Hi, friends and readers. January was exhausting, between work, writing, winter and ICE. But we made it through to the shortest month of the year. Yay us.
Overall, January was still pretty good. My suggestion schedule continues to be a valuable tool in keeping myself going. That being said, I want to be doing more with it. Not just scratching at a project to mark it off for the day, but getting real work done.
Hopefully, come March 1st, I can have some real advances to announce.
Projects
I advanced in every project this month, adding scenes to the text or entries to the world building. I gave myself permission to jump around the projects, not just writing from the front but hitting the end and middles as I wanted to. Anything to make sure that I was adding to the project.
And I did, just not to any great extent. As much as I got done, a lot of it felt like picking at the edges. I need, NEED, to get major work done.
February Goals
The Colonel Lieutenant: Finish One Major Section: Before the Campaign, The Campaign, or After the Campaign
Orcyfre: Finish Two Acts
1st Minnesota: Finish Three Chapters
Minor Projects: Finish 20 Things
Books
The Great What-If’s the American Civil War (Non-Fiction)
Bearers of the Black Staff (Fiction)
Seven Plots (Research)
War and Peace (Fiction, Audiobook)
I read a lot more this month than I did in December; still didn’t manage to finish any titles. I was tempted to start some new ones just to add to the list, but that felt like it’d just overload the list.
February Goals
Finish Great What-If’s
Finish Bearers of the Black Staff
Get Past Chapter 25 on Seven Plots
Movies and Shows
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Final Countdown
Troy (Director’s Cut)
Stargate SG1
Foundation
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Starfleet: Academy
Wonder Man
I watched a movie that several people were surprised I hadn’t seen before: The Final Countdown, a film about the US aircraft carrier Nimitz time traveling from 1980 to the day before the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was a fun movie, that had some intriguing debates about responsible actions for time travelers. But by the end of it, I was surprised how little actually happened. Still, fun.
I also watched the Director’s Cut of Troy (2004). Now, Troy has always been a movie I’ve really enjoyed. Not top-ten, but close. This edition added a lot of background, nudity and violence, particularly during the sack of Troy itself. While some of the scenes added to the story (especially the discussions amongst the leadership of Troy), most of it I understand why it was cut.
Started a few new shows this month. Wonder Man, an MCU show I know nothing about, but it has Ben Kinglsey so it’ll probably be good. There’s a Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a Game of Thrones show of limited scope that I’m enjoying immensely.
And finally, Starfleet Academy. My first reaction to the first fifteen minutes was very negative: I was very upset at the main character. ‘A guy who doesn’t want to be here, who can overpower a shuttle of guards without too much effort, oh come on.’ But by the end of episode two, he’s eased up on whatever bugged me about him. And the fact that episodes three and four followed different students really endeared me to the show. Lets see how it ends.
February Goals
Two Movies
Finish Three Seasons
Games
Horizon: Forbidden West
Hogwarts: Legacy
Surviving Mars: Relaunched
I continued to play through all three games. Slowly, though, as quite frankly, as much as I enjoy video games, binging them for more than a few hours just makes me feel like crap. So, I have to be careful, because if I don’t pay attention, I can inadvertently spend an entire day doing just that.
February Goals
Finish ONE GAME
What’s Next
I’ll have a table at Minicon 59 on Easter Weekend; I’ve got feelers out for other events, but it might be another few months before I can add more to this list.
PBRG is a process that’s meant to make broad elements of the story and prepare them ahead of time to keep it consistent. It’s meant to remove the amount of time in proofing and editing where I’m hunting through my stories looking for every instance of ‘lightyear’ so I can change it to ‘light year’. It’s not meant to completely replace writing in the creative process, because let’s face it. It can’t. I’m still, at my heart, very much a pantser.
What’s a Pantser again?
Many writers will fall somewhere on a spectrum of being a Planner or a Pantser. Planners prepare everything ahead of time: outlining their story, preparing all their characters, doing all that extra leg work a story needs done. For them, when they start writing they already know what’s going on, so they write to the plan.
Pantsers tend to be more disorganized. It’s not that they won’t have an outline, but it’ll be more of a guide rather than a required course of action. For them, inspiration comes in the moment, and entire plots can appear to them as they’re working.
I’m a pantser. A lot of my inspiration comes during the writing. It always has. Even as a game master in RPG’s, I rely on in the moment decisions within the constructed framework to build the story. As a writer, there’s so many aspects I can’t write until I’m in the scene, hitting the thousand and one minute details that writers have to deal with.
