List Again

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Another Sunday rolls around. This last week I've got a lot more work done, ticked 6/10 items from the to do list. I've come to a sticking point on my W.I.P. so I need to think about that for awhile. I'll let all the ideas mulch down in the compost heap that is my subconscious for a few days. So this coming week I'll change priorities around a bit. Concentrate on other work.


To Do List 29th June - 4th July

1. Finish 1st draft of Fungus Forest.
2. Continue editing Blood & Iron short.
3. Continue notes for next novel.
4. Next scene in Magus script.

That's it. Short list for next week, but despite that I want to get more work done. At the same time I don't want to stall on the old W.I.P. so I'll give myself a week tops, then I'' push on with it no matter what.

Listening: Paolo Nutini - Sunny Side Up, Robyn Hitchcock - Goodnight Oslo, Seth Lakeman - Poor Man's Heaven

Worldbuilding Wednesday: The Shape of Things to Come

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This week I've been thinking about and playing with ideas for what my new world should be like. I started off with the realism and utility of a Pangaea type world. This has lots of pros: there's plenty of info available, it's a big old landmass to roam across, it's believable, without the separation of the sea even low tech cultures are capable of long range exploration and contact. Could be fun. Perhaps another world another time. Ha.

Next I thought about something completely mythic and fantastical. Something that science says couldn't exist and therefore is fantasy by definition. I liked the idea of a world with only five landmasses. Four major continents completely equidistant and separate from each other. Each with wildly different cultures, races, perhaps even species inhabiting them, and no contact between them. Central and equidistant from each of these a smaller, single landmass where the four different cultures are mixed together. I like the idea of this. Could be fun. Could be the basis for a weird trilogy or series. I'll sit on this idea for another time.

What I eventually settled on was a world that has a little of both. Elements of Pangaea, elements of a more stylised mythic world. My new world will be one that like ours is mostly ocean, but instead of our multiple continents that span the earth, just one landmass, stretching like a continuous equatorial belt of land, around the centre of the planet.

This equatorial land mass is at it's widest the distance between the southern and northern tips of Spain, France or Germany, at it's narrowest about the same distance as the narrowest part of Mexico north to south. Running through the centre of the landmass there is a volcanic mountainous spine.

At this stage I'm think conditions are earth-like in terms of atmosphere, a single sun, moon, tides, tectonic plates, etc. and that this world might be a vaguely feasible if conditions were right. It might be a difference in gravitational pull of its moon, moons, or lack of orbiting objects that explain the way things are. Distance to and type of sun would affect climate and geography too. I'm thinking it's mostly tropical/jungle and there are coral reefs, archipelagos, and islands small and large off the coast of this belt continent, but the main deal is with the belt.

Now this is all just rough, brainstorming. I don't need such a world to be entirely possible, or realistic. I'm not a scientist. I don't write science-fiction. All the physics, continent formation, atmosphere, gravity, astronomy, etc. doesn't interest me enough to prioritise them above more story orientated elements. On the other hand I don't want it to be half baked. A little more research won't go amiss, but I think it's pretty much workable as is. So that's the broad focus, the macro. Zooming in on the Micro I'm going to focus on one part of the world where two warring cultures of the belt continent are separated by a smallish span of sea. Stuck between them is a large island or perhaps group of islands. Islands that have been constantly conquered and reconquered by the two cultures as they seek to gain a foothold or power base nearer to their enemies.

I'm going to stew on those ideas, let them settle for awhile. Next Wednesday I'll be focusing on myth, magic and the fantastical and its place in my new world.

Next Worldbuilding Wednesday: It's a Kinda Magic . . .

Writing: Going well this week. Editing, writing, submitting.

Listening: Gregory and the Hawk - In Your Dreams, Florence and The Machine - A Lot Of Love, A Lot Of Blood, Amy Macdonald - This is Life, Melody Gardot - Worrisome Heart, Beth Rowley - Little Dreamer

Me Stories

I've added links to my one genre publication and some of my favourite mainstream publications. The mainstream ones are online so you can have a read. The genre story is a pirate story that appeared in the Flashing Swords Summer Special 2008. It's no longer available to purchase so that's just the teaser. I think the rights on that story have reverted so perhaps I'll put it on Anthology Builder in the absence of any particular pirate friendly outlets.

I've also found a story of mine that was read at Liar's League by the actor Silas Hawkins. It's really weird (in a good way) hearing someone else interpret your story. I say weird in a good way, but being typically British I am slightly embarrassed when I hear him read the title of my story and my name. Weird. I've had two of my stories read at the Liar's League, one day I really must get to that there London and go to a reading. Anyway here is an Mp3 of Silas reading my story ...

No Brahms, Just Liszt

Ach, last week was busy so hardly any writing, just 1,050 new words and nothing else from last week's to do list. So the list remains the same . . .

To do List 22nd - 27th June 2009

1. Continue Edit of Blood & Iron Story – Do This !!!!
2. Continue Beware the Sorcery (main WIP) – 1,000 words alternate days.
3. Continue Fungus Forest key (Non-fic gaming project) 1,000 words alternate days.
4. Continue plot plan for Lembek of the Lows (next WIP).
5. Type up rough scene for Magus (supernatural comedy drama script).
6. Listen to Newsjack on BBC Radio 7 and brainstorm sketches to submit.
7. Write 'Actory Actors' Sketch.
8. Rough out scene cards for Vampire short.
9. Research and brainstorming for Worldbuilding Wednesday.
10. Weekday blog updates.

Struggling to get the editing done. Is there such a thing as editor's block? There can't be I don't even believe in writer's block. I'm just not pulling my finger out and doing the work. Must slap self-in face two-hundred times on Monday morning whilst chanting the mantra . . .

. . . writer's who don't revise are writers who won't survive, writer's who don't revise are writers who won't survive, writer's who don't revise are writers who won't survive . . .

. . . right this week I'm kicking the list's ass!

FRPG Friday: Turning the Tables - Why Random Rocks

Long ago, in the mists of time, when I first started playing RPG's there were a lot of random tables: wondering monsters, treasure, rumours, criticals and fumble, backgrounds, reactions, languages, hit locations, resistance tables. Lots of tables.

