rowanhawthorne22

[rowanhawthorne22]

i will persevere. i will persevere. publishing is persevering. it's all about persevering. i will always write, just like how i have always written. to publish is another completely different thing.

[rowanhawthorne22]

eagle: so what do you think about stigmata

prometheus: you know we're in a pre-christian myth, right? like that word doesn't exist yet. your dumb joke is anachronistic.

eagle: stigma talons in your flesh

[rowanhawthorne22]

cool stuff. im assuming the colors are added in, right? like space isn't actually this color?

IC 1318, Butterfly Wing

[rowanhawthorne22]

Progress Update 01 - Character Introductions

This is progress update 01 for my novel. I'm writing it for my master's classes at SNHU. To date, I have an intro, the first chapter, and half of the second chapter. I'm writing this blog to keep my shit in order and my brain on track and free of thoughts. Additionally, earning a following pre-publication seems like it would be useful, so I'll just be transparent about that. I'm not trying to live off my writing, but I do want an agent and a good editor. So I can't just publish my work and pray to god that people read it, I've gotta put in a little leg work.

With that in mind, the main focus of this blog is to talk about my progress with the novel and contextualize the writing process against the publication process. I have no specific plans for publication now, but as they develop I'll detail them here.

Let's get into the novel. The idea for The Stars have Always Beckoned Us is relatively simple. Ernest, a scholar at Solas Realt in a fictional Boston Victorian inspired city, feels the rush of discovery and love for magic. He wants to make a contribution to the field of Astronomy, which in this universe is a combination of arcane magic and science. Spells are created by invoking the names of certain planets and channeling their power. Ernest intends to find a new planet which he can harness the power of, and then cast a spell to observe farther and more closely than anyone before. He intends to leave a mark on the field and establish his name.

I wanted to use the name Ernest Ebreitas, but I'm not sure if it's appropriate or even legal to bite Bloodborne like that. Of course, the game is a huge part of the inspiration for the book, but that doesn't mean I can just copy it, I think. I mean it's only a name and a reference, I'm not like stealing the intellectual property of the game, or is just the name considered IP? It's a question an editor would know the answer to.

Ernest is determined. He's a little snobbish about the Academy; he doesn't have a lot of friends (two, to be exact, and one of them lives far away) and he doesn't make any effort to be social. All of his time is poured into his research and his classes. Ernest doesn't really understand the concept of "getting his hands dirty" because things sort of naturally fall into his lap. He's not exactly a genius, but things kind of tend to go right for him. This ease of access for him makes him look down a bit on his classmates. He can't understand why everyone else seems to be struggling and failing when it all comes so easily to him.

The first few chapters I want to spend setting up the academy and Ernest's interactions with it. Chapter 1 has Ernest arriving back at the academy after summer break to find that the headmaster still has not returned. He's been missing for three years now after a mysterious happening at his tower. Here we are also introduced to the interim headmaster, Alder Stately, and the mysterious new Professor Marwyn.

Chapter 2 introduces us to Ernest's friend Viola Tillman and Ernest's observatory space. It's not really his, but he has picked up enough of a reputation at the academy that most people just sort of leave it for Ernest. This chapter will be used to introduce some of the basics of the magic system as well. We'll see Ernest doing some Astronomy(TM).

In the next few chapters, I want to spend some time establishing the school and the magic system. The big problem will be hooking the audience - I need to drop some clues as to Elrick's (the headmaster) whereabouts. I think I will have Ernest overhearing chatter or have Viola drop some gossip, or something. Eventually, Ernest will demand to see the headmaster, and Elrick will reveal himself as having been mostly fine over the past three years. He's just been desperately trying to find out more about what happened to him - which was, of course, contact from an Old God residing deep in the center of a black hole. Elrick was given an inadvertent gift. Just as the planets are great sources of arcane power for the scholars of Solas Realt, this Old God was drawn on for power accidentally. This resulted in Elrick experiencing the first instance of blood magic ever recorded.

So, once Ernest and Elrick get in contact, they both make efforts to understand and control this new magic. It will go poorly for Elrick and he will be transformed into the primary villain of the novel. Somehow. This is subject to change.

Anyway, more blog posts forthcoming. I'll try to stick to a roughly weekly upload schedule so that I can continue to organize my thoughts and think through the structure of the novel.

I need feedback. If you, by chance, find this post, read the whole thing, and decide you want to rip me a new one and call my ideas stupid, I completely encourage you to do so. I need everything.