Chapter 52 was supposed to be posted at about 1 this morning; thanks to the no-login issue, it got delayed. Sorry.
I am now out of fully written chapters while Michelle and I discuss current events (and also work out the timeline of the books relative to the timeline of the game, 'cause we keep confusing ourselves and everyone who asks). If anyone who reads both books would like to help with the timeline project, please let me know.
Also, if there's someone with a nasty sense of politics who'd like to help me with a plot point that's coming up quickly, please drop me a note. 
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Do you want Machiavellian, Byzantine or draconian? Those are my three specialties. |
Originally Posted by Cende
Also, if there's someone with a nasty sense of politics who'd like to help me with a plot point that's coming up quickly, please drop me a note.
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Where to find me after the end:
The Secret World - Arcadia - Shinzo
Rift - Faeblight - Bloodspeaker
LotRO - Gladden - Aranelion
STO - Holodeck - @Captain_Thiraas
Obviously, I don't care about NCSoft's forum rules, now.
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Oh, actually, I should probably talk to you about it anyway.
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Originally Posted by Bloodspeaker
Do you want Machiavellian, Byzantine or draconian? Those are my three specialties.
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AAAARRRGGHH! When I started reading this afternoon I was hoping you'd finished your story! On the plus side, I can pass the time until the rest of the book daydreaming about punching the temple tyrant and Cende's fiance the way God intended. I just hope they're psychic, so they can see my fist is an inseperable part of their future, like Mother Mayhem did.
I saw Samuraiko's Heart Divided video, and like everyone else wondered who Cende was and when we'd find out more about her. In TCoSR II we learn she's Star Patrol, but curiously she isn't listed at Star Patrol.net.
I don't like Statesman, I want that clear from the start. The comics give him a bossy leadership style that really grates, and the game's emphasis on his alternate universe versions is just too much. Yours is different. He spends a lot of time dwelling on the past and dreading the future, it takes his relationship with Cende to bring him back to the present. I really like Marcus, and hope to read more about him.
I love Cende's sister and the crab! They need their own sitcom, now. "He's a bionic killing machine, she's a deranged assassin!" He walks onscreen to the set of Married, With Children and I can hear the audience applause, or the laugh-track when she says something to test his patience. When she hugs him and tells him she loves him, the canned "Awww" echoes in my head. For her birthday, he cooks her breakfast in bed, with a frying pan in one leg and spatula in another while his real arms are whipping up batter in a bowl....
As a way to waste time you could spend writing, have you considered using the character creator to recreate portraits of some of these characters?
I'd be happy to help with politics or timelines. I'm not an expert on canon, but I can read Paragonwiki with the best of them, and the nature of my job leaves plenty of time for brainstorming.
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Working. Working. I blame Samuraiko. She's got too many projects, she writes slow.|
Originally Posted by Sir Neil
AAAARRRGGHH! When I started reading this afternoon I was hoping you'd finished your story!
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| On the plus side, I can pass the time until the rest of the book daydreaming about punching the temple tyrant and Cende's fiance the way God intended. I just hope they're psychic, so they can see my fist is an inseperable part of their future, like Mother Mayhem did. |
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| I saw Samuraiko's Heart Divided video, and like everyone else wondered who Cende was and when we'd find out more about her. In TCoSR II we learn she's Star Patrol, but curiously she isn't listed at Star Patrol.net. |
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| I don't like Statesman, I want that clear from the start.{...} Yours is different. {...} I really like Marcus, and hope to read more about him. |
I'm extrapolating a lot of Marcus from the two books, trying to figure out where he'd be twenty years later, after being alone and understanding that he's going to outlive everyone he truly cares for. There will be more Marcus.
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| I love Cende's sister and the crab! They need their own sitcom, now. |
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| As a way to waste time you could spend writing, have you considered using the character creator to recreate portraits of some of these characters? |
The rest of the people in Mitanni Valley don't really have anything made for them.Quote:
| I'd be happy to help with politics or timelines. I'm not an expert on canon, but I can read Paragonwiki with the best of them, and the nature of my job leaves plenty of time for brainstorming. |
I *might* have the political stuff figured out, but if my current thoughts fall through, I'll drop you a note. Thank you.
And thank you for the kind words and for letting me know you're reading. I appreciate it.
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I don't think it's odd. |
Originally Posted by Cende
Oddly, you're not the only person who has that reaction.