Some products, such as Judges Guild The Wilderlands of High Fantasy, consisted of little else but tables. In fact one of Judges Guild most useful products, Ready Reference Sheets is nothing more than a collecction of tables. One entire gameline, Iron Crown Enterprises Rolemaster was renowned for being table heavy, earning the nicknames Tablemaster or Rollmaster.

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We liked tables. Tables were good. Roll on a table, consult the rules and It'd tell you what happened or roll on table in a module and find out what happens next. Cool. All we needed were some funny dice and some random encounter tables and it was game on. Good times. But good time never last.

Two things changed the hobby, the quest for realism and the pursuit of the epic. Rules became more and more detailed, featuring rules for literally anything you could think of and many things you would never need in a thousand years of gamming. At the same there was feeling that the orginal game of wilderness exploration and dungeon delving was past its sell by and just didn't cut it anymore. The idea that characters should be heroes with epic destinies rather than adventurers, that die if their player made a wrong decsion or worse if their DM rolled something random and gnarley on some stupid table became, the way we played.

Of course, it wasn't just players, a lot of us DM's were getting all serious and haughty. I don't need no steenkin' random tables, not when I have my awsome story arc . . .

. . .Right, okay, so there's this amulet that the evil lord Toruman created to bind all the other amulets to his evil will and you have to take it to the heart of his power in Lessdoor and cast it into a . . . errr . . . cast it into a trash compactor while Gandol-Ben-Obi The Puce takes down the tractor bea- I mean wards of holding.

Lately though I've turned the tables and decided that random rocks. This happend when playing a game of Orginal D&D using the Wilderlands of High Fantasy as a setting. The game was a simple one of exploration. I found that rather than a problem the slightness of the setting and its reliance on random encounter tables, as opposed to the detail and depth of modern settings, was refreshing and a boon to creativity. As I mentioned in the last FRPG Friday making stuff up on the fly is my preffered method of gming.

Where in the past I'd haughtily dismissed random tables as an insult to my creativity what I discovered is that actually they're a spur to creativity. One roll on my favourite table the Ravaged Ruins table can generate enough ideas to fill an evening's play. The results from the table are sparse, vague even, but they spark the imagination wonderfully and you don't have to be tied to them. Roll something that doesn't fit with your campaign or you think is dumb, then ignore it and roll again. Don't take my word for it, here I'll roll us up a ruin to explore . . .

First I roll 1d10 on table 1 to generate the type of ruin, its condition, what's covering it, its state and more ominously its Keeper!

Roll 1 . . . 2 we have found some relics on our journey. Roll 2 . . . 8 In a large crater. That's already interesting and immediately I'm think these relics must have fallen from the sky. Alien artifacts, a gift of the gods? Roll 3 . . . 2 the relics are covered in ashes. Roll 4 . . .9 the relics are partially operational. Roll 5 . . . 10 there is no keeper. These relics are ungaurded, perhaps they've only just fallen to the surface then.

Subtable next. What are the relics 1d6 . . .1 tools.

So we have our relic, partially operational tool, that the party has found covered in ashes and lying in a crater. This begs the questions: what are the tools? What are they used for? Whose tools were they? Why did they fall from the sky? What are the ashes that cover them, and most importantly of all; if they are partially operational can the party use them or repair them and make them fully operational?

My first thought is that the tool is some sort of transportation device. Now this is a broad definition of the word 'tool' but that's the beauty of these random tables, they only need to serve as spark to creativity. You don't have to follow them slavishly. The Relic is a device for traveling vast distances in seconds, a gift from the gods, or a god, or maybe, depending on how pulp you like your fantasy, alien tech. Same difference as far as your players are concerned. The ashes are all that's left of the last oprerator, the crater caused by the crash that is the reason for the relic being semi-operational.

I think that should keep a party occcupied for an a time. They'll either try and get it working, or throw it on a cart and try and sell it to wizard who can. That or set it on fire.

So what would you do with the same rolls? Let me know?

Next FRPG Friday I'll be posting some random wilderness encounters of my own for use with Swords & Wizardry: White Book or any other early edition game.

Next FRPG Friday: Weird Woods & Fearsome Forests

Listening:Priscilla Ahn - A Good Day, Reverend And The Makers - The State of Things, Crowded House - Woodface, Laura Viers - Year of Meteors

Worldbuilding Wednesday: 2 - How the Hell do you Build a World Anyway?

I have a new folder in my favourites list now; labeled Worldbuilding. It's full of links to great worldbuilding sites and resources. Now all I need is time to read them all.

As I mentioned before, previously I've not been a worldbuilding type of writer, so this is an new experience and a bit of an experiment for me (you could call it a new adventure in fantasy fiction I guess).

I have had time to skim Wikipedia's entry on worldbuilding. Appropriately enough it's starts with three ways to start worldbuilding.

1)Top Down/Macro to Micro - the designer first creates a general overview of the world, determining broad characteristics such as the inhabitants, technology-level, major geographic features, climate, global history, and other details of strategic importance. Once this is complete, the details of the world are developed by gradually focusing on smaller and smaller details, such as continents, civilizations, nations, cities, and towns.

2)Bottom Up/Micro to Macro - the designer begins with a focus on one small part of the world, possibly with a few elements, not necessarily consistent, needed for fictional purposes. This location is given considerable detail, adding in important facts about the local geography, culture, social structure, government, politics, commerce, and history. Many of the prominent locals are described, and their interrelationships determined. The surrounding areas are then described in a lower level of detail, with the information growing more general and less detailed with increasing distance from the focus location.

3)Top Down-Bottom Up/Macro and Micro - the designer uses a combination of the first two methods by beginning with a loose overview of the world as in the top-down (macro-to-micro), determining basic characteristics of geography and climate, but is not very detailed. Next the designer switches to the bottom-up (micro-to-macro) approach, filling and adjusting details as required.

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I'm going with method three. My preference would normally be two; to start with small local detail and work out, but I already have a vague idea for the geograpghy of my new world, so method three, a bit of both will work.

