tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post116086917718682817..comments2023-08-11T04:33:49.146-04:00Comments on Books, beer and barbarians: Title and concernsTyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09192814826756623212noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post-1161658371140464072006-10-23T22:52:00.000-04:002006-10-23T22:52:00.000-04:00I think you're just fretting. Write it. Tell the s...I think you're just fretting. Write it. Tell the story as envisioned, then pass it off to your friendly neighborhood critique team. <BR/><BR/>That said, I have trouble reconciling the title "The First Magic" with the novel I read.<BR/><BR/>-gAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post-1161117130718668302006-10-17T16:32:00.000-04:002006-10-17T16:32:00.000-04:00To add, yes, the first book has been looked at by ...To add, yes, the first book has been looked at by Wizards of the Coast and Tor.<BR/>Wizards sent me the typical form rejection.<BR/>But Tor sent me a nice note basically saying I had some good work, but it wasn't what they were looking for right now.Tyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09192814826756623212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post-1161117023580211872006-10-17T16:30:00.000-04:002006-10-17T16:30:00.000-04:00The first book is sitting in Baen's slush queue, a...The first book is sitting in Baen's slush queue, and word is they are about a year behind on their slush.Tyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09192814826756623212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post-1161100623040063742006-10-17T11:57:00.000-04:002006-10-17T11:57:00.000-04:00Have you sold/tried to sell the 1st book?Have you sold/tried to sell the 1st book?M Harold Pagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08949772130509527838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post-1161074304438461812006-10-17T04:38:00.000-04:002006-10-17T04:38:00.000-04:00Ryan, it would be difficult to break the story int...Ryan, it would be difficult to break the story into two 100,000 word novels, mainly because of where major plot elements are located.<BR/><BR/>However, I could combine the first two books, or the last two books. With some cutting I could end up with one book at about 120,000 words and another one at about 80,000 words.<BR/><BR/>But I'm still writing the third book. I'm at 55,000 words now, and I'm guessing I've at least another 30,000 words to go (but it might turn out to be a little more).Tyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09192814826756623212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post-1161070936083409372006-10-17T03:42:00.000-04:002006-10-17T03:42:00.000-04:00i agree that it's worth foreshadowing the religion...i agree that it's worth foreshadowing the religion.<BR/><BR/>crazy question for you though....<BR/><BR/>is there any way you could make this into a 2 volume epic? you'd clock in at or around the 100,000 wordmark per volume, making it both a nice sized read and a consumable format as far as manuscripts.<BR/><BR/>i ask not having read it at all, or seeing a query, but i ask it nonetheless.<BR/><BR/>...ryanRyan Dunnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02826938101153018545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post-1161033344424636422006-10-16T17:15:00.000-04:002006-10-16T17:15:00.000-04:00I just want to clear up for anyone ... I'm not wri...I just want to clear up for anyone ... I'm not writing a story with any sort of religious agenda. I'm not using any themes that have any direct link to real-world relgions. That's not me. I'm not a Christian or Muslim or Buddhist or Hindu. If anything, I tend to be an agnostic with beliefs leaning toward deism (basically, there's a supreme being, but we can't know this being and he's not real interested in us either, at least not on a daily basis).<BR/><BR/>I'm just concerned readers will think I am pushing some religious agenda. I'm not. It's just part of the plot. Really.<BR/><BR/>I think I'm going to go with zornhau's advice, and cut back on the religious stuff as much as possible. I can't do away with it altogether, but I can limit its scope, so to speak ... er, write.Tyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09192814826756623212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post-1160990185822665522006-10-16T05:16:00.000-04:002006-10-16T05:16:00.000-04:00Speaking purely as a reader - if I engage with you...Speaking purely as a reader - if I engage with your adventure story for 2 books, only to find it's Pilgrim's Progress, I will in fact hunt you down like a dog.<BR/><BR/>Trilogies should deliver what they promise.<BR/><BR/>People who've done religion well include Fienteuch(sp) Hope series, and Simon R Green's Shadows Fall. Basically, the religious stuff needs to be on the map - both mental and physical - from the start.<BR/><BR/>Why not just fix the third book and stay with the heroic fantasy?M Harold Pagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08949772130509527838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32528082.post-1160889589313945462006-10-15T01:19:00.000-04:002006-10-15T01:19:00.000-04:00Ty ...I'd definitely try to foreshadow the religio...Ty ...<BR/><BR/>I'd definitely try to foreshadow the religious angle in both book one and book two. Not necessarily throw in lots of it or even try to enmesh it in the plot, but make sure you have that background as part of your world-building, even if it's in small dashes here and there.<BR/><BR/>I say that because I think having book three be too drastically different in tone from books one and two would unbalance the series a bit. And you'd likely have some readers wondering "why is he all of a sudden bringing all this churchy stuff into it? That ain;t like the first two books! I want my money back!"<BR/><BR/>-- SteveAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com