant taken from the soldier that shields the wearer from sight to hide from their pursuers.

Realising that Alboni has been captured, Derexam decides to go to save him. Mel (still his captive) reluctantly goes along to help him.

Taught by Derexam, Mel magically douses for Alboni’s whereabouts. It takes them to the nearby town. They discover Alboni’s location; there and plan to rescue him that night.

The rescue is more complicated than expected and Derexam is confronted by Ebener and is nearly killed. Mel uses her magical ability to hold off Ebener.

After their escape Derexam’s whereabouts nearly revealed by a seeker spell by Ebener that starts to operate the moment he falls asleep.

They just make it back to the house.

 5

They return to the now destroyed country house. Derexam doesn’t have any ideas as to how he’ll complete his mission when he and the others are taken prisoner by Audrey. She plans to lead them to Marlein.

They are attacked on the road by their pursuers – Audrey has vanished. Alboni and Derexam manage to fight them off.

They flee.

 They come to a sheep pen & spend the night there.

Derexam observes Audrey talking to a magical viewer in the night.

Ebener turns up.

Derexam still hasn’t any magic. It looks grim for him. Nevertheless, Derexam decides to fight him—somehow. Uses the pendant that neutralises Ebener’s magic.

After being brutally attacked and almost killed, Audrey and Derexam set up an ambush so as to kill the mage. It involves Derexam deliberately exposing himself to Ebener’s magic. It works and Ebener is killed.

6

TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR AURORA!

Next morning, Olaf’s band surprises the party. Audrey escapes.

There is a fight.

Derexam, Alboni and Mel and the shepherds who have given them hospitality are taken captive.

Olaf decides to rape Mel but is interrupted by Audrey’s attack. He is killed in the melee.

Audrey comes to the rescue

Some of the gang escape – Audrey purses them.

Mel has been injured in the (2nd) rape attempt. Alboni and shepherds tend her.

Then Alboni collapses – as he’s been badly injured in the fight. He is dying. Derexam has to teach Mel a restauration spell against time as Alboni visibly worsens.

All is lost when Marlein appears.

Derexam can only sit and watch his nemesis approach.

Far from wanting Derexam’s death, Marlein greets Derexam as a long lost younger brother he is. [REVEAL]

The nature of Marlein’s spell on Aurora is revealed: it is to protecther from her stepmother, Hilde’s, killer magic. Time is running out to save her as the protection spell must expire as she turns 16.

They plan as a group to rescue Aurora.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT—THEY DON’T HAVE AS MUCH TIME AS THEY THOUGHT

Marlein is confident he can get them into the castle.

They make use of Marlein’s secret entrance into the castle that he has used over the years to gain access so as to watch over Aurora.

Once inside, they are attacked by magically animated windmills that have been turned into huge wooden giants by one of Hilde’s spells. Fareham is involved in the fray.

With surprise lost, Marlein suggests the group splits up – Audrey and Alboni will work with him to confront Hilde (and her dark magic) whilst Derexam and Mel go to rescue Aurora.

Things don’t go to plan.

They are attacked by the ensorcelled windmills that have turned these into wooden giants.

Audrey leads Alboni off leaving Marlein to deal with the animated windmills that are being (seemingly) controlled by Faraham.

Not understanding what is happening, Karlos sides with Hilde and is (ultimately) killed by her when Audrey reveals herself as a double agent helping Hilde by attacking Alboni. [Hilde will inherit the kingdom and Terre Morte will triumph over Arandiad, which has been winning and taking territory from Terre Morte] [REVEAL/TWIST]

There is a magical confrontation between Hilde (in tower) and Marlein (wounded earlier by Karlos)

Having hidden Aurelia in the throne room (magically protected) due to the danger of trying to leave the castle in middle of magical fight, Mel and Derexam try to sneak up on Hilde in her tower, only for Mel to be struck down. Derexam just manages to escape and thinks Mel dead.