I'd done a bit of brainstorming/mindmaping on the subject of worldbuilding too; which is how I came up with the beginnings of what my world will be like. I won't scan this in, my handwriting is near illegible anyway.

In general the things that stuck out when brainstorming were polar opposites (ha) the choices between a fantastical, mythic, or symbolic approach versus a more hard-science, astronomy, geographically realistic approach. In the end again I've plumped for a middle way.

I want my world to feel real, but I have a better grasp on things cultural and historic than I do physics and astronomical. I also want my world to feel fantastical rather than mundane. I want magic and monsters, I want civilisations that aren't human. However, I don't want to avoid research on subjects I'm not strong on out of laziness, and I don't want a world filled with Smeerps and flakey-fakey magic that can do anything (especially when it comes to solving plot problems). In fact I don't want magic that is there just to get characters out of problems. I want magic to be almost as dangerous to its users as it is to their enemies. I want magic to be wild and chaotic.

I want a world rich in detail, but I don't want to get lost in excessive detail. I want to be able to write stories in this world in months, not years. I don't want to find myself, two-years down the line, writing essays about the history of root vegetables in magic-world.

In short I'm looking at verisimilitude over realism.

So that's how I'm going to build my world. I'd love to hear how any of you worldbuilders out there build or have built yours . . .

Next Worldbuilding Wednesday: Welcome to my World!

Worldbuilding Wednesday: 1 Thou Shalt Not Tolkienize!

Reading: The Penguin Book of English Verse, Thieves World edited by Robert Lyn Asprin, Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark, Kit's Wilderness by David Almond

Listening: Sam Sparrow - Sam Sparrow, Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion, Sara Bareilles - Little Voice, She & Him - Volume One

Today: No writing or editing yet.

Stuck in the Muddle With You

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“Many modern novels have a beginning, a muddle and an end.” Philip Larkin

That's where I'm at in my work in progress: in the muddle. Or more precisely, and much more dauntingly, at the beginning of the middle. Like the title of this blog suggests this is all new territory to me. I'm 32,000 words into my first novel. The beginning of the novel is officially over. I know where I am with the opening of a novel, what has to happen, how it happens. I've introduced all the main characters, I've slowly revealed elements of the setting, I've given the characters desires to chase, problems to overcome, antagonists to get into conflict with. I've kicked it all off. It's started. The story has begun. In fact it has stopped beginning. Now it's muddled.

I know how my story ends. I often do before I start. When I used to write short stories, the end of a story would come to me in flash as I wrote the beginning. Even if it didn't, that was okay. I know how endings work, what has to happen, how a story has to resolve in a satisfactory manner. I know how to tie up all the lose ends, answer all the unanswered questions, and make sure every character gets the ending they deserve. Simple enough. But what about the middle of a story? I can remember the beginning and endings to a lot of my stories, but the middles . . . well . . . let's see, the story starts . . . there's characters, problems, conflict . . . in the end it's all sorted out and between those two . . . stuff happens.

Yup, that's my unified theory of middles in fiction. Stuff happens between the beginning and end. nebulous, vague, unspecified stuff. Stuff that happens.

Okay. That's not much help. I obviously need to take this a bit more seriously. What really happens, or what I want to happen in the middle of of my stories, is complications and reversals.

Traditionally by the time the opening has set things in motion your characters are set on a course of action, they've crossed the point of no return, and they're pursuing a story problem, desire, or need, that they have to go after. Not only because if they don't there's no story, but because it's a need that's either intrinsic to them as a character, imperative to their survival, or to their well being, be that physical or emotional.

Once they start chasing that's when the complications and reversals come in. Scene after scene where they chase their goal only to have complications thwart them and just when they think they're on top of all those complications a big fat reversal comes along to blow them away and turn the whole story on its head, hopefully in a good way.

A complication is simply making things more difficult. The hero has to cross the river. He finds a bridge. Great. Or not so great as halfway across the bridge he discovers the troll who lives under it. Things just got complicated. While our hero is advancing forward in the story his object of desire, or his goal, is getting further away, not closer, with each complication.

Complications are also part of the ongoing escalation of conflict, the rising conflict, that occurs as your story rushes headlong to its (hopefully) exciting climax.

Rising conflict is the sort of terminology that gets thrown around a lot but is rarely discussed. Many writers on reading rising conflict might see a jagged, stair-like, diagram in their minds-eye, but not really have a clear idea what one actually is. A better name would be realistic and steadily rising conflict, but that isn't so catchy is it. You see a Rising conflict is the right way to handle conflict in your stories, but it's best illustrated when sandwiched between the two types of conflict that don't works so well. Static conflict and jumping conflicts. A static conflict, as the name implies, is one that isn't going anywhere.

For example, I say conflict is key to good storytelling. You say no it isn't. Yes it is. No it isn't. Neither of us will budge. This conflict's going nowhere and that's no good for fiction. Then again perhaps you might say conflict isn't key to good fiction and instead of saying yes it is I just up and punch you in face (as if you'd just said Hawk the Slayer is rubbish) that's jumping conflict. A conflict that 'jumps' unrealistically from zero aggro to total confrontation in seconds. It's not an appropriate response, it isn't realistic and readers don't like that.

So the the first thing I need in my middle isa series of complications as the conflict rises.

Then there are reversals. A reversal is normally a big deal, when the whole plot does a u-turn, you know like "Luke I am your father!" That kind of thing. The sort of thing that tends to spoil your protagonist's day, but really excites your readers. Easier said than done.

You've probably already had one reversal at the beginning, that little thing they call the inciting incident, another is due at the midway point, and the final big one that throws us headlong into the climax or resolution of the story.

Now, the more 'arty' among you might think this is all very formulaic, but it isn't it's just story structure, good pacing. Writers that don't outline will more or less, still hit these same high points, or at least they will if they've been reading enough good genre fiction.

I think I've more or less convinced myself I know what I should be doing with my middle. Now I just have to write the damn thing.

Next: Worldbuilding Wednesday 2 - How the Hell do I Build a World Anyway?

Today: 1,024 words non-fiction.