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Endaruta isn't so bad -- he wants to kill Cende because she's a threat to his power. Nothing personal, just business. I'm not really worked up about him. It's the fiance that gets me chomping at the bit. With only a few sentence fragments overheard by Helen, we already know what a horrible person he is, and how utterly wrong he is for Cende. They don't make enough whips to tame her, and I doubt he'll realize that before she leaves him drowning in his own blood.Quote:
| Cende, obviously, is my main.... |
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| Silver Spyder (Rata) is my main villain, actually. |
... I put the kind words first, so you'd know I enjoy your story and appreciate you writing it. However, the story takes a long time to get going, as you acknowledge in your opening post, and her job at Longbow doesn't seem to accomplish anything. I think it would flow better if the first chapter has her getting off the plane with the stated goal of killing Statesman for the valley king, and doling out temple scenes as flashbacks every time one of the characters calls her out on her skimpy history, when the Seeker astrally projects to her apartment, or on each of her visits back home. I don't expect you to change anything, but I thought you might not have looked at it from this angle.
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Originally Posted by Sir Neil
AAAARRRGGHH! When I started reading this afternoon I was hoping you'd finished your story! On the plus side, I can pass the time until the rest of the book daydreaming about punching the temple tyrant and Cende's fiance the way God intended. I just hope they're psychic, so they can see my fist is an inseperable part of their future, like Mother Mayhem did.
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Originally Posted by Cende
Working. Working. I blame Samuraiko. She's got too many projects, she writes slow.
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Originally Posted by Sir Neil
I saw Samuraiko's Heart Divided video, and like everyone else wondered who Cende was and when we'd find out more about her. In TCoSR II we learn she's Star Patrol, but curiously she isn't listed at Star Patrol.net.
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Originally Posted by Cende
We think we got the timelines straightened out. Took a couple of hours over lunch but we think we got it worked out. We need to finish putting in some details, and then we can post the timeline to current publish.
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Originally Posted by Sir Neil
... I put the kind words first, so you'd know I enjoy your story and appreciate you writing it. However, the story takes a long time to get going, as you acknowledge in your opening post, and her job at Longbow doesn't seem to accomplish anything. I think it would flow better if the first chapter has her getting off the plane with the stated goal of killing Statesman for the valley king, and doling out temple scenes as flashbacks every time one of the characters calls her out on her skimpy history, when the Seeker astrally projects to her apartment, or on each of her visits back home. I don't expect you to change anything, but I thought you might not have looked at it from this angle.
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*goes back to writing the next chapter of TCOSR II*
Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite
Dark_Respite's Farewell Video: "One Last Day"
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)
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Oh, it's also a little personal for Endaruta, but that's because he's a paranoid nutcase. But then, that's part of his charm. |
Originally Posted by Sir Neil
I don't think it's odd.
Endaruta isn't so bad -- he wants to kill Cende because she's a threat to his power. Nothing personal, just business. I'm not really worked up about him. It's the fiance that gets me chomping at the bit. With only a few sentence fragments overheard by Helen, we already know what a horrible person he is, and how utterly wrong he is for Cende. They don't make enough whips to tame her, and I doubt he'll realize that before she leaves him drowning in his own blood. |
And no, they don't make enough whips to tame Cende, but I think if anyone tried that particular form of taming on her, Marcus would have a few words for the person who tried. Well, as soon as he found out, anyway.
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| Sorry, I misspoke. All those portraits should be posted, so readers can have faces to go with names. Justice server is a big place, afterall. |
Spyder loves the idea - fashion show! Davos is almost as bad, really, but he complains that men in CoH are shortchanged for good fashions. Khadka thinks it's terribly unfair that I haven't made him yet, and wants to know when he gets a chance - after all, he's ever so much more important than Vijeta. Endaruta is looking at all of this with a sniff that REAL priests don't show off in this way (besides, nothing in the costume creator is quite right for him, anyway) .... oh, dear. See what you started?
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| I think it would flow better if the first chapter has her getting off the plane with the stated goal of killing Statesman for the valley king, and doling out temple scenes as flashbacks every time one of the characters calls her out on her skimpy history, when the Seeker astrally projects to her apartment, or on each of her visits back home. I don't expect you to change anything, but I thought you might not have looked at it from this angle. |
This novel was never intended for "publication" - even in this format. It was written for my own reasons (mostly to get it out of my head), and for the minor enjoyment of one or two people who I thought might like it. It was a major shock to me that anyone else actually wanted to see it, and it took a LOT of effort by several people to convince me to post it at all. The posting order is actually the writing order - aside from one or two chapters which were written slightly ahead of time, due to either inspiration or interaction with another individual (the last chapter with Helena, for example, was written several months ago and has been pending getting to this point, much to Helena's player's eagerness).
For the writing I'm doing that's actually intended for publication, a lot of the world building, history, and background information that I'm developing will either never get seen or get seen only in passing. As important as it is, it's mostly important for me. The background information in the first... five... chapters of Prophecy & Dreams is important to me, for various reasons (it affects Cende's history), but may not necessarily be obvious within the course of the story as it's laid out. I don't know. I don't have the story fully plotted out.