Derexam finds Marlein dying. Alboni is by his side. Marleinwhispers something (helps restore Derexam’s magic?)

Final confrontation in the throne room. Derexam faces off with Hilde. But not before seeing the dead Aurelia laid out on a platform at the foot of the throne.

There is a magical fight between the two as Alboni and Mel help.

“She is so beautiful.” Alboni kisses her. She wakes up.

END

Clothes

As I work through my latest book (THE KING’S SWORDS) set in 17th Century France (and a bit in England too, for good measure), I have been researching the issue of how to describe my characters’ clothes. Now, I don’t want to have a long paragraph of the kind that goes into exaustive details as to what he or she wore. My approach is more light touch, hinting at what the outfit is.

To be honest, I’m not sure which is better. Is, he wore a wide-brimbed hat on his head and was dressed in doublet, ruffled shirt, breeches and knee high boots sufficient?

Or do we need?

“His wide brimed black hat with a white feather tucked into the red band was of the latest fashion. That he was a noble, there was no doubt given the thick ruff around his collar and wrists, and the strings of pearls embroided on his ebony doublet. To complement the outfit of a perfect cavalier, his matching breeches and dark leather boots made him stand out. Any doubt he was of noble heritage was displaced by the long sword that hung from his belt.”

I’m not keen on long descriptions of the second kind. For starters, they slow up the action of the story. Second, do we need to know all this detail? Can’t the reader imagine the outfit given the sparse details of my first description given they have a pretty good idea of when the story is set?

Is there a middle road?

Perhaps. But for now, given the book is already full length, I’m sticking with the shorter, more abstract description as it fits in the story’s (fast) pacing.

But we shall see.

Injuries

I recently underwent a major operation. I wasn’t wounded and it was all planned. Still, it is over a month ago as of this post and I’m still not 100%. What it is telling me is that when a character suffers a serious if not life threatening injury, even if younger and fitter than I am, they’re not likely to be “up and running” anytime soon thereafter. This is particularly true of a major combat injury. My surgery was carefully planned to be minimally invasive. Although it was major and a long operation and, hence, being like being hit by a large bus, as a clinician said. Consider what a stab or slash wound would be like? They’re not careful surgery, quite the opposite. The amount of damage and the multiple areas it might have affected are potentially far worse than those I suffered.

A bit of a long premable, but the key to this is in the realism of a character’s abilities after suffering a major trauma. Not the Holywood overnight rest and the, bandage across the chest, as good as new and once more unto the fray. The harsh reality is that a major injury is going to leave the character disabled for quite some time. This then becomes a key plot and story point.

I have a discarded novel where my major character is shot with an arrow. This proves a real nightmare for those with him. He’s so severely injured that, without the attentions of a healer, he’ll die. It drives their actions from that point onward until they can get him seen to. And even after treatment, afterwards he’s weak and feeble and hence has to be cared for. He can barely walk, so they need a cart, which is fine but if pursued by riders will be quickly overtaken. So much that follows the MC’s wounding affects how the story develops.

Is what I wrote realistic? I like to think some is. Certainly the likelihood of death if not properly treated is realistic. That he can/has to travel afterwards? Perhaps or probably less so since the timeline between injury, treatment and being able to travel is severely truncated. But having the MC idle for a month didn’t really suit the plot I had in mind. Hence, compromises were needed.

Others have written good stuff on injuries to characters and their implications. We should forget the idea that our characters are super solid and can shrug off severe injuries and seek more realistic—and more problematic in terms of plot—consequences from these. But as always, we will need to make compromises if we want our story to have the right pace.

I have another character, Thagar, a Norseman, who also gets shot at the end of the first part of the story. He survives but, again, is weakened until he can recover. It’s a good way to complicate the plot.

Go with it!