Reading: The Penguin Book of English Verse, Thieves World edited by Robert Lyn Asprin, Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark, Kit's Wilderness by David Almond

Listening: The Morning Benders - Talking Through Tin Cans, The Mystery Jets - 21, The Pixies - Dolittle, The Cars - Greatest Hits, Frightened Rabbit - The Morning Organ Fight, Goldfrapp - Supernature, Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim

Normal Service Will Resume Shortly

I've been monkeying around with my template and settings.

Image by ucumari via Flickr

In the process my blog N00bness has lost all the widgets I had. I'll have to bugger around re-loading them. Ho-hum. However I have installed a great little tool called Zemanta that is giving me text relevant pictures and links. Which is nice, escpecially as I like monkies.

Reading: The Penguin Book of English Verse, Theives World edited by Robert Lyn Asprin, Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark

Listening: The Waterboys - This is the Sea,The All American Rejects - THe All American Rejects, Paolo Nutini - Sunny Side Up, Vetiver - Tight Knit, St. Vincent - Actor, Jethro Tull - Broadsword and the Beast, Florence and the Machine - A Lot of Love, A Lot of Blood, Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister

Writing: 1,050 words for W.I.P

It Doesn't Pay To Be A Listless Writer

Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.

Pablo Picasso

Every Sunday I stick a 'to do' list on the pin-board in my office. It's a list of my writing goals for the week ahead listed in order of priority. I find setting myself goals helps keep me working. Without goals I drift. I'm not a disciplined writer. I need to keep reminding myself I need to work, and what I need to work on. I also find it helps if I set myself more goals than I can realistically achieve. If I set realistic achievable goals I almost tick off everything on the list and then think, that'll do for the week. That way I don't get much done. If I aim a little higher goalwise, I might not tick everything on the list, but I trick myself into doing more work. Weird I know.

I don't work to a word count these days. I found when I do that I end up writing 500 word flash fiction every other day, just so I did something and could tick off my minimal required words per day. Doing that I was left with a lot of flash fiction I didn't want to do anything with, as I don't read or particularly like flash fiction, but hey I was nailing that word count and that's good, right?

These days I don't write to a word count. Instead I work in scenes,;writing between one and three complete scenes a day. Sometimes a chapter is just one scene, sometimes there can be a few scenes and narrative in a chapter. That way I tend to get about the same amount of work done as when I wrote to a word count or more, but what I get done is a lot more use to me.

I still record how many words of fresh new unedited prose I write, though. I do this as both a stick and carrot. A stick to beat myself with when the word count is pitiful and a carrot when I'm flying and the writing's going well. I also like to make sure I'm keeping on track to getting at least 100,000 words a year done. That's about a novel a year. If I can't manage that as a minimum I don't have much of a future as fantasy novelist.

Here's my word count so far this year . . .

January Total: 23,740
February Total: 7,912
March Total: 5,180
April Total: 6,884
May Total: 8,535
2009 Total Word Count: 60,381

JUNE
June 1st: 1,086
June: 2nd:1,024
June 3rd:1,107
June 4th: 257
June 5th:1,500
June 6th: 0
June 7th: 0
June 8th: 0
June 9th:1,007
June 10th: 1,099
June 11th:1,050
June 12th: 0
June 13th: 0
June 14th:

June Total: 8,130


This week's to do list . . .

To Do List 15th – 20th June 09

1. Continue Edit of Blood & Iron Story – Do This !!!!
2. Continue Beware the Sorcery (main WIP) – 1,000 words alternate days.
3. Continue Fungus Forest key (Non-fic gaming project) 1,000 words alternate days.
4. Continue plot plan for Lembek of the Lows (next WIP).
5. Type up rough scene for Magus (supernatural comedy drama script).
6. Listen to Newsjack on BBC Radio 7 and brainstorm sketches to submit.
7. Write 'Actory Actors' Sketch.
8. Rough out scene cards for Vampire short.
9. Research and brainstorming for Worldbuilding Wednesday.
10. Weekday blog updates.

Let's see how many of them have a tick by them next Sunday.

Listening: Alphabeat -This is Alphabeat, Ida Maria - Fortress Around My Heart, Howling Bells - Howling Bells, Ben Kweller - Changing Horses

Reading: The Penguin Book of English Verse, Theives World edited by Robert Lyn Asprin, Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark

Anyone know where I can get a good (ie easy to use) 'Currently reading' widget?

FRPG Friday: I am the Dungeon Master! Fear Me!

It's always been my preference to be a referee, or Dungeon Master, rather than a player right from the very beginning . . .

I am the Dungeon Master! Fear Me!

That's me reading the TSR AD&D Module T1: The Village of Hommlet. No doubt preparing to unleash it on my D&D buddies. As I mentioned last week , my friend Gareth, who was introduced to Tunnels & Trolls by his brother, introduced me to gaming and soon there was a core of us in our village: me, Gareth, Allen, and Col who gamed regularly, and even more of us at school who played in every available lunch break.

It was a good time, D&D was really taking off. it was new it was shiny and lots of people were into it, and somehow I always ended up being the DM. We all had different TSR modules we ran, but at some stage people started giving me their modules and letting me run them for them. I remember having great fun running the iconic B2: Keep on the Borderlands and that was Allen's module, he got it with the Moldvay Basic D&D 'Red' Boxed set.

Soon after that I stopped running modules and would just run off the cuff adventure, sure they were basically just a rehash of myths, legends and lord of the rings, and a fair few games that were suspiciously close to the plot of Hawk the Slayer or at least that's how they began. Once we got started with them they became their own thing, our own RPG legends. Sad as we are me and my friend Col, can still remember a great spur of the moment Runequest adventure involving his barbarian character, a big sword, a mountain pass and many, many lizard men. Sadly, you grow up and you lose touch with old school friends. The only one of the old D&D gang I'm in touch with now is Col, and he lives on the other side of the country. Still we managed to get together for a game of D&D 4th Edition and hopefully we'll be meeting up for another game (system undecided) soon.


In my early twenties I was in a band. A lot of our down time was spent on the Megadrive, but I also got them to play G.U.R.P.'s.

