Prophecy and Dreams (Comments Thread)

Because the story is long, I am creating separate comment and story threads. I request that people keep the comments in this thread, and let me post story in the story threads. It'll make it easier for everyone to read the story, no matter when they come in. Also, it'll make it easier for people to go back and find parts to re-read. The story thread is here.

Edit -- If you want to skip all of the back-story and start when Cende arrives in Paragon, you can. That's at Chapter 18, and while there will be parts where you're going "who is this and why is it important," it's not as big a deal right now. If you decide you like the story, the background will, after all, still be there when I slow down posting (which is inevitable).

Do note that this is less a "story" and more a "novel" - it's been written to be read as a novel, and as a result, it's sort of dense. I'm realizing it doesn't translate well to forums. At a certain point, I will let folks know where the PDF to that point is available for download. -- end edit.

Ever since Dark Respite (Samuriko) put together the A Heart Divided video for my birthday (and thank you again, Michelle), there's been a number of people asking her (and me, when they found me) for the story behind the video. Even we explained that the video was only the very smallest, and very latest, part of the story, they still wanted it.

As it turns out, I've been writing the thing for some time. It's gone through a few revisions, but in Nov. 2010, for NaNoWriMo, I started the research into the background I needed to make some things work. That turned into the first six chapters, the prophecy, and a lot of miscellaneous details that don't necessarily go into the work but do influence it. I've a few people reading the story as it's being written, and they've all been encouraging me to post it to these forums; they know who they are and if you're bored, it's all their fault.

I'll be posting a chapter or two a night for a while. If it's going too fast to keep up with, please let me know and I'll slow down; alternately, if folks find that it's not going fast enough, please also let me know and I can post a little more. I have a rather substantial amount of it written already.

It's my first anything of novel-length. As such, if you've got comments you'd like to make but don't want to make them here in this thread, please send them to me in PMs.

And thanks for taking a look.

Hi Cende,
Well you already know that I think the story is good.

I'm glad that you are starting to post it up now too!

Looking forward to seeing it all.


Cos

BTW, I posted links to the story and discussions in the thread I'd created for the video over in the General Discussions section. Hopefully that helps draw notice!

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Obligitory NEED MOAR NAO!!!

Thought I'd responded to these already.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cosmic_Herald Hi Cende, Well you already know that I think the story is good. I'm glad that you are starting to post it up now too! Looking forward to seeing it all. Cos

Thanks, Cos.

Seeing it all is going to take a little while, given the sheer size of the story. And thank you for the ongoing encouragement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark_Respite BTW, I posted links to the story and discussions in the thread I'd created for the video over in the General Discussions section. Hopefully that helps draw notice!

Thank you.

It looks like I'm getting between 8-15 "views" in any given posting period. My terror keeps going back and forth between "they're looking at it in horror" and "it's different people each time going 'ew, what is this?'" My sanity is telling me that at least one person has to be reading it without hating it.

So to that one person... thank you.

I <3 cameos.

I am discovering that novels don't necessarily translate well to forum format, especially when they're quite as dense as this one. At a certain point, I will let folks know where the PDF up to that point is available for download.

If you are a new, potential reader and want to skip all of the back-story to start when Cende arrives in Paragon, you can. That begins at Chapter 18, and while there will be parts where you're going "who is this and why is it important," it's not as big a deal right now. If you decide you like the story, the background will, after all, still be there when I slow down posting (which is inevitable).

And yes, Scooter, I know.

GAH!

I have early access to the story, and I stopped reading at this point cause I didn't want to spoil it.

So I'm not sure what happens with Sharpe. Of the Commanders of the Star Patrol, Sharpe is possibly my favorite, mostly because he's the one spends most of time in the field. (actual play time)

I would have to look it up, but it is either Sharpe or Bowman that tells Statesman "How it is" and in my head all I hear is clang clang. I looked for it in TCOSR but couldn't find it and now I have to go to class.

Like I said, "CLANG CLANG" I'd say that was the sound of brass, but I would have to go with something harder; steel, adamantium, titanium, impervium?

Handwavium.

That is SO Synapse... if it's something he wouldn't warn his roommate about re: a potential date, he sure as hell isn't going to tell Statesman.

THERE is a picture for you to have Images by Alex do... Statesman scrambling away from the dinner table in a crowded restaurant with a horrified look on his face after Ivy has put an icy hand on his thigh under the table.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Due to Real Life (pesky thing that it is) there will be no chapter today. It didn't quite get finished, and definitely didn't get proofed. Two of the next three are shorter, so I'll post two of them together either tomorrow or Friday.

On the up side, if I pay attention to what I'm doing tonight and tomorrow, I'll have the next several done quickly.

Normally I don't post over the weekend, but if I finish this lot and Talek gets it proofed before he starts his competition, I might just do a run straight through. Doing so would make the storyline current to Samuraiko's Course of Superhero Romance by... either Monday or Tuesday night's posting.

Then I get a break while we wait for her.

I suppose I should get off my lazy butt and write. I have some handwavium to put down too. I know where I want go but I am not sure how to get there.

As promised, two chapters to make up for missing Wednesday. They are not, however, much shorter.

Chapter 45 is the first part of the section I've been calling Tactical Error. Unlike major parts of the last ten chapters, Tactical Error has actually relatively easy to write through (the last several in particular have been pulling teeth to get out for some reason).

I don't know at this time if I'll have posts for the weekend or not. In part, it's having time to write but in much LARGER part, it's having my proof-reader available to me. He's currently working a coding competition for the rest of the weekend and proofing is not high on his agenda.

What?! No update last night. For shame...


when you look at me like that I was kidding.

OK, I'm now caught up in time to where I wanted to be.

Michelle, wonderfully evil woman that she is, has agreed to write the Paragon Caper article that has everyone in story worked up. I have no idea what it's going to say, but she was grinning madly when I last spoke with her about it.

Posting will now slow down considerably. The story isn't over - not by a long shot - but writing is once again being interspersed with real life.

Stupid, stupid logout bug. I really need to remember to make copies of what I'm trying to post.

So most of the next few chapters was actually written a few weeks ago (and then chapters 51 and 52 were written months ago), but I got hung up on chapter 50, and I didn't like the way several things flowed, so everything has been stalled for the last three weeks while I tried to figure out how to fix it.

It's fixed.

I've been assured I'm cruel.

Though cruel you may be... and in parts you are!

The latest posting have been a very good read and highly enjoyable!

So keep up the good work!

Chapter 51 and 52, I choose you!
...

With your powers combined, I am Chapter 51 and 52!
...

By the power of Greyskull!
...

Alright, one of these days I will figure out the correct incantation for summoning more chapters. In the mean time, keep up the good writing! You've got me on the edge of my seat.