Re: Secret History of Verduria V: The novels you can't read yet

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Posted by Mark Rosenfelder (64.16.210.2) on November 20, 2000 at 18:00:52:

In Reply to: Secret History of Verduria IV: Fonts and history posted by Mark Rosenfelder on November 20, 2000 at 17:34:04:

I've always intended to write stories set on Almea... though I've come to the conclusion that I'm better at world creation than at stories. Plots don't come easily to me. And I can't get very far if I don't know how the story will come out.

Still, I've written two full novels set in Almea. The first is set in modern-day Verduria, and features Abend Monteneon, in the days before he was prime minister-- instead, he ran the Corona Inn (this is a type of boat, not a crown, in Verdurian, though I didn't know it at the time). (See if you can find the Corona here; and note the reference to Corona Beer in the Civ2 scenario... and what does the calligraphic example from the grammar, shown below, say?).

Anyway, Abend-- whose character is based on that of Figaro, from the Beaumarchais plays-- ends up fighting a Dhekhnami sorceror. For most writers, the first thousand pages you write are garbage, and this is no exception. I think it looked excruciating whenever I've glanced back at it.

The second novel was written several years later; it's called In the Land of Babblers. It's set in the year 297, and concerns a young courtier named Beretos, who is sent to be the Cuzeian Resident in a miserable little Cadhinorian barony on the edge of the Plain that happens to guard the only pass through the Ctelm Mountains from the ktuvoks. The Cadhinorians are basically barbarians at this time, and Beretos finds it hard to be accepted even as a warrior, much less a help against
the demons.

Personally, I still like this book. I liked trying to get inside the mind of someone from a very antique culture; and the spiritual desolation that Beretos feels echoed some parts of my life. (I'm better now, thanks.)

I'm not going to post it online; I still want to be published on dead trees, and explore this wacky idea of writers getting 'paid' that I hear so much about nowadays.

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: I've always intended to write stories set on Almea... though I've come to the conclusion that I'm better at world creation than at stories. Plots don't come easily to me. And I can't get very far if I don't know how the story will come out. : Still, I've written two full novels set in Almea. The first is set in modern-day Verduria, and features Abend Monteneon, in the days before he was prime minister-- instead, he ran the Corona Inn (this is a type of boat, not a crown, in Verdurian, though I didn't know it at the time). (See if you can <a href="http://www.zompist.com/drill7.htm">find the Corona here</a>; and note the <a href="http://www.zompist.com/civ2.htm">reference to Corona Beer</a> in the Civ2 scenario... and what does the calligraphic example from the grammar, shown below, say?). : Anyway, Abend-- whose character is based on that of Figaro, from the Beaumarchais plays-- ends up fighting a Dhekhnami sorceror. For most writers, the first thousand pages you write are garbage, and this is no exception. I think it looked excruciating whenever I've glanced back at it. : The second novel was written several years later; it's called <b><i>In the Land of Babblers</i></b>. It's set in the year 297, and concerns a young courtier named Beretos, who is sent to be the Cuzeian Resident in a miserable little Cadhinorian barony on the edge of the Plain that happens to guard the only pass through the Ctelm Mountains from the ktuvoks. The Cadhinorians are basically barbarians at this time, and Beretos finds it hard to be accepted even as a warrior, much less a help against : the demons. : Personally, I still like this book. I liked trying to get inside the mind of someone from a very antique culture; and the spiritual desolation that Beretos feels echoed some parts of my life. (I'm better now, thanks.) : I'm not going to post it online; I still want to be published on dead trees, and explore this wacky idea of writers getting 'paid' that I hear so much about nowadays.

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