It started one evening with me, the Bass player, and our roadie. The roadie played a Knight, the Bass player was his squire. The adventure started simply enough with them walking through the 'Ye Olde Worlde' version of our village and seeing the Duke's men attacking a farmer and his wife, from that fun adventure cliche we ended up with a massive epic, and equally fun and cliched 'save-the-world' game. The singer later joining to play a Drow prince, and the drummer playing a outlaw rogue type. Like the band itself it was a lot of fun while it lasted.

Off the cuff, by-the-seat-of-yer-pants, or winging-it, is still my favourite way to DM. These days rather than borrowing from stories, I prefer to have a setting that the player characters can explore and fill it with a number of NPC's that all have their own agenda's, their own conflicting desires.

The party of player characters act as a catalyst as the NPC's maneuver to use, or be used by the PC's, and everyone struggles to get what they want. Combine this with some random events, and encouraging the players to get proactive and pursue their own agendas within the setting and you get session after session of fun and mayhem.

That's not to say I wouldn't run a module, I would I would totally run B2: Keep on the Borderlands at the drop of a hat.

Next FRRPG Friday: Turning the Tables - Why Random Rocks!

Writing: 1,050 words of (game related) non-fiction yesterday.

Listening: Cara Dillon - After the Morning, Paolo Nutini - Sunny Side Up, Dan Auerback - Keep it Hid. Jason Mraz - We Sing, We Dance, We Steal

Worldbuilding Wednesday: 1 - Thou Shalt Not Tolkienize!

As I said in a previous post Wednesdays on this blog were to be dedicated to worldbuilding. Even though I'm really not a worldbuilding type of writer I thought it might be an interesting experiment and it's always good for the creative instinct to try something new.

I'm not sure what I'll use my new world for; a place to set new stories, as a basis for RPG campaigns, purely as a creative exercise, or all of the above. I don't know yet. We'll see.

So . . . worldbuilding, fantasy worldbuilding . . . where to begin with fantasy worldbuilding . . .

In the Beginning there was Tolkien . . .
. . . and lo he was good. Very good at worldbuilding indeed.

Very good, but misunderstood I think. I'm often reading, on that thar interwebbythingum, that the good professor built the most comprehensive fantasy world from scratch. EVAR!

To anyone who knows just a little Northern European Mythology, or the professors academic background that idea is patently not true. Even the name 'Middle-Earth' is simply the Old English/Old Norse name for Earth. On the surface there's nothing in Tolkien's world that can't be found in legend: elf queens,cunning dwarves, gold greedy dragons, evil wizards, wise kings. They can all be found in The Eddas, Sagas, Beowulf, Tir-Nan-Og, Arthurian legend, the Niblung cycle. But it's not on the surface, but deep down in the belly of his world, the history of it, that Tolkien creates his magic.

What Tolkien does is bring a level of detail, of depth, of breadth of imagination and creativity, a level of immersion to these things, these real world mythologies and folk stories, that was completely unprecedented in fictional work. Tolkien said he wanted to create a new mythology for England. In the end I think he created one for the world.

There's no doubting it, Tolkien is the undisputed, untouchable, unmatchable king of fantasy worldbuilding. So my first rule of worldbuilding is simply this . . .

. . . Thou Shalt Not Tolkienize!

No Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, no small greedy furry footed pipe smoking littlefolk, no Pseudo-Saxon Kings, no Riders, Rangers, or Rings.

In my world there will be nothing Tolkienesque, no Sub-Tolkien creation, and sadly no Old Norse or Old English myth that will be mistaken for Tolkien rip-offs. There will be no languages created. I am not a linguist, I am not an Etymologist. In short . . .

. . . I Shall Not Tolkienize!

Well that's what I won't do. What will I do? Well First off I'll start this project just like I'd start any other: with brainstorming and research.

Next Wednesday: 2 - How the Hell do I Build a World Anyway?

Writing: 1,007 words of non-fic yesterday, 1,099 words of fiction today. Hurrah!

Today: Watching the Dresden Files; Listening to White Lies - To Lose My Life

My Top Ten Favourite Fantasy Novels

In no particular order . . .


1. The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings By J.R.R Tolkien.
2. The Dark is Rising quintet by Susan Cooper.
3. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursla K Le Guin.
4. A Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R Martin.
5. The Rigante Trilogy by David Gemmell.
6. Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb.
7. Thieves World Anthologies edited by Robert Lyn Asprin.
8. Codex Alera by Jim Butcher
9. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay.
10. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie


The Hobbit was the book that, aged eight, turned me into a life long fantasy fan. It took me a few years to get around to The Lord of the Rings so I was twelve by the time I finished that. We had the single volume behemoth and that's a lot of book to tackle at any age.

There's not much more that can be said about Tolkien that hasn't already been said on a thousand other websites. So I'll finish with this quote by Terry Pratchett: "If you don't think The Lord of the Rings is the best book ever written when you're twelve, there's something wrong with you. If you still think it's the best book ever written by the time you're thirty-five there's something wrong with you."

The Dark is Rising is a smashing quintet of kids fantasy books that draw heavily on Arthurian myth and English folklore. I read these between the ages of 12-13 and was completely blown away by them. The first book, Over Sea, Under Stone is possibly the weakest of the series, reading like a famous five book wrapped up in some Arthurian mystery, but I still love it. It's with the second book, The Dark is Rising, where the series really finds its feet. That book just drips with atmosphere and magic.

There was movie version of The Dark is Rising, but I just can't bring myself to think about that, let alone blog about how incredibly bad an adaptation it was. Meh

A Wizard of Earthsea was another book I read and was absorbed by as a child. I've recently reread it and it's still a rich and vibrant fantasy world with a great central character and some really good ideas. I'd say it's near to Lord of the Rings in its status as an iconic fantasy novel.

A Song of Fire and Ice more than anything suits my taste as an adult fantasy fan. It's dark, gritty, and brutal. Some readers don't like it for that very reason, preferring the more idealistic, utopian world view found in most quest based doorstop fantasy, but I love the ruthless political ambition of the characters, I love the way Martin is true to the realities of power and those that seek it. His characterisation and plotting are excellent, as is the fantasy world he has created.