Netflix's Lost in Space

I have been watching the initial episodes of Netflix’s Lost in Space series and am impressed with the way the scriptwriters have both started the series and developed it. First to say, the initial episode (as is the initial chapter) of a series is difficult. Whilst the writers don’t get everything right so much goes well. As with any endeavour, they have to deal with limits. Each episode has to ahve two elements in it. One is to have a complete story within the episode and the second is to (in episode one to set up) develop the longer story line. They do a good job in both.

First a slight warning: Spoilers ahead.

The story is based on the 1960s TV series with the same title. In many ways the set up is similar. Both are about a family (and this makes for great interactions) and share the concept of being lost in space. At this point, the similarities diverse. The interesting element here is that the rather straightforward—some might say, domestic—drama of the original with a few add-ons involving ScFi ideas interwoven is now much more sophisticated and, judging from the early episodes, the story arc is much more carefully considered with initial issues followed by surprise developments.

The first episode starts in media res and then has flashbacks to explain how the main characters arrived where they were. This works to build suspense. Whether that would work in a written work is less clear, but it’s a neat idea.

A really, really nice element of interpersonal conflict is introduced within the family. Far from being the wholesome 1960s family, the family here is disfuncational to a high degree. This equally contrasts with the movie version of Lost in Space where, although there are some frictions within the family, this works generally as a unit albeit with the individuals within it having different goals.

There are key issues between John and Maureen. She’d planed the space emigration leaving him behind because of their estrangement prior to the expedition! A clear arc for these two is how they learn to rediscover why they loved each other in the first place. The trials and tribulations of their new (hostile) environment and circumstances is likely to act both as catalyst and impediment. Great stuff for developing a good story here.

Equally, there is strong tensions between the two daughters, Penny and Judy. They are very different characters and clearly do not get along as a result. These tensions flow over to parents as well. There is so much potential here and I look forward to seeing how the scriptwriters develop these in future episodes.

The last character is the outsider , Will. There is some rapport between John as dad and Will but equally some disagreements between mum, Maureen, and son. One gets hints that she doesn’t accept he is, while still young, quite grown up. He is certainly different and is, perhaps, meant to be slightly Asperger’s. It is hinted at that he sees the world differently (and this is, of course, one of his strengths).

The series setting and basis (lost in space) is a good one and I like the fact the writers have avoided going for the cliche alien settings. There are many challenges presented early on, any one of which would be an insurmountable problem on its own, but when combined and interracting make the future prospects for the survival of the family highly doubtful. Hence, plenty of suspense.

Obviously one difference to a novel (in some senses a series such as this is more akin to a linked series of short stories sharing setting and characters, much like the first Witcher book, for instance, is the need to close off the episode story arc. It does force closure when a better plot would leave these open. An example of this is episode two where everyone is reunited, albeit with new threats/issues, whereas a longer piece might have seen this deferred (or might never happen—wow!).

Do I commend this series? Well, if like me, you like such dramas and the science fiction setting (I really warmed to Disney+’s Foundation series for many of the same reasons as I have to Lost in Space) then it is worth a look.

Enjoy!

Telling

“Show, don’t tell.” is the mantra for writing and one I adhere to. Still all writers do tell otherwise it would make for gigantuan books with a lot of boring stuff. But generally, writers do prioritise the experience over the account.

Recently, I bought a science fiction book on Amazon which was one sale. Not a classic. It is recently written. Imagine my surprise that it starts with a whole lot of exposition. Perhaps I should have been more careful in my purchase, you say. But no. Many a SciFi book starts this way. It has a lot, I think to do with the genre. You have to do a lot of scene setting and this explains the phenomena. But it still surprised me in a recently published book.

I read many years ago, Arthur C. Clarke’s “Rendezvous with Rama” and remembered it as an action story. Well, I decided to re-read it and, wow! It started with just piles and piles of background exposition that ran and ran. I just hadn’t remembered it.

Note that Clarke is a major writer. We’re not talking about an unknown and the book is probably one of if not the most iconic of his many stories.

