Category: Writing

Progress Fall 2024

From time to time I intend to post progress on the many different projects I have. I tend to switch from one to the other when I’ve had enough of a certain setting for a while. Sometimes I want a break after a intense scene, sometimes I just need me some guns instead of swords for a bit.

As can be seen, my first two books are in the editing stage. It’s a process I’m struggling with, on the one hand because it’s a substantial investment and on the other, because I’m still looking for a line/copy editor that’s a good fit for me.

Tales of Vatan

TitleThenNow
A Path Less Traveled By (working title)38k45k
The Saga of Kára Ice-Eyes23k29k
Sunset91k112k
The Half Elven Orphan (Alagariel I) complete, editing140k160k
The Value of Nobility (Alagariel II), complete, draft
<classified> (Alagariel III), complete, draft
<classified> (Alagariel IV), planned, partial draft
<classified> (Alagariel V), planned, should conclude the 1st series
<classified> (Alagariel VI-X?) ideas and partial plans for a second series
<classified> (Alagariel XI+?) and another, probably concluding series that I have a solid outline for
Total words for all Alagariel series up to now (inc Alagariel I):643k
The Death Witch (working title)1k8k

Total War

TitleThenNow
Dropship Down (Clausewitz I) complete, editing140k?161k
A Nuclear Hello (Clausewitz II) complete, draft
The Long War (Clausewitz III) complete, draft (working title)
Headway at last (Clausewitch IV) was complete, but in the middle of a partial rewrite (working title)
<classified> (Clausewitz V) partial
Total words for all Clausewitz books (inc vol I):672k
Unnamed prequel to Clausewitz series65k75k
Clausewitz Series II29k

Other

This only includes things that I expect to turn into something publishable one day. I try not to include things for which I have no real idea how they’re going to be a worthwhile story.

TitleThenNow
Steampunk Portal Saga Thing (Yes, that’s my working title. I expect this to become a long series eventually.)0k36k
Alternate History Project20k

Influences: Joe Haldeman

The Forever War and its sequels. Did I like them? I’m not sure. But do I ever remember them. The scale, the inconsequentialness of the people. The tragedy. The sequels got a bit weird and seemed less profound. I’m sure those of you who look at the Total War setting will easily see some influences in the wormholes and the scale af space travel and maybe also in the military bits.

So, I don’t know if you’ll like it, but if you haven’t I’d certainly suggest reading Haldeman. I really only feel The Forever War is the one you truly shouldn’t miss.

The Forever War

Influences: Iain M. Banks

In my humble opinion, Mr. Banks is one of the great science fiction writers who deserves a place with the great ones like Heinlein and Burroughs. I particularly like his Culture novels, though even the other ones, including Feersum Endjinn all introduced ideas and a descriptive style that resonated with me. I doubt I’ll ever be write as well as Banks, but his worlds have been inspirational, giving a feeling for just how far you can go with science fiction. I wouldn’t call his work terribly easy to read or even all that accessible, but it’s absolutely worth the effort.

Feersum Endjinn
The Use of Weapons
The Player of Games
The Hydrogen Sonata
Look to Windward
Inversions
Excession
Consider Phlebas
The State of the Art
Matter
Surface Detail
The Algebraist

Sunset at 110k+ words!

Sunset, the life story of an important character that features in the Tales of Vatan: Alagariel series, passed through the hundred thousand word (100k) barrier this week. This really a chronological collection of stories that one character in the world experienced and it’s served as a way to give the world and recent history of Vatan more depth and colour.

I generally consider “full book” status to be achieved from about 125k words. At the moment, I feel there are at least  two large sections still to write, as there’s stll more than a hundred years to cover. So, it’s possible that Sunset will end up being a long one. I don’t anticipate two volumes, but you never know.

Belle de Serraient, on of Sunset’s many guises.

Influences: Dan Simmons

Simmon’s Hyperion Cantos (Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, The Rise of Endymion),series is a wonderful work that weaves a wonderfully complex future world. The Canterbury Tales style telling of a large part of it, the wonderful references to 19th century poets and poetry and all the other strangeness are an intriguing example of how all sorts or real world history can be woven into a captivating science fiction story. The use of real world history, particularly military history is woven in throughout the the Total War setting.

This series is one I enjoyed reading immensely, so if you haven’t read it, I’d strongly recommend giving it a go.

Hyperion
The Fall of Hyperion
Endymion
The Rise of Endymion

Influences: Robin Hobb

I very much enjoyed the Farseer Trilogy and it has always been an example of what I feel a fantasy series should be. I must admit that I could never quite get my head around the quaint names, but it really doesn’t detract from the quality of the series.

I would be hard pressed to describe exactly in what way Hobb’s work influences the The Tales of Vatan setting. I’d say that the feeling the Elderling world evokes is something that I’d like to convey in my fantasy works. In any event, I’d strongly recommend Hobb’s work to any fantasy fan.

The Assassin’s Apprentice
Royal Assassin
Assassin’s Quest

Influences: Robert Heinlein

The work of Robert Heinlein, one of the fathers of science fiction has been a big influence on the Total War setting. Most people know him from the book Starship Troopers and the awful movies that are based on it. (My apologies to the movie fans, but if you read the book first, the movie was a grand disappointment.) The book is part military coming of age novel, part political and social treatise, which are all themes that are at least a little present in the Clausewitz series.

Heinlein wrote much more than Starship Troopers. Stranger in a Strange Land tells the story of a human who grew up among aliens on Mars returning to Earth for the first time, giving a point of view of human society that’s just a wonderful exploration of our strange habits. Glory Road is one of my favourites. It’s a fantasy book, essentially and the story told seems to resonate though I never really know why. I think it appeals to everyone’s sense of adventure. The list of Heinlein’s work which can get very weird and even pornographic, exploring all sorts of taboos, is all intriguing. That man’s mind must have been an interesting place.

Here are Amazon links to some of my favourites and yes, I may earn a commission if you purchase through these links.

Starship Troopers
Glory Road
Stranger in a Strange Land