I love David Gemmell's work. Fast paced, action orientated storytelling that owes more to Howard than Tolkien. I particularly like Gemmell because his heroes are work-a-day warriors, rather than wizards or orphan farm boys who are long-lost heirs to the throne or prophesied saviour of the world. The Rigante Trilogy, his Celtic fantasy series is my favourite.

The Farseer Trilogy is Hobb's first, but the second by her that I read. I was lent her Liveship Traders trilogy by my mother-in-law. I liked them well enough and was impressed by the literary quality of her writing, but the Farseer books are much more my style, and I enjoyed the rarity that is a first-person POV fantasy trilogy.

I've known about Thieves World and the City of Sanctuary for years, primarily through the advertisements of the Thieves World box set that, as an RPG obsessed kid, I would longingly stare at in early copies of White Dwarf. It's only recently that I've gotten hold of the Anthologies that the boxed set was based on. I'm not even half way through book one in a series of eleven and this series is destined to be one of my all time favourites. Loving it.

On paper the Codex Alera shouldn't really be a favourite read. On the surface it's a bog standard farm-boy turned chosen one set up, but Jim Butcher knows that, is doing that on purpose. Butcher handles pacing and action superbly and I found myself devouring these books one after the other. Looking forward to the sixth, and final book in the series coming later this year.

Guy Gavriel Kay is one of the more literary fantasy writers on the scene. I like quite a few of his novels, The Sarantine books especially, but Tigana is my favourite, a great setting, great idea, and excellent prose.

Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy is a brilliant and dark take on the standard Fantasy tropes. Very clever and very entertaining. The basic idea is what would 'really' happen in a world where sorcerers wield god like power. Great characters too, especially Glokta and Lofgren Ninefingers.

Honourable mentions for The Belgaraid another childhood favourite, but that particular style of fantasy is no longer to my taste, and pulp Sword & Sorcery, which is something that I'm coming late to. I have a lot of catching up to do. I read a Conan anthology as a kid and remember being disappointed because there were no wizards, orcs, elves, or dragons. You live and learn. I suspect as I read more of Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, they might be supplant Conan as my favourite Sword & Sorcery characters. Those are two very charismatic rogues.

Today: No writing, bah.

Next: Worldbuilding Wednesday: 1 - Thou Shalt Not Tolkienize!

FRPG Friday: Do You Remember the First Time?

This was supposed to be Fantasy Roleplaying Game Friday, or FRPG Friday, but I've been busy writing my W.I.P. and playing in my Play by post Swords & Wizardry: White Box game over at RPGnet that it's now no longer Friday, so . . .

. . . rolls 1d20 . . . 14, phew! I made my save vs fecklessness Saving Throw! Okay, on with Saving Throw Saturday then . . .

Every Friday(or Saturday, ahem) purely for my own amusement I will blog about Fantasy Roleplaying Games. In the future I'll post one page scenarios, new monsters, spells, and treasures, rules, etc. for my favourite RPGS, or just ramble on about them nd the hobby in general, but this week . . .

Do You Remember The First Time?

Most roleplayers, when asked, can vividly recall their introduction to the hobby. Whether it's a first character, the cover of the rulebook, some weird monster, deadly trap, or just the friends you played with, the first RPG experience stays with you.

For me, I remember sitting in our ancient maths block at high school. It was my first year I was nine or ten. It was a cold December day, that's why I was spending lunch break in the maths room (god knows I wouldn't go their voluntarily). My friend Gareth came over looking excited. He was carrying this little green booklet. On the front cover it had a picture of a warrior in chain mail, with sword and shield, standing at the foot of a tower. The booklet was called Sword for Hire.



I was instantly fascinated. From as far back as I can remember I've been obsessed with King Arthur, Greek myths, Roman armies, Viking raiders, Knights in armour. When I was eight I read the Hobbit and became an instant fantasy and Tolkien fan. In fact that year in first-year I was half-way through Lord of the Rings.

"What is it?" I said flicking through the pages looking at pictures of a red robed priest with his rune staff, blue elf armour, magic swords, and a beer swilling rock demon called Six-pack.

"Tunnels & Trolls," said Gareth.

"What's Tunnels & Trolls? I asked.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that his answer changed my life.

He said, "It's like the hobbit, but you get to be the hero?"

Cue light shining through window and angelic choir.

I was sold.

We rolled up a character. Boromir. I know, I know. He had leather armour, a target shield, and a Broadsword. Gareth explained the rules, and how to roll up a character. He knew all this because his big brother had taught him, that's whose game it was. Then we started. we didn't get far before the bell went, and it was time for maths. I don't think I was much good for anything for the rest of the day. I went to Gareth's house straight after school.

And that was that. For the next six years, from '80 to 85, every spare minute was spent playing or thinking about RPG's, every spare penny was spent on them.

I'm lucky I came to the hobby just as it was taking off and played during the height of the RPG fad in the UK. It was a time when a ton of great games were released and it seemed like the whole world was taking an interest in the hobby.

I've played off and on at various times over the years since then, but never with the same intensity, or simple unadulterated joy, and never with that same sense of wonder as when I rolled up Boromir, armed him with Sword and Shield, and entered the wizard's tower in search of gold and adventure.

Next: My Top Ten Favourite Fantasy Novels

Fantasy? Whip? Whip Fantasy? Oh you mean W.I.P.

W.I.P. a work in progress. That's something I see a lot of writers talk about or have little counters for on blogs and forums. The more observant will notice I have one too. If you're very observant you'll have seen it increase by 2,000 words this week. Tomorrow hopefully it'll go up by another 1,000.

So, I'm a writer, I have this blog about my adventures in fantasy fiction. I guess it would help if I at least mention what I'm working on.

Except I don't want to.

Well, it's not so much that I don't want to, it's more I don't like to. I find it difficult to talk about work in progress. There are reasons. One is that as I work on something it's all a bit nebulous, all up in the air, nothing is set, everything is subject to change. If I try and talk about a story, explain what it's about, before I've finished it I feel like I'm somehow weakening the story, I'm expressing it in a way other than getting it down in a draft and expending some of the story's momentum. The other reason is that trying to describe a story that's half written, for me at least, comes off as either cheesy back page blurb, or just falls flat, and makes me wonder why I'm writing that particular story and whether I should just can it and start something else.