So let’s look a bit at the story by Clarke. If written in the modern show-don’t-tell approach, how would it work today?

First and foremost, the whole initial exposition would be out. Not out, in the sense of not being needed—it is. But it would be weaved into the story and given in thin slices. It might like go like this. The key initiator of the actual story is Rama, an extraterrestial spaceship which speeds through the Solar System. A spaceship is sent to meet it to explore this alien artifact. A first encounter, if you prefer. Given the probe’s central role in the story, this might start with its discovery by some astronomer tasked with checking on comets and the like that potentially threaten Earth. This is, after all, the justification in the book—via the exposition at the start—that allows Rama to be spotted early enough for the mission to explore it to be launched. Thus some of the backstory could be introduced at this point with a fair bit of drama (“It’s not natural!”. Perhaps some would need to be via exposition but most would be through dialogue, etc. (We’re seeking to show here, of course.)

The next element would be the mission itself. It would be seen through the eyes of one or more key characters where they share their feelings at the momentous moment they were living through and participating in. (“I can’t believe I’m commanding this, Jane. It’s insane. Two days ago, I was thinking of retiring and now this…)

And so it goes on… The story isn’t really different, it’s just that it is presented differently and making much more use of the show side of story writing.

Another issue that modern readers would wish for is more character development. Not much seems to happen to the characters throughout the story. Most of their emotions and so on are described. But character development is minimal and very much tick the box stuff and they don’t seem particularly alive and rounded. Again, this reflects a move away from how we want our stories to work for us. Engagement with the characters is much more important than it used to be. For this to have happened, something has changed in readers’ attitude to characters in stories. Maybe it reflects changes in how society is or that very good character-led stories have made readers aware of how much a deeper involvement this creates in a story. But I don’t know.

All-in-all, the lesson is there. You gotta show it!

Work in Progress

He set forth not checking whether Alboni was with him or not. He had only taken on his apprentice a few months ago after the unexpected demise of his predecessor. He was just getting used to working with his new trainee. As far as he was concerned, the youth would just have to learn how to cope. Like keeping up with him. He strode across the quadrangle.

“Master, will you be needing me more tonight?” It came from just behind him.

Derexam briefly considered the lad’s question. “You may turn in. Be up early as we’ll be making a journey.”

“A journey, master?”

“Are you a complete imbecile? You surely have been places. A trip, we’ve got to go on a trip.”

“Oh.”

Derexam could hear Alboni’s mind at work. Everyone knew that he never went anywhere. And now he’d informed the lad he was embarking on a journey. He let the youth out of his misery.

“The king’s given me permission to leave the castle.”

“And you want me to come with you.”

“Are you not my apprentice?”

“Yes, master.”

“Then where the master goes, so does his student.”

They had arrived at the entrance to his quarters.

“I’ll bid you goodnight, master.”

“Sleep well. Come early. We’ve a lot to do before we can be off.”

The lad disappeared into the darkness.

Derexam stepped towards the door and then stopped. Something was not right. He couldn’t put his finger on it. He concentrated and sensed his wards. These seemed fine. But he still felt something was not as it should.

He gestured a complex pattern with his right hand. In front of him a circle materialised in the air before him. It blazed a bright ultramarine. Several lines radiated from its centre and between these were shapes and arcane writing. Derexam studied the sorcerous image seeking the source of his discontent. Everything the spell showed was as it should be.

He was about to dismiss it when he spotted something. Two of the words were misspelled. No not wrong, just not written the way he wrote those words. Immediately on his guard, he dismissed the image.

He tried to remember the last time he’d changed his wards. He’d seen no need to as he was well protected within the castle. Searching his memory, he realised it was several years since he’d reworked the spell. The fact didn’t help him much in identifying the possible tamper.

