Monday, October 17, 2016

Story Engine Working

Last week was pretty good with a word count above 5,000 but still, sadly below my target of 10,000. I think I missed recording one day so I can’t be sure of the exact figure. No matter. I’m writing. The book has now reached 107,000 words. This figure would be higher but for the fact that I’ve excised one section and transferred it to file marked Jain2 – the second book. My ending for this book is in sight, though I have to do some careful manipulation of what certain characters do and do not know. Other manipulations too. And one other plot thread that I’ll probably cut out and move to that second book too.


The problem I face here is that I’m writing a story that will extend across three or more books. My job, for you, is to deliver an enjoyable, violent, sensawunda romp that extends across one book with a beginning, middle and an end. However it must also be the beginning of the overall story arc of the ensuing books. Here I have to deliver an ending that satisfies to a degree but leaves hints of that overall arc and leaves the whole open to continue. It’s a bit of a balancing act. Nobody said it was easy, but then my ability to do this is why I’m sitting at home tapping out stuff about an alien AI, the Machiavellian schemes of an entity called Dragon and the arrival of a Jain super-soldier … rather than having to do a proper job.

At present I am just aiming to just get this first draft done. However I need to do some research. Some concerns the Schwarzchild radius of a black hole relative to its mass. But the other thing I really must do is read some of my own books again. I need to read the Cormac series again (please, don’t get excited some of you – Cormac does not make an appearance in the present book). I either need to read all five books or, specifically, read from when Orlandine appears on the scene i.e. Polity Agent and Line War. To be frank, probably many of you reading this know the events that occurred in those books better than I do now.

But it’s all going good. The complications and convolutions that in past months had been worrying me are really no different from those in the previous books. All that was different was me. I mean hell, what made me throw in a character like Orlandine in book 4 of the Cormac series, or earlier decide on introducing Skellor or pulling a certain brass man out of his grave? It is precisely this stuff that makes it!


Okay, back to back to a little venture into Jain pre-history…   

11 comments:

corvus said...

So it's true - there is only one golem who says "snickety-snick"...

joshua said...

This is a very tantalizing post- to hear more of the return to the Polity books that sucked me in years ago! That's not to say I haven't fully enjoyed all the more recent Transformation work, it's just the Polity and Skinner stuff pose a pivotal point in my reading habits. Anways, Jain Pre-history sounds extremely intriguing.

And Corvus's comment above is on the money!

Steve Gilham said...

> Some concerns the Schwarzchild radius of a black hole relative to its mass.

For the simple (negligible charge and spin) it's directly proportional R = (2G/c^2)M, where G is the gravitational constant (6.674×10−11 N⋅m2/kg2) and c is what you expect. Spin or electric charge will make small changes (order unity), up to the point where the horizon suddenly vanishes entirely, when the energy in the spin or the charge are comparable with the mass-energy. Spin also gives the black hole an equatorial bulge.

Neil said...

Good to see that things are coming along nicely.

Also more importantly you are in a happier place, I hope....

PXPT said...

I wish my man-cave was as tidy as yours. One day...

NC said...

I was looking for a universe to get into akin to Star Wars and Star Trek. You know, planets, civilizations, various characters. My wife, on a whim, got me Dark Intelligence. I'm a PhD candidate in computer science so obviously I loved the AIs. That particular book was the first that I reread over and over to get the details of this Polity universe....without tiring of the rereads. Now I've become obsessed and have read 4 more Polity novels in a two week period! The writing is amazing, and I'm pleased to see Neal typing away.

amicus said...

Hi Neal - have just received my copy of War Factory from Book Depository and have also ordered "Infinity Engine" for May next year :)
I enjoy lots of SCiFi- after a couple of decades of not reading any; but now really appreciate some of the "newer" authors - and am so glad to be back int eh Polity universe. Thank you for creating it!
And while I appreciate that you are back to being single - not by choice I realise - I say may you find the the best for you in both companionship and story outlines :)

Gregg Thorn

Revoke 2097 said...

Yeah I smashed the Spatterjay series back to back in about six months and have just finished the Polity books yesterday, in a shorter time.

Anonymous said...

That's not to say I haven't fully enjoyed all the more recent Transformation work, it's just the Polity and Skinner stuff pose a pivotal point in my reading habits. Visit us Securities Fraud Lawyer

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