Still, seems a bit pointless to start this blog and then not talk about what I'm writing. That is after all the whole point, so here we go . . .

What's Done is Done (but needs a damn good rewrite).

I have three stories finished and queued for editing . . .

1. 
   A 10k story about a warrior's attempt to return the rightful bloodline to power. Strictly speaking this is historical rather than fantasy as it contains no speculative elements and is set in post Roman Wales. I wrote this for an anthology. It's top priority for editing, but the going is slow. Still need to cut another 500 words before I can get to the real meat of rewriting. Working title: Hawks of Dyfed.
2. 
   A 10K story about a warrior fleeing from his enemies. He reaches the edge of the known world and the only place for him to go is into the Ice Wastes. There he meets a strange tribe of ice dwellers, becomes involved their struggle for survival against an ancient evil they unleashed on the world. A situation he turns to his advantage when his enemies catch up with him. Working title: Ice Waste Monster Story.
3. 
   A 6k Urban fantasy about a frantic night on the city streets with a 'Grey' magician. It's very violent and sweary. I have no idea if there's even a market for it, but I kinda like some of the ideas. Working Title: The Trouble With Magic.

The Number One Reason Your Book Will Never Be Published Is Because You Have Not Written It

For a few years now, I've been writing away, flash fiction, literary short stories, sitcom scripts, but what I've really wanted to do was write novel length fantasy fiction. You'd expect me to have a few ideas brewing. Which I do. I have a list of 15 titles on my pin board and a file called fantasy story ideas with 34 titles and brief one paragraph descriptions. These are all story ideas I've collected, daydreamed, planed, plotted and thought about over the years. Perversely, I'm not using up any of these. Instead I have three relatively new ideas for novels which I'm working on.

The first and my favourite is an idea which combines a Bernard Cornwall Sharpe type character in a near-east proto-bronze age Sword & Sorcery setting. This is the idea I've done the most day dreaming about and the least coherent work for. I have pages of notes, brainstorming, mind maps, ideas about the culture, how magic works, and a first person bio for the main character that I'm writing, bit by bit, very slowly. Working Title: ???

The next idea, my second favourite, I'm going to write to a plot plan. I'm working on characters, setting, etc. again lots of notes, brainstorming. I have a rough draft first chapter, but I'm not going to write more until I have a complete plot-plan, and detailed break down of individual scenes.

It's set in a strange post-apocalyptic city: The city of a Thousand Towers, where the rich and powerful each control the top tower and live isloated from everyone else. Their minions, servants, tradesmen, merchants and soldiers, live below them in Midheim where the towers connect via walkways and bridges. The scum and dregs of society live in The Lows, living off the leavings that fall from above. The elite rule because of their closely guarded mastery of both magic, swordsmanship and the secrets of the towers. The hero, Lembek is the son the most powerful man in the city, master of the great tower, but Lembek has been exiled to The Lows in disgrace. He defended a girl from the lows against a fellow noble. He now survives by working as a croaker, a killer for coin.

The novel starts when the King of the Croakers is murdered and Lembek is accused of the murder. He has to prove his innocence, catch the real killer, thwart his noble enemies, and survive as every croaker in the city tries to kill him. Working Title: Lembek of the Lows.

Next idea, third favourite is the one I'm actually writing. I'm writing this seat-of-the-pants style. Here's some cheesy back cover blurb . . .

A housewife, who escapes from reality by reading fantasy novels, is transported to a real fantasy world where only her knowledge of the genre can save her, the fantasy world and its people, and ultimately the earth itself from the mysterious and menacing World Walker.

It's kinda tongue in cheek, not really smart enough to be satire, but not dumb or cruel enough to be parody either. I'm 28k in now, everything set up, the beginning is done with and the story is in full swing, heading fearlessly towards the dreaded MIDDLE! Working Title: Beware The Sorcery.

Why in reverse order? I'm working on the principal that your first novel is a learning process and unlikely to be published. I don't want to burn an idea I'm really attached to before I know what I'm doing. Not that, that means I don't like or believe in what I'm writing now, or that I don't want it to be published. Far from it. I wouldn't write 100k+ if I didn't think it was a story worth writing. It's just that I'm a pragmatist. There's a lot to learn when it comes to novel writing and I don't expect to get it right first time.

So that's what I'm working on in terms of fantasy fiction. I'm also working on some RPG non-fiction and TV script with fantasy elements.

Next: FRPG Friday: Do You Remember the First Time?

Hey Everyone, Follow Me . . .

. . . should really read don't follow me I don't know what I'm doing.

Despite that I installed the Follow widget and sat there watching it warily wondering if anyone would follow. Luckily I didn't have to have it sit there glaring at me follower free for long as happily Bettielee became my first follower, and the first person to comment on the blog. For which I'm very grateful. All this is new to me, it's weird typing up these little missives, wondering if people are reading them, wondering if they aren't, and wondering which is worse!

I also want to say high to Greg who is my second follower. Clicking on Greg's name doesn't link me to a blog, but judging by the list of RPG blogs Greg follows I prolly know him from one of the various RPG forums I spend waaaaay too much time on. So hi, Greg and thanks for following. Be sure to check in on FRPG Fridays.

I also had an invite to join facebook from another RPG online pal, but blogs are one thing, Twitter, Facebook, Bebo, all that social networking stuff is a bit beyond me. I don't quite 'get it' bah. If I'm honest I'm just cheerfully, wilfully, and happily grumpy and unsociable when it comes to that sort of stuff.

From here on in I've decided that Wednesdays on the blog will be Worldbuilding Wednesdays. Which is weird, because I'm not a Worldbuilding type of writer at all. I prefer to infer, and reveal any sort of cultural, geographical, and historical details in my fiction. Dribbling it out bit by bit, creating just enough to make the story believable, as and when I need it. I've never really gone in for or understood the urge to create a detailed background world before you write a story.

So consider Worldbuilding Wednesday an experiment. I'm going to build a world from scratch that might be the basis for future fiction, or might end up as nothing but a fun diversion, or a failed experiment. Either way I'm giving myself a week to think on the subject as it's something I know little about.