That someone had infiltrated his ward and modified it was deeply troubling. It required great magical skill of the order that only a first-rate wizard could apply. The deception had nearly worked. Which worried him even more. He’d been about to go into his quarters with he didn’t know what awaiting him.

Derexam realised he was sweating. Taking a deep breath, he considered what to do. Blundering in was not a good option, even if he sent someone else. Where were Kaia and Jareth when he needed them? He had to know what he faced before he entered.

He drew in the air with his finger while at the same time chanting under his breath. A black orb about a hand’s width in size and darker than the night, materialised in front of him. With a gesture, he sent it flying at the door. It passed through and disappeared.

After about two minutes the orb reappeared. It came to a stop hovering in front of him. Derexam tapped it with his finger. Images of his rooms flickered across its surface.

He gazed attentively at the pictures. All was as it should be. Perhaps he’d been mistaken. Then he spotted something. Quickly, his fingers tapped at the sphere. The images stopped moving. He caressed the orb gently, the image moved back. He peered intently at what he saw. His eyes hadn’t been mistaken. Hidden in a corner of the room was a man. The lurker blended in so well that, had he not been paying close attention, he might have missed him.

He resumed scanning the images. These eventually showed there were three men waiting for him in his rooms. That there was more than just the one indicated they planned something unpleasant. Of that, he had no illusions. He’d commissioned enough similar undertakings to understand what they wanted of him. Rather, that they were there to kill him. There was no middle ground with a magician.

Given how they had substituted his ward, he figured at least one of them was a magic maker. But they’d not reckoned on him discovering their trap. Raising his voice somewhat, he intoned a complex spell. Satisfied with the result, he opened the door and went in.

A Little Hurt

Our characters are put through hell, sometimes literally. They get wounded or bashed about in pursuit of their goals. We do this to create tension and obstacles to their goal. Generally speaking, fantasy writers are, in effect, a somewhat sadistic bunch based on what they make their characters endure. But, of course, it’s for a good cause, isn’t it.

Well, just over a week ago, I had an accident. Nothing broken, thnakfully. But I did fall on some hard surfaces. The plural is that I was standing on a piano stool. The leg gave way and I tumbled onto a low wooden table in front of me and the wooden floor. Not exactly forgiving, really. I was dazed and hurt a lot. After resting a bit, I recovered and spent the rest of the day doing things around the house, not thinking too much of the injuries I’d suffered, though they were present in the background as a dull pain.

It wasn’t the same in the morning. My hurts had seized up. I had major bruses on my legs and left arm. They’d all festered overnight and boy were they painful. I’m still sore and fragile, especially my left arm which still hurts a lot when it is at rest. It stiffens up in a painful way and it’s painful to use it until it gets back into some sort of shape. I can feel it twinge as I type these words.

Now, it’s a long prologue to the main point as writer. The whole episode has made me reflect on the kinds of injuries we inflict on our characters and the kind of post injury condition they are in and how rapidly they might get back (or not!) to some prior physical shape. All too often, we’re happy to have our character suffer a severe battering or even some injury and yet, not two days later, engage in some pretty wild gymnastics. It’s unreal.

Of course, we have to pace the story so that readers don’t get bored. Nevertheless, the consequences of any injury should have a material impact on the story. The risk of a debilitating injury should also make the character a bit more cautious when it comes to dare devil stunts and fights. It will make them more realistic and such risks and consequences are fodder for the plot. By largely ignoring this aspect of perils, we do our stories a disservice.

My accident has a silver lining therefore, as it has prompted me to consider the above and to think how I might incorporate this in a future story.

For the record, I do have a partially written piece where the main character, a wizard, gets shot by an arrow and thus is incapacitated and has to rely on his apprentice and a vagabond to help him out. Of course, he still has to be well-enough to be functional at the climax.

Another short piece (extract, really)

Thess spun to see what had roared so loudly. A black shape winged its way over the trees towards the castle. There was no mistaking the flyer. It was the dragon. But it was supposed to be twenty miles away. Not plunging towards her.

