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( Ashes, part 1 )
And that's enough for today.
A few notes:
1) I have no idea what the effective range of a heliograph is, nor precisely how one shapes the flashes of light, but I needed some form of non-electrical distance communication, and I happen to think fire and mirrors are cool. I may change that in December, when I do some proper research.
2) Funny how making a more detailed outline and doing some slightly less glancing world-building has stretched this introductory section out to over twice the length of my first proper attempt at this story. I promise Morgalen will appear without too much more delay.
3) So, Zalir. She did not exist at all in any sketch of this story I wrote prior to that first attempt in March, whereupon she appeared as a throwaway secondary character. A while later, it occurred to me that it would be really dumb for Riam and Morgalen to go off into the tainted lands and the Great Waste on their own. Plus there is no way Riam's sister would let him do that. So I thought, well, what if a guard goes along? And lucky me, I already have one here and named!
Then, of course, I had to figure out who Zalir was and what to do with her, the upshot of which is that she became a third main character, helpfully plugged a couple other plot holes along the way, and is also just a lot of fun (for me, anyway). Plus it means I have a questing party of two women and one man, of whom the man is the one who's always going to play the bleeding-heart compassionate role, in contrast to Zalir's practicality and Morgalen's coldness.
4) Man, I suck at physical description. You cannot tell from this section what anyone looks like, nor what the layout of the compound is, nor much about the geography and climate of Zerlon. One thing I usually do on second drafts is go through and try to insert sensory details to keep my stories from feeling like they occur in front of blank white screens, enacted by faceless manikins. But that takes time, and is more editing than writing, so you're going to have to suffer through my unfiltered blind spots for a month.
5) 1,825 words so far!
And that's enough for today.
A few notes:
1) I have no idea what the effective range of a heliograph is, nor precisely how one shapes the flashes of light, but I needed some form of non-electrical distance communication, and I happen to think fire and mirrors are cool. I may change that in December, when I do some proper research.
2) Funny how making a more detailed outline and doing some slightly less glancing world-building has stretched this introductory section out to over twice the length of my first proper attempt at this story. I promise Morgalen will appear without too much more delay.
3) So, Zalir. She did not exist at all in any sketch of this story I wrote prior to that first attempt in March, whereupon she appeared as a throwaway secondary character. A while later, it occurred to me that it would be really dumb for Riam and Morgalen to go off into the tainted lands and the Great Waste on their own. Plus there is no way Riam's sister would let him do that. So I thought, well, what if a guard goes along? And lucky me, I already have one here and named!
Then, of course, I had to figure out who Zalir was and what to do with her, the upshot of which is that she became a third main character, helpfully plugged a couple other plot holes along the way, and is also just a lot of fun (for me, anyway). Plus it means I have a questing party of two women and one man, of whom the man is the one who's always going to play the bleeding-heart compassionate role, in contrast to Zalir's practicality and Morgalen's coldness.
4) Man, I suck at physical description. You cannot tell from this section what anyone looks like, nor what the layout of the compound is, nor much about the geography and climate of Zerlon. One thing I usually do on second drafts is go through and try to insert sensory details to keep my stories from feeling like they occur in front of blank white screens, enacted by faceless manikins. But that takes time, and is more editing than writing, so you're going to have to suffer through my unfiltered blind spots for a month.
5) 1,825 words so far!