Actually, to be honest, I don't have the story plotted out at all. I know what's happening for the current trip to Nepal, I know what the long-term goal is, and I think I have an idea of how they're getting from here to there, but Spyder's already informed me of at least one curveball I hadn't seen coming, Endaruta's told me something that really shouldn't have surprised me, Davos reluctantly confided a secret to me, Marcus has admitted something himself, and Cende... well, she's keeping her own counsel as usual.
... OK, yes, I understand it's a little strange to have fictional characters talking in my head, but, really, how did you think this all gets written? They live in here. Most of the time, they're well behaved and they stay in their own little corner. Sometimes, they get rambunctious (especially when they know people are talking about them) and come out to see what's happening.
(and if you think it's pleasant having Endaruta and Spyder living in my head... well, you should see family dinners in there. We have to put down plastic for easier cleanup.)
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I simply told my wife what Helen overheard the fiance say and she wants to punch him, too. The man has a talent.
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And they're probably, "Biff, Bam, Kapow!"|
Originally Posted by Cende
Marcus would have a few words for the person who tried.
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| .... oh, dear. See what you started? |
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| It was written for my own reasons (mostly to get it out of my head).... |
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| ...Sometimes, they get rambunctious (especially when they know people are talking about them) and come out to see what's happening. |
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I will point out that it's a completely different culture. By his lights, he's completely within his rights to speak to Cende that way. |
Originally Posted by Sir Neil
I simply told my wife what Helen overheard the fiance say and she wants to punch him, too. The man has a talent.
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(also, btw, Helena).
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| {...}your story and Samuraiko's provide the only experience most people will ever have with Star Patrol. You have enough on your plate writing a compelling story without thinking about creating Star Patrol mythology. {...} |
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| {Chibis} |
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Well that culture is ****** up. (Hmm. I thought it would be replaced by cupcaked.) |
Originally Posted by Cende
I will point out that it's a completely different culture.
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| Are you telling me you actually want the Star Patrol Chronicles? |
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| I'm going to be having giggle fits on this for the rest of the day. |
You know it's funny, you mention the Star Patrol Chronicles I pitched the idea at the rest of the group a few months ago and got luke warm responses. Perhaps I'll get Cende's help after the end of PaD and tie her down and we can get a collaboration together.
I saw yesterday's spoiler for the "Who Will Die?" arc, and one of the first things that popped into my head was, "Oh @#$%, what's going to happen in Prophecy and Dreams?"
Aside from wanting to know that, I am also curious when we will find out what happens next?
@Winter. Because I'm Winter. Period.
I am a blaster first, and an alt-oholic second.
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The good news is that P&D is happening about a year ago (honest, I will post the timeline that Samuraiko and I worked out one of these days), so the current WWD arc doesn't actually affect the storyline - much. |
Originally Posted by Winterminal
I saw yesterday's spoiler for the "Who Will Die?" arc, and one of the first things that popped into my head was, "Oh @#$%, what's going to happen in Prophecy and Dreams?"
Aside from wanting to know that, I am also curious when we will find out what happens next? |
Also, I need to see how States dies.
As far as when we find out what happens next... I have a little bit of the next chapter written, and more of the chapter after that. I know what's happening, but Samuraiko and I are presently slightly stuck, and between her multiple jobs, a couple of people moving in up where we are, the holidays, my being in fairly severe pain, and a ... it's complicated ... well, okay, a couple of "it's complicated"s. Anyway, things are weird. And busy.
We're working on it. Promise. It's just going slow. I'm sorry.
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Cende,|
Originally Posted by Cende
The good news is that P&D is happening about a year ago (honest, I will post the timeline that Samuraiko and I worked out one of these days), so the current WWD arc doesn't actually affect the storyline - much.
Also, I need to see how States dies. As far as when we find out what happens next... I have a little bit of the next chapter written, and more of the chapter after that. I know what's happening, but Samuraiko and I are presently slightly stuck, and between her multiple jobs, a couple of people moving in up where we are, the holidays, my being in fairly severe pain, and a ... it's complicated ... well, okay, a couple of "it's complicated"s. Anyway, things are weird. And busy. We're working on it. Promise. It's just going slow. I'm sorry. |
Admit it.. you're just screwing off for the holidays!
Sorry... just couldn't resist poking fun since it is the Holidays you can't hold it against me
Cos
Member of Team Awesome���
Justice Server
Ok, the good news first - at least one chapter, possibly more, should be going into proofing sometime next week. If I have any of you left at this point, now might be a good time to go back and refresh the last few chapters (I personally went back and reread the entire thing - and found a bunch of new errors to correct before I put out the final PDF).
