This is a progress update, which I want to get into the habit of doing for my Rome Construction Crew peeps.
I didn’t finish the planning stage of ‘Tales of the Slumberlord’ within the 3 weeks that I said I would. I fell 3 book blurbs short unless I can finish them tonight, but I might only get through one or two.
On the plus side, I think I stumbled onto a few ideas while I was making the vodka sauce and inhaling the vodka fumes while I cooked. Don’t judge me . . . much.
I made some mental progress with my secret agent. He was a difficult one to cross into Windemere because guns don’t typically mix into sword & sorcery worlds. If you add them into a game then everyone goes for the gun and you’re stuck with a group of snipers that make combat extremely boring. Within a few game sessions, you drop a dragon on them and end the game to the sound of ‘guns can kill dragons!’ Yeah, I don’t really like guns in a fantasy setting. Still, I couldn’t give this guy a magic crossbow because Sin already has that as his trademark weapon.
The answer was to bring in the guns with massive restrictions by the gods and gnomes. Only one group has them and they’re called the Piecekeepers. They are charged with handling the abuse of technology and their guns are magically tailored to them. If anybody else takes a Piecekeeper’s gun, it explodes. The bullets dissolve within 10 seconds of being fired and the guns are of the 6-shooter variety. You might be asking what happens if a Piecekeeper goes rogue. Every other Piecekeeper goes after them along with any hero and powerful being they can get on the hunt. It doesn’t end well.
Anyway, this character’s story has been hard to tell and introduce. It dawned on me that I could introduce him in another series and see if people are interested enough to warrant making more. Why not put him with the character that made him a challenge and satisfy my secret agent Vs master thief idea? He’s going to join Sin’s array of allies and possibly get a trilogy that revolves around someone trying to spread gun technology. This changes the original James Bond concept with a new girl in every story and crazy villains, but I think I’m shooting too high to reach James Bond status. One must know limits.
I’m going to do the same thing with my cursed mystery hunter, whose loved one has been magically sealed away until she solves a set amount of mysteries of Windemere. I’m thinking 10 because Windemere mysteries tend to be filled with danger. Originally, it was she had to locate 100 missing people, but that got old. She would fit in very well with the secret agent and Sin as they go after the Immortals. Again, I can see if people like her enough to warrant a series or a set of short stories.
The final idea that ran through my head as the vodka sauce spluttered in my face dealt with . . . Project Phoenix. Maybe I should change the name to ‘The Mylrixians’ because that name doesn’t’ make any more sense. I’m sad to see it vanish, but if I go with the other series name then it makes more sense for a collection of books with different heroes each time. I’m filtered in my cowboy-like character and possibly a few others because they fit the mold. Part of me is considering switching in Zombie Girl, but that’s an entirely different culture, so I don’t think it’ll happen.
That’s all the progress I made prior to tomorrow’s quest: Writing Legends of Windemere: The Compass Key. My goal is to write at least the first 3 chapters before next weekend. Is it doable? Possibly, but a few delays have already arisen. I might have better luck the following week. Fingers crossed here.
Legends of Windemere 
Well, my mind is thoroughly blown.
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Uh . . . sorry about that.
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Haha, I’m reading through this, thinking about my own blog (I have another blog for my soon to be restarted for the thousandth time epic fantasy work) and I’m shaking my head, thinking to myself “Gees, you really have a lot of work to do, Sahm…”
It’s actually inspiring. You put a lot of care into your characters. It’s awe-inspiring, even. In fact, it’s taught me something of a lesson.
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Thanks. I’m actually a horrible person to look at and say ‘I’ve gotta work like him’. I’ve been designing these stories for over 10 years and I’m probably some form of crazy. I’ll admit that I’m a work-a-holic who needs to learn to relax away from a notebook.
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Ah, well, I’m the opposite extreme. LMAO. I’m a not-do-a-thing-a-holic. I suppose we ought to start some sort of club, now. Hi. My name is Sahm. And I’m extraordinarily lazy. Which might be real explanation for why none of my books are finished. 🙂 Okay, I’ll shutup now.
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I tried to do that, but I’m far too hell-bent on proving that I exist to be an author. Too many people told me to stop or leave it for when I retire from a ‘real job’, so I’m partially driven by spite and pride. 😀
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You have such a vivid imagination; you should be in the film business. I’d bet any or all of your books could be made into movies or TV series! I wish you lots and lots of luck! 🙂
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I’m sure they could, but I think it’s harder to break into film than writing. If it turns out that I get further making a Disney-like empire of Windemere movies and shows then that’s the way it goes. Though, I’d most likely get bought by Disney since they want to own everything.
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Disney does have some really good shows! But I’d bet that Yallowitz Entertainment could become a big-name movie maker eventually 🙂
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I’m thinking Windemere Studios or something that doesn’t have my unattractive last name. 🙂
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That sounds really good too, but Yallowitz is a cool-sounding name! Almost medieval, as if came straight out of Windemere!
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It’s Russian, actually. Some maybe Orcish.
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Cool! My name is Danish. (I call it Dane-land-ish) 🙂
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Yours definitely sounds more like it would come from a fantasy world than mine..
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Well thank you! It comes from a long line of royalty, so I’d like to write an historical fantasy novel about it some day. (Is there such a thing as an historical fantasy???)
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There’s historical fiction, but I assume there’s a historical fantasy genre. If not, you can make it up and be a trailblazer.
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I like the sound of that!
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Hey Charles, I know I have been kind of distant but it has been for a worthy cause. To answer your original question there, yes, progress has definitely been made. We won’t always achieve our goals but the journey is the important part. Keep up the awesome work!
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Thanks. I know you’ve been busy. I haven’t been around as often as I used to either. I should be used to not making my deadlines because it happens a lot. I overestimate my working spend and underestimate the distractions around me. That’s why I’m aiming for 3 chapters this week instead of 4. Rarely, I get 3 chapter sections done in a day. I usually only get 2 done. Going to be hard to tell on this because I’ve been dreaming of the first third of this book in the series for years. 🙂 Luke Callindor Vs the Lich is going to be so epic.
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I’m really looking forward to reading your books. Each of your posts just pull me in further. I have to finish my edits for The Storm and the Darkness so I can get it off to my betas (or die trying), and then I’ll have some Sarah time for reading again 🙂
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Cool. Maybe the second book will be out by then. 😉
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