I can world build and plan and plot and game out all I want, but at the end of the day, the writing is where I’m most creative.
Creating from scratch; the pantser way.
Where PBRG helps and falls short
I’ve found planners fascinating. Their outlines and can be so in depth as to be intimidating. There are times — usually when I’m at the end of the project and I’m coming through the text trying to iron out inconsistencies — that I wish I could do the same.
PBRG isn’t quite a planner’s outline. It is a tool I use to answer big questions before I get into heavy writings. It’s meant to ensure consistency and that I have some idea where a story is going. It’s not meant to replace my process, but to supplement it.
So far, I have found it incredibly helpful. I have prepared maps for multiple projects so I know names and travel times ready to go. There’s also character names. I can get really weird about making sure a character has the right name, so getting that done ahead of time is great. Unit names, ship types, laws and rules… many instances where PBRG helps me prepare important information ahead of time.
But it’s not writing, and it can’t take over my creative process. My writing is where I get into my character’s heads and see the events through their eyes. Where they become more than just a collection of notes, and where they get to influence the story. Planning in any capacity helps, but only to a point.
The Benefits of Writing
There are several benefits to keep writing during the PBRG process.
First, writing requires a different set of mental muscles. In world building I’m a historian; in writing I’m a storyteller. I approach the subjects differently and see things in a different light, usually the characters. What i hadn’t figured out as an author may suddenly snap into place when I’m trying to consider the problem from the character’s point of view.
Second, I cannot possibly outline and plan for every aspect of a scene. I may know what I want the scene to do (inform the reader or advance the story), but I cannot anticipate the minor things. I can plan the personalities of five friends, but until I’m writing their first conversation, I don’t get a sense of who they really ar.
And third, writing gives me a chance to challenge what I’ve been building. Sometimes, the world building looks nice but doesn’t hold up when you try to build the story around it. So it’s nice to realize that earlier in the project when the fixes are simple.
Example
A few weeks ago, I sat down to write the opening scene to a short story. The purpose of this scene was to introduce the character and the setting. Thanks to PBRG, I had the character’s names prepared, the organization of their fleet and the ships involved, and an outline for the story.
I wrote less than 800 words, but so many things occurred in those 800 words.
The admiral was no longer commanding a group of ships while defending a star system. Now, she was an admiral facing promotion and relegation to a desk job, never to command in space again. She wasn’t just fighting for duty; she had a chance to prove her value and perhaps gain a rare and coveted position. This made her bolder — and perhaps reckless.
I’d also realized that the outline for the battle was deeply flawed, not only tactically but thematically. There was no tension. Things moved as set pieces. As I had the staff officer brief the admiral, I realized how bad the plan was.
But writing the briefing exchange, I also figured out how to make it better. I would need to re-work the math I’d prepared, but there was now a time limit that made every choice matter. I still had a lot of the product from the PBRG process, but I’d refined it and was working on a better story.
‘But what’s the plan?’
Do I need another letter?
No. As amusing as it might be to try and shoehorn a W into the PBRG acronym, at this time I’m not planning to do so. In part because I think it defeats the purpose of the PBRG system. But also, because I won’t always know what I want to write, or need to write, or am inspired to write.
What I can do is just acknowledge that the two need to work together. PBRG provides the framework for the project, answering the big, long-term questions I need to know. Writing allows me to check the framework and build the facade. Back and forth. Until I have a finished project.
Then I get an editor to hit it with a wrecking ball, and we see how it stands.
November went well. I continue to benefit from the use of the daily recommendation schedule. It’s nice to know that if I have time to work and I’m not inspired by any particular project, I can look at this schedule and work on what it suggests. And if I am inspired to focus on one thing or the other, I will do so.
Projects
I got at least something done for each of my projects. Either I completed one of the world building tasks, or I write a scene to start fleshing out the story. Very nice to start knocking those goals off.
With the Colonel Lieutenant I got at least rough drafts up to Chapter 20. Every time it’s on my list I’m picking at it, getting it closer to being done. I am a little worried it might get too big; maybe I need to cut it into two? I hope not, but we’ll see.
Most of my Orcfyre work was world building. In particular, I focused on fleshing out the pantheon of deities, especially as the main characters would know and interact with them. I started the first scene and I’ve outlined much of the rest.
As for the 1st Minnesota project, I did come to a decision to write this story in the First Person. I think, ultimately, this is the better way to get the experience of the soldier across to the reader. And there are mechanisms I could use for a third person perspective if I needed. But, we’ll see.
