Over the weekend, I set in on Cerryn's tale, reenvisioning Imperfect Hope's start by starting the story 20ish years prior to the events at Mud Bay that set the story in motion. Cerryn, one of the two main protagonists in Imperfect Hope, is an 8 year old baron's daughter, about to be "discovered" by the Questor General of the Eagles Forge Monestary. She starts the tale looking for her brother, 6 year old Remy, the youngest child of the Nallory clan, leaders of one of the provinces of the Western Marches. With this beginning, I feel that I'll be able to develop her character more naturally by the time she meets Randir, as well as lay the structure for the sub-plots that are an important part of Imperfect Hope.
Remy is a new viewpoint character, one who will have a more important role in the events following the end of IH part 1. I'm introducing him now, however, in order to put into play some of the confederacy politics that I hinted at in IH. Remy, as youngest son of the Baron, is expected to follow the traditional path of a baron's non-inheriting sons, and serve the Baronry as a military commander. However, this youngster, it turns out, is drawn to the see, and at a crux point in his story (prior to Mud Bay and concurrent to a political time bomb that Nestor sets off that discredits Cerryn's family.) Remy, by going to sea with one of the trade houses, turns his back on family politics, but his role in IH part two will have impact on the Empire's plot.
Meanwhile, I'm going to develop Randir in a similar method to Remy and Cerryn. Developing the character of a k'tath over time will make the character more personal, and will give me a chance to exhibit the major differences in Humanish and K'tath cultures. I'll be able to introduce the concept of Il'cha mates, which will go a long way toward explaining his attitudes toward the developing relationship with Cerryn late in Imperfect Hope. Cerryn's attitudes will also be developed in her own story.
As I mentioned, I tossed my early effort to write Cindas opening frame story, at least until I can have finished first draft of the early part of the tale and have a better understanding of what I am framing. So, with the tossing out of 850 words, I still managed a net gain of nearly 3000 words over the weekend, and I spent quite a bit of my writing time polishing up some storyline concepts, so it wasn't all writing. It may not seem like much, but my attitude is positive, and my outlook is hopeful (if imperfect). Now to deflect those electrons... (so I don't get negative... ;-) )
Unrelated to writing, I'm fighting an urge to comment on the stupidity of recent FAA moves... For now, I'll just say that, even though I agree that we need to drag our atc system into the 21'st century with some much needed upgrades, the way they're going about it is incredibly dense. But I guess I expect that, after 22 years in the FAA, my cynicism is well founded. The bureaucracy of the federal Gov't just doesn't lend itself to well-thought out improvements. Instead, we're getting a radar/computer suite shoved down our throats, the interface of which was designed by software designers who have little to no real experience on what is important to an air traffic controller. As a result, if/when ERAM is implemented, I will be able to demonstrate 5 different ways to print out NOTAMS (notices to airmen)(something I've never had a need to do in 20+ years), but nearly every command I use to call up important information that I typically need in seconds, (and that I can now do with a button push, 3 numbers on a keypad, and a mouse click) will require anywhere from 2-4 menu/scroll downs/mouse clicks on different parts of a 30 inch computer screen, and sometimes a half dozen + keystrokes on the keyboard. ARGGGH!
Anyway... Don't worry, the controllers will make it work. We'll just end up sitting in a corner at night after our shifts, rocking back and forth and babbling... Oh, I already do that..... ;-)
TTFN
Jim
Remy is a new viewpoint character, one who will have a more important role in the events following the end of IH part 1. I'm introducing him now, however, in order to put into play some of the confederacy politics that I hinted at in IH. Remy, as youngest son of the Baron, is expected to follow the traditional path of a baron's non-inheriting sons, and serve the Baronry as a military commander. However, this youngster, it turns out, is drawn to the see, and at a crux point in his story (prior to Mud Bay and concurrent to a political time bomb that Nestor sets off that discredits Cerryn's family.) Remy, by going to sea with one of the trade houses, turns his back on family politics, but his role in IH part two will have impact on the Empire's plot.
Meanwhile, I'm going to develop Randir in a similar method to Remy and Cerryn. Developing the character of a k'tath over time will make the character more personal, and will give me a chance to exhibit the major differences in Humanish and K'tath cultures. I'll be able to introduce the concept of Il'cha mates, which will go a long way toward explaining his attitudes toward the developing relationship with Cerryn late in Imperfect Hope. Cerryn's attitudes will also be developed in her own story.
As I mentioned, I tossed my early effort to write Cindas opening frame story, at least until I can have finished first draft of the early part of the tale and have a better understanding of what I am framing. So, with the tossing out of 850 words, I still managed a net gain of nearly 3000 words over the weekend, and I spent quite a bit of my writing time polishing up some storyline concepts, so it wasn't all writing. It may not seem like much, but my attitude is positive, and my outlook is hopeful (if imperfect). Now to deflect those electrons... (so I don't get negative... ;-) )
Unrelated to writing, I'm fighting an urge to comment on the stupidity of recent FAA moves... For now, I'll just say that, even though I agree that we need to drag our atc system into the 21'st century with some much needed upgrades, the way they're going about it is incredibly dense. But I guess I expect that, after 22 years in the FAA, my cynicism is well founded. The bureaucracy of the federal Gov't just doesn't lend itself to well-thought out improvements. Instead, we're getting a radar/computer suite shoved down our throats, the interface of which was designed by software designers who have little to no real experience on what is important to an air traffic controller. As a result, if/when ERAM is implemented, I will be able to demonstrate 5 different ways to print out NOTAMS (notices to airmen)(something I've never had a need to do in 20+ years), but nearly every command I use to call up important information that I typically need in seconds, (and that I can now do with a button push, 3 numbers on a keypad, and a mouse click) will require anywhere from 2-4 menu/scroll downs/mouse clicks on different parts of a 30 inch computer screen, and sometimes a half dozen + keystrokes on the keyboard. ARGGGH!
Anyway... Don't worry, the controllers will make it work. We'll just end up sitting in a corner at night after our shifts, rocking back and forth and babbling... Oh, I already do that..... ;-)
TTFN
Jim
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