 Thess had only seconds to act before the creature was upon her. Her sister's cry echoed in her ears, as all thoughts of rescue gone, she sprinted for the folly in the middle of the garden.

 She planted herself with the solid stone of the folly between her and the dragon fire that erupted around her. Even protected from its worst by her armour, the heat baked her. Her scream at being cooked alive was drowned out by the triumphant roar of the firedrake as it landed where she'd been moments earlier.

 Under her breath, she panted, "This isn't happening; this isn't happening." But it was.

Flash, flash fiction

"Mum, you've no idea at all. Yes, Brun is of noble birth, worth a fortune. I only went out with him because you insisted."

"And you agreed to give it a go."

"It's not as if I didn't try. I thought the date was going so well...and then. The moon just had to come up when things began to get interesting, didn't it? One minute a wooing me, the next he'd taken to flight. It's not as if "I" had done anything, is it?"

Witcher -- Book 1

having enjoyed The Witcher on Netflix, I bought the first of the books. I finally after watching S2 got round to reading them. The same story but also quite different. It is interesting to see what the scriptwriters kept in and left out. One thing to go are the humorous (well, at least to me) asides that bring in a new take on some fairy tale. One that struck in my mind—and may have very well inspired the movie versions, to some extent—is the take on Snow White. And there are others.

What to make of the differences?

Well, the mediums are different. There is both less and more that can be conveyed on the two. Certainly, on screen, the above anecdote would require a bit of screen time and a raison d’etre for including in the relevant episode that actually related to the plot at this point in time. On the other hand, things such as monsters or people that have to be described are simply shown on screen and this is both quicker but, equally, leaves less to the imagination. Yes, the monsters are described in some detail but one still needs to imagine them. And this will be largely based on how one might conceive a dragon, or a beast of chaos, or whatever.

Is the one better than the other?

Well, not in my book (no pun intended). They do things differently and for good reason. Do I mind that the interactions of the characters are somewhat different in the books versus series? No, not really, I can enjoy them both.
Would I have preferred the books if I’d read them first?
This is a difficult one to answer. I thoroughly enjoyed both S1 and S2, in some ways S2 more than S1 given it was a lot more coherent without having read the books. I’ll fess-up that I had to read an explanation of S1 by a cognoscenti to understand how it all fitted together. But as a fantasy fan, the aesthetic of the series and the way certain things were portrayed (example: fighting and magic) really grabbed me. That said, I might have been less effusive of the series if I’d read the books first. The books shed light on the series and add depth and alter one’s perspective in a good way.
Should one always go movie/series first or the other way?
It depends on what you come to them with. I really enjoyed the Dune books and while it was a flawed effort, the David Lynch adaptation and as I’ve written on this blog, the recent Villeneuve version. Are they superior to the books? No. But as with The Witcher they bring something else to the story. I guess, I’m with Peter Jackson who labelled his version of LOTR as his interpretation. And Villeneuve, a Herbert fan, says the same about his version of Dune.

The same, but different.

Witcher -- Season 2

Well, finished Witcher Season 2.

What to say?

1. Production values up, which is nice to see as the cinematics are truly awesome;

2. Episode coherence way up with a clear thread running across the individual episodes;

3. Continuation of the multi-track character stories with some new characters to the series;

4. Reveals that help explain the first series to some extent;

5. Smart plot twists. Having not read the books, I would still suppose these are from the original and not the screenwriters;

6. Great foreshadowing, not just from the series but from the very start of S1:E1

7. Good character development / reveals;

8. Interesting plot development with some nice complications thrown in;

9. Despite its epic proportions, the story never loses its personal character;

10. A really good way for a writer to spend some downtime seeing the art of story telling coming to life.

DRAGON KNIGHTS

The stars shone. A halo to the moons. Smarg gazed out at the night sky. It was one of those peaceful nights in which he revelled. Pure bliss.

