Paksworld

Most of the background stuff for Religions and Characters is now up at the Paksworld website.

The character list is not complete for past books (has none of the Gird/Luap characters but Gird himself, for instance)  but also…it will grow with the story.    It should, however, be useful now.

If you prefer a perfectly alphabetical list,  copy that one, yank out the division titles, and have at it…she says wickedly.

Religions

Characters

Comments are welcome, but the lists aren’t likely to be changed (added to, revised, whatever) for awhile, as both my web-guru and I are facing a very busy month.

I’m working on the character list for both the website and the book itself.  My own personal character list is organized by location and association (that is, all the Duke’s Company names together, all the Tsaian nobility together,  all the Girdish Marshals/paladins/etc. together.)

But it’s readers who will use this for something other than trying to ensure I don’t have fifteen names that all look and sound very similar in the same scene…which is what I use it for.   My editor will rule on what appears in the book(s) but tell me your preferences for character name lists ( questions follow.)

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This afternoon,  my editor’s comments came in, and at first glance look reasonable, doable, and slightly embarrassing (why didn’t  I think of that and do it that way first??   Because I was head deep in the characters and thinking their way, not writer-way.)

If I’d been able to climb out–which would’ve meant writing the whole entire story first–I might have seen this but possible not.   The temptation of a sequel group 20+ years after the original group is to carefully outline all the connections for readers so they don’t get “lost” and that can (and apparently does) stick out as great big *slow down and listen* checkpoints.

This can be fixed, and will be fixed, and thank heavens for a good, sympathetic, and clear-eyed editor who understands how and why it happened but also that it can’t be left there.  Until I’m done with at least the first round of this, it supercedes work on number 2, which is far enough along that it won’t lose too much momentum while I’m cleaning up number 1.    (And yes, this is why I’ve been pushing on as hard as I have, despite having months till deadline.  I knew a major cleanup was coming and wanted this one past any “stuck” places–or at least most of them–before leaving it for a bit.)

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The cover conference happened, and though I have nothing cast in stone to report,  my editor kindly gave me hints about what they’re thinking.   I’m very happy with it, and at least some of you will be, too.  When I’m permitted to say more, I will.

Sometimes any little thing I touch wants to turn into story–taking the story off on wild side trips.   This has been going on for several days, and the past couple have been productive…but I’m not sure if it’s productive of what I really need.

Still, adding words to the story is a little like adding words to your vocabulary–as the pile grows, there’s more you can do with it.

So today the book stands at 130, 236.

And Arvid, like Granny Weatherwax,  can say “An’t dead yet.”

Note: these are time-limited questions, answers due by 8 am CDT.   (After that, they won’t have any force.)   Note also:  answers may not have any effect, even if I kick them upstairs on time.   If you choose to answer, please answer at least the first two questions.

1) What is the thing you’d MOST like to see on the cover of the new book?

Choose from a) scene, b) face of character, c) symbolic object, d) other.

2) What is the thing you’d LEAST like to see on the cover of the new book?

Choose from a) scene, b) face of character, c) symbolic object, d) other.

3) Name three books whose covers attracted you.

4) Name three books whose covers repelled you.

5) What colors on book covers attract you?  (limit of three)

6) What colors on book covers repel you?  (limit of three)

7) Which of the Paks/Gird/Luap  covers do you like best?

A very productive morning, in which I’ve learned things about Andressat I didn’t know before (can the proud,  stuffy little man really be so sneaky?  Well…there’s a reason Andressat is still independent after all these centuries) and also had the crisis/climax of Arvid’s situation with the rockfolk.   It gets rather Poe-ish.   And Simyits, god of chance and luck, is perhaps not the god you want to call on, when what you need is real help, right here, right now.  The two-faced trickster has a very unhelpful sense of humor.

About 2300 words so far today, which pushes me well over 123,000.   Since I want to know what the kteknik will do next, I intend to push on a bit, sore hands or no.

LATE ADDENDUM:  busy day at the computer, even with nap: the total count is now 125,368.  Couldn’t stop until I found out if Arvid made it out alive or not.

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After a nice canter of 1400+ words this morning,  the total count is now over 120,000.

The Count of Andressat and I have had a big surprise.  It’s harder on him, as it gives him a bad case of familial cognitive dissonance; for me, it opens interesting plot vistas.   I meant to get back to Arvid today, and I may, but what’s happening in Aarenis is driving the situation that Arvid finds himself in, and I needed to figure out exactly who did what when, so the chronology would be straight.

I do hope this won’t prove to be one of those times I followed a false trail and have to undo it, because this trail has complex consequences and undoing *that* is arduous.

This has been one of those days.   Not only was I interrupted, not only did I have other things than writing that had to be done today, but it was a gorgeous spring day and I didn’t get out for a walk at all.

As a progress report it’s a dud:  not one word on the book today so far.  For anyone contemplating a career in fiction,  you need to know these days happen.  They’re frustrating to infuriating, especially when you aren’t goofing off on a gorgeous spring day photographing flowers, or fishing your favorite spot, or lounging in a hammock with someone handing you iced drinks and delicious snacks at intervals.    If you aren’t getting work done, at least you should get to enjoy it.

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Setting: inn just outside Fin Panir’s walls.   A dwarf and a kteknik gnome have been discussing (and mildly quarreling) about the object in question.  They are speaking in their own language (which the rockfolk share)  and do not worry about being overheard because they see no other rockfolk and the locals have already not reacted to test statements, either of warning or insulting.   They have ignored the movement of humans in the room, as none menace them.

…………………………………………….

“You are greedy,” the gnome said.

“I am not,” the dwarf said. “But if gold falls into my hand, I will not let it slide through my fingers.”

“If it is not your gold–“

“All the better.” The dwarf grinned. “Is it not obvious that the Girdish do not need that [object]? It came to them by thievery, after all–(an editorial snip here).”

“We cannot keep it!” the gnome said. “It is not ours; we neither made it nor bought it!”

“Excuse me.” A human hand intruded between them, flat on the table, and as they looked up they saw a tall clean-shaven man all in black. They realized he was speaking in their language only as he introduced himself. “Arvid Semminson, of Tsaia. It would be impolite to conceal from rockbrethren my fluent command of their speech, and perhaps by so doing discover that of their plans they would prefer not to have revealed.” He smiled, showing very human teeth; they noted also the sword and dagger he carried, and smelled the metal of hidden blades he wore here and there about him. Good steel. Excellent steel.

“You are that thief,” the gnome said, recovering first.

“I am no thief,” Arvid said, without heat. “It is true I am in the Thieves’ Guild, but she of whom you speak would agree I am not a thief.”

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