Secondly, an apology. I really didn't mean for it to go this long, and I'm sorry. I've been trying to get back to this for months, but... well. You see above what I said about before the holidays (and one of the friends that moved up here moved in with me for a couple of months, which was distracting on it's own), and then after the holidays... Bad Stuff happened.
I started school (which wasn't bad on its own), and that took most of my time and brain, and then got interesting news, which made school more difficult - and then in the end turned out really, really bad, and I'm still recovering from it. Some of you know what that was, and what the really bad part is; if anyone else wants to know, drop me a note and I'll explain, but I'm just not saying anything in public. Anyway, I wound up dropping out of school, and I'd hoped that would be the end of it, but no, of course not.
A friend went into the hospital, and then I went out of town, and then when I came back, I badly sprained (nearly fractured) my wrist, and then when that healed, a different friend had a heart scare, and then I wound up with an infection, and then I went out of town again, and then yet a different friend severely broke his arm, and then I got sick again. And somewhere in there, I got elected back onto my HOA board as president for the next three years, and have discovered that absolutely nobody has any clue what we're doing, and we've got no money.
So in short, this year has kinda sucked.
Getting back to writing is an absolute relief, quite honestly. The characters are opinionated, stubborn, surprising, and frequently don't go where I want them to, but at least they generally make sense.
For those of you who also read The Course of Superhero Romance, Michelle / Samuraiko / Dark Respite has had, while not such a bad year, at least a very full one, and her new job allows her little down time. I know she's been writing off and on, but I don't know, offhand, her project priority list. I think she's been filming more than writing.
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((hugs))
I hate it when Bad Stuff happens. Hope those grey skies clear up a bit for ya.
Looking forward to the next installment. Your characters are lively and memorable.
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Don�t say things. What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary. - R.W. Emerson |
YUMMY Low-Hanging Fruit for BASE LUV
Re: Chapter 53: Hands up if you're feeling just a smidge of sympathy to Our Poor Heroes by the end of the day there.
Chapter 54: A large Thank You to Scooter Two. The character of Helena Collins belongs to Scooter, and ST actually partially wrote some of the beginning of the chapter as a suggestion for me.
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ch 53: Full Moon? only explanation that I can think of to run a Quaterfield when everyone is feeling snippy. lol
ch 54: dun dun duuuuuuunnnn
ch 55: I know Silver Spyder is supposed to be the "bad sister"... but... I just can't help it... I like her... a lot.
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Don�t say things. What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary. - R.W. Emerson |
YUMMY Low-Hanging Fruit for BASE LUV
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I needed them to be distracted for an entire day, and I needed them more irritated than they already were. Q filled the bill. Samuraiko was kind enough to go along with me. |
Originally Posted by Impish Kat
ch 53: Full Moon? only explanation that I can think of to run a Quaterfield when everyone is feeling snippy. lol
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Q is more boring to write than it is to run.
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Originally Posted by Impish Kat
ch 54: dun dun duuuuuuunnnn
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Originally Posted by Impish Kat
ch 55: I know Silver Spyder is supposed to be the "bad sister"... but... I just can't help it... I like her... a lot.
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That particular scene was supposed to go slightly differently. She was SUPPOSED to be calm, cool and collected, and then lose it once she left the building. Toby was GOING to get a nice amount of information (since he wasn't going to be distracted). Did that happen?
Of course not. What happened instead?
She chirped at Recluse.
Who the heck does that (well, and expects to live afterwards)?
And then she said to me, "well, I thought he'd be happy about it!"
Sheesh. Brain breaking. Regularly.
(Yes, of course my characters talk to me. How else do they let me know what they want me to type?)
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I know how hard it is to focus on writing with real life bothering you. I'm so happy you continue to stick with it.
Someone has a crush!
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Not sure of his age, but he seems a bit too old for that. More like his being fascinated by someone totally outside his realm of experience.
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Originally Posted by Scootertwo
Someone has a crush!
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Where to find me after the end:
The Secret World - Arcadia - Shinzo
Rift - Faeblight - Bloodspeaker
LotRO - Gladden - Aranelion
STO - Holodeck - @Captain_Thiraas
Obviously, I don't care about NCSoft's forum rules, now.
Ack! I'm on the edge of my seat!
.
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Don�t say things. What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary. - R.W. Emerson |
YUMMY Low-Hanging Fruit for BASE LUV
...
With your powers combined, I am Chapter 51 and 52!
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By the power of Greyskull!
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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.
If you ever figure out the incantation for summoning more chapters out of thin air, I will be very pleased to get it. It sounds much easier than actually writing the things.
And thank you.
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