A clattering sound disturbed his contentment. An intruder. And sure enough, sword upraised, visor down, a beastly knight was striding across the rocks towards him.

Smarg belched out out a plume of fume from his nostrils, its rank smoke filling the cave. This was unforgivable. He’d had enough visitors during the day. Nights were sacred. Time to contemplate the infinite.

“Defend yourself,” the newcomer bellowed.

Smarg slithered out of the cave and spread his wings.

His interloper staggered back. “Bloody eck!” the knight gasped. “You’re enormous.”

Not only was the nobleman an affront, he was also stupid. Of course, dragons were big. And he was the biggest. He gazed down at the puny human who cowered before him. Fire or claw? He was undecided. Perhaps the warrior had a preference. Smarg breathed a gentle flame over him.

“Argh, oh, ah,” the man screamed, “that burns.”

Claw then it would be. With a quick swipe of his talon, he opened the man’s armour eviscerating him at the same time. Raw flesh. Smarg wondered whether he’d have preferred his meat roasted. Still, he enjoyed the uncertainty of his challengers’ choices. Some would carry a shield and try to attack regardless of his fiery breath. Others simply ran, and it was fun to pounce on such. The latest had simply stood, as most did, as he bathed them in flames. They were the most stupid and often the tastiest.

His midnight snack devoured, Smarg slithered his way back into the cave. He gazed up at the night. The stars still shone. The moons still glowed. Nothing had changed. Pure bliss and he’d had a snack. What more could he want? Perhaps another one now that he’d tasted man-flesh.

The thud of horses’ hooves on stone made him look along the beach…

Wheel of Time

The motivation for Amazon to adapt Robert Jordan’s magnum opus The Wheel of Time series of books stems from the company’s ambition to have a series that is as popular as HBO’s GOT.

Will it work?

Well, it does have some things going for it. The world of WOT is vast and there are many characters in the stories. The production values are first class and the filming is very high quality with beautiful scenery and settings.

But, alas, the story itself isn’t being given a convincing treatment. We have in episode one, typical fantasy tropes like “he’s the one” and “rebirth of the dragon” dialogue. Characters are two dimensional and we get lots of sultry looks and the usual acting. Not encouraging.

In my view, the real problem with the adaptation is that it is the wrong novel series. I have had a big problem with WOT in that it is all action and very little character development. This is will be the core of the series’ problems. The characters are tropes. The young, handsome, brooding hero who questions everything. He’s so dumb he manages to alienate the girl of his life. How convincing a main character is that? All one wants to do is to beat him about the head with that bow he carries.

Of course, it isn’t really the adaptors’ fault. The original material is, like a Rider Haggard or Edgar Rice Borroughs novel, the series is an action epic. Contrast that with Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series on which GOT is based. It is far more nuanced and while equally violent, there is huge character development and subtle personalisation going on. That is what made it work when turned into a mini-series.

Will WOT do well? As of writing, I note it gets 7.5 on IMDb, which I’d categorise as “OK—but not great” category. Maybe it will improve, but a lot has already been shot. The whole series one is in the can and I strongly suspect it’s a lot like the opening episodes. But one can but hope, eh?

Dune -- The Movie

Well, made it to the new Dune. I went with mixed feelings. Having read the books and even re-read a bit of Dune more recently, and seen the 1980s version (which, in some ways, I like given the steampunk nature of some of the technology), I wondred if the new movie would meet my expectations.

Blown away, I was.

And not just by the desert winds. Visually, the movie is beyond equal for making one understand the vastness of Arakis and the increadingly hostile nature of the environment.

Plot wise, the movie is very faithful to the book and the book’s core themes and the cast is well chosen. What I particularly liked is that the movie gave time for the characters to be introduced and developed. This was possible by the decision to split the book into two (or will that be more?) movies. Still, it has left me frustrated in that the next one won’t arrive for two years or so.