Next: Whip? Fantasy? Whip Fantasy? Oh, you mean W.I.P. . . .

I once punched a bloke in the face for saying 'Hawk the Slayer' was rubbish . . .

I didn't. But I totally would Hawk the Slayer is my favourite fantasy movie. Or at least it was when I was twelve.

The title of this post is a quote from my favourite sitcom Spaced (from the makers of Shaun of the Dead, and Hot Fuzz).

The full exchange between the main character Tim Bisley and his comic shop boss Bilbo Bagshot is . . .

Bilbo Bagshot: I once punched a bloke in the face for saying "Hawk the Slayer" was rubbish.

Tim Bisley: Good for you.

Bilbo Bagshot: Yeah, thanks. But that's not the point, Tim. The point is I was defending the fantasy genre with terminal intensity, when what I *should* have said is "Dad, you're right, but let's give Krull a try and we'll discuss it later."

Defending the fantasy genre with terminal intensity. I love that phrase. Perhaps because it often feels like the fantasy genre needs defending. Strangely in the world of Speculative Fiction, which itself is ignored and generally outsold by mainstream and outright derided by the literary set, fantasy is bottom of the pile and often looked down on by the readers of Horror and Science Fiction.

Even in the geeky world of roleplaying games; fantasy is derided as being the easiest genre to run because 'you don't need research and magic explains everything.' That's similar to the assertion that all fantasy is about farm boys who become heroes after traipsing round a world that is a thinly disguised mish-mash of anachronistic earth cultures then, as per the obligatory prophecy, defeating the evil overlord in a final climatic battle, that or the complaint that someone has turned their high-school D&D game into a ten book series.

Okay, so that is 99% of the genre, but it isn't all Extruded Fantasy Product. There are, and have been numerous great fantasy writers, who write with literary aplomb, push boundaries, and who have defined and constantly redefine the genre.

Even some of the more formulaic works have their place. A lot of criticism I find online comes from people around my age. People who are overworked, well read, and world weary. For us we might have seen it all before, but I think we tend to forget there's always a new generation coming up that haven't.

When I was twelve I read, and loved, The Belgariad. I totally related to Garion, was in love with Princess Ce'Nedra, wished I had a mentor like Belgarath, and cool companions that could dish out death.

I recently reread and realised that it was more or less Extruded Fantasy Product about a farm boy who becomes a hero after traipsing round a world that is a thinly disguised mish-mash of anachronistic earth cultures then, as per the obligatory prophecy, defeating the evil overlord in a final climatic battle. Not only that but Garion was unlikable and whinney, Ce'Nedra needed a good slap, and Belgarath and all the other characters were laughably two-dimensional.

But the book hadn't changed I had.

What I want to write is low magic, gritty, Dark ages fantasy but one day I'll write my own formulaic Extruded Fantasy Product, and I'll write it with heart, and I'll write it for the twelve year old boy I used to be.

In the meantime if anyone tries to tell you 'Hawk the Slayer' is rubbish, punch them in the face from me.

Lee, defending the fantasy genre with terminal intensity since 1982.

Next: Hey Everyone, Follow Me!

The (Published) Story So Far

I've always been a writer. When I was eight I wrote a sequel to Watership Down, it was considerably shorter than the original, and not really of publishable quality, but you get the idea. It's only in the last five years that I've made a real effort to write, and in the process discovered there's no secret trick to being a writer you just have to write.

Since 2004 I've averaged 100,000 words a year. Which is about the size of the average fantasy novel. 100,000 words a year sounds quite impressive, but it's only 274 words a day. Which is pitiful. Last year I only managed a paltry 46,661 words. Happily, this year, I passed that in April and things are going well wordcountwise.

In that time I've written mostly literary/mainstream short fiction, and a fair few Sitcom scripts. I haven't been floundering around on my own; I've had help with the short stories from Alex Keegan and his Boot Camp. For the sitcoms (which I was writing with a friend) I had input from the BBC who nearly made our sitcom. Nearly. Oh well. How we nearly made a sitcom is a long story and one for another post. Despite the sitcom not getting made I learnt more about sitcom/script writing in two months working with the beeb than I would have floundering around on my own for two-years. I also made some contacts.

I love literary/Mainstream short fiction, but I found myself drifting away from short fiction. I love novel length literary and mainstream fiction too, but what I really love, what i have a passion for is fantasy fiction. So I decided to stop writing literary short fiction and concentrate on what I really love. Along the way though I managed to pick up a few modest publications at various ezines . . .

Born Yesterday at Girls With Insurance - No longer online.

Winter Too Soon at New Silk Journal - Last poem on page.

Billy Dean, Light Weight Mendoza at Skive - No longer online.

Dark at Zygote in my Coffee - No longer online.

Dead Men's Shoes at Thieves Jargon

Oi Santa Clause you **** at Thieves Jargon

All Endings are the Same at Unlikely

A Question of Faith at Cherry Bleeds

Little Soldiers at Internet fiction

Mise-en-place at Cafe Doom

Cwmllechwedd Lane at Chick Flicks Ezine

A Wake for Pink Knickers at Chick flicks ezine - No longer online

Books, Bus, Love Missed at Chick flicks Ezine

Nothing Left at Susurrus Magazine

Norwich, Population 1 at NR1 - No Longer Online

Grimble at Southern Ocean Review

The View from Under the Table at Liar's League - read by Silas Hawkins

Haiku Short at Liar's League - read by Silas Hawkins

Kayaking for Beginners at laurahird.com

In Print

One Good Shot in 'Delivered'- Issue 16/March 2008

A Trio of Kremmy Little Magic Items at Dungeoneer's Digest

. . . and finally my first publication in the spec fic market . . .

This Being the Tale . . . at Flashing Swords

. . . although actually it's a straight up Pirate story with no speculative elements. Go figure.

So that's the story of my writing and publishing so far. Now, onward to adventure and hopefully publication in fantasy fiction.

Next: I once punched a bloke in the face for saying 'Hawk the Slayer' was rubbish . . .