What went well?

The conceptualisation was particularly good. The way the intimate personal journeys of the main characters was contrasted with the big scenes was really well done. One got the impression that the characters operated within a much, much larger environment and this affected them in so many different ways. Hence, we got the macro/micro contrast that helped contextualise and move the story forward and made me rout for the good guy MCs.

Costumes were good too. Others have commented on the stillsuits but the other outfits also felt “right”. I think there was some “homage” to the Lynch version here, but equally, the book itself suggested the costumes.

As with any adaptation, there had to be changes from the book. None overtly damaged the storyline or the original book, though one never knows. It is inevitable in a book that is long on description, deep introspection, and interior monologue, all things that don’t translate to teh screen that well. The movie cuts back on voice over compared to the Lynch version, all to the good.

As a spectacle, this is how a science-fiction/fantasy story should be created on screen. Villeneuve has had the advantage of advances in CGI and SFF movies since the 1980s that he has used to the benefit of the movie in so many ways. Plus a really talented team who helped bring it all together.

Hence, well done to all who helped bring Frank Herbert’s masterpiece to the screen. In that regard, I did read Herbert’s own reflections on the making of the 1980s versionand how his vision had to be altered to make it into movie form. He wasn’t always pleased by what happened. I’d like to think he’d have given this new version the thumbs up. I certainly do. (And I still have a fondness for the Lynch version as a brave if flawed attempt to bring the sprawling saga to the screen.)

***

Will there be an even longer director’s cut? One can only hope so. There is so much that could be done to extend the story and one wonders how much was ultimately cut from the shoot to keep the movie within a reasonable length. Roll on the longer version, I say.

The Duel

It was a hot day to duel. Too hot. But hot enough to die. A day to get revenge. Agnes stood sweating in the baking sun waiting for her nemesis, the witch Natasha.

Out from under the trees, Natasha approached with her second beside her.

Their eyes met.

Agnes smiled. The witch too was flushed. Served her right calling this stupid duel. Besides, she'd no chance. Agnes flexed her rapier just to show she meant business. The business of death.

"It's a hot day, isn't it?" Natasha said, her voice as calm as the sultry day. She undid her blouse and tossed it aside. "If I'm going to kill you, I'll do it in comfort." With a gesture of indifference, she pulled down her shirt to reveal her full breasts.

Not to be outwitted, Agnes followed suit. Now they were both en deshabille. Open and vulnerable for the point of a blade. A frisson took her.

"To the death," Agnes growled. She raised her rapier. "En garde!" And lunged.

***

A story idea inspired by a writing competition that uses a picture and topic and asks for the first paragraph. Well, a bit more, I guess.

Excerpt

Magyar groaned aloud. "For the life of a troll there it goes again. Bloody 'eck."
⁠
He unsheathed the glowing sword. His eyes weren’t betraying him. It was getting brighter, he was sure of it. Another soul snatcher after his hide. It was getting pretty monotonous.
⁠
A roar echoed through the cavern, rattling the bones at his feet.
⁠
The bloated snatcher squeezed through the passage mouth and unfolded itself in front of him. More than twice his size and black in the enchanted light, it was one with the hellhole he'd managed to get himself stuck in.
⁠
He shouted at the thing, "Come and get it!"
⁠
The sword carried him forward eager to revenge its maker. Magyar had to grip it even harder for it not to fly out of his hands.

Flash Fiction — in more ways than one

"How did I get here?" Brunilda muttered as she looked up from her book. Somehow whilst absorbed in the latest potboiler by the spellbinding Tom Savage, she'd wandered into a forest. In front of her stood a young prince. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm introduced on page one hundred and four. I guess you haven't reached that point yet."

As he spoke, he dissolved and was gone.

Brunilda tossed the book away. "And that ends that..."

Still, she looked at the book face down on the ground and open. "Still, I'd have liked to see how it ended."

With a "pop" she too vanished.