December Goals
The Colonel Lieutenant: Finish 5 Acts
Orcfyre: Finish First Act
1st Minnesota: Finish First Act
Other projects: Write at Least One Scene Each
Other projects: Cross off at least one World Building goal Each
Blog Post: Still a Pantser
Blog Post: Writing Process – Research
Books
Seven Plots (Research)
Bearer of the Black Staff (Fiction)
Cardinal of the Kremlin (Fiction; Re-Read)
Didn’t get too much reading done last month. It’s something I want to change in December. Dedicated reading time every day.
December Goals
Finish one of the Fiction Novels
Finish Seven Plots
Start New Research Book
Start New Non-Fiction Book
Movies / Shows
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
John Wick
John Wick, Chapter 2
John Wick 3 – Parabellum
John Wick, Chapter 4
Ballerina
Foundation
Stranger Things Season 5
I watched through the John Wick movies last month. I thoroughly enjoyed them. The entire series was a master class in world building. We learn so much about the world by watching the story play out. When they can’t show us, they only tell us enough to keep the story going, without revealing more information than they needed to. The fight scenes were fantastic and well choreographed (though I think they started to draw a little long by the fourth movie).
I then watched the spinoff Ballerina, which is set between Wick 3 and 4. This movie was just as exciting and fun as the original series of movies. And I appreciate that the main character (Ana de armas) fights differently than John Wick (Keanu Reeves), as she’s a small woman and not a moderately sized man. I can see why everyone likes this series.
I also got too start the fifth season of Stranger Things. This show has been a favorite of mine for a long time, and the first four episodes have shown the magic continues to grow. I’m excited to see what they have in store for the last episodes.
December Goals
Finish Foundation Season 2
Finish Bad Batch Season 2
Finish Stranger Things Season 5
Watch two new movies
Games
Madden 2026
Last of Us 2 Replay
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts
Surviving Mars Relaunch
I didn’t spend much time on the couch in November, so my console games remain unfinished. Nothing wrong with that, except for the normal crossing things off my list part.
I did start a PC game called Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts, which is a sniper first person shooter set in Siberia. It was okay, but it didn’t really draw me in. I kind of stopped playing it. I may come back in the future and finish it off, but if I don’t, I’m okay with it.
Then I started to play the Surviving Mars Relaunch. It’s a remaster of the game Surviving Mars, which I spent a lot of time playing. I haven’t noticed too many differences yet, but I just got into it Thanksgiving weekend. I’m eager to start playing the new stuff soon.
December Goals
Finish Last of Us 2 Replay
Start new PC Story Game
Get back into Horizon: Forbidden West
Get back into Red Dead Redemption 2
What’s Next
I’ve got a event lined up for December 20th, 2 to 5 PM, at Utepil’s Brewery. Only a few hours to sell some books, but it’s something.
Still on some waiting lists for other events. We’ll see what come sup.
I said in the October update that I laid out a schedule for the month. And until I got distracted by a Fiverr project, it went really well. I watched shows, knocked chapters and world building goals off my list, and drew. Then someone bought a Fiverr goal and that took up a lot of my time; I only really kept at the Inktober drawing schedule. But it was useful enough that I’ve decided to make one for November as well. This is not a draconic ‘you must do everything every day’, but more of a ‘if you have time to wonder what to do, here is what you’re going to do.’
Project Work
I added another chapter to the Colonel Lieutenant, but more importantly, I planned out several important plotlines for the middle section of the book. This is good because while I know the broad strokes of the ending, the details have alwyas been mush because I haven’t had them set up in the middle. Hopefully in November I can knock some chapters out and get it closer to publishing.
After a log of plotting and planning, I started the next and hopefully last re-write of Orcfyre. This outline addresses my issues with the last one, and has extensive world building thanks to the PBRG system to support the story. Now it’s just knocking out word.
I’ve added support documents to other projects, from geography work to pantheons. In November, I want to add at least one chapter for each project, so I can get a sense of the characters on the page.
November Goals
Get The Colonel Lieutenant to 20 Chapters
Get Orcfyre to 10 Chapters
Get one chapter for each other project
Publish two blog posts
Books
Seven Basic Plots (Research)
Bearers of the Black Staff (Fiction)
The Cardinal of the Kremlin (Fiction; Re-read)
War and Peace (Audiobook)
I didn’t reach much this month. I meant to, but it didn’t work out that way. Instead, I only managed to knock out a few chapters of each book without finishing any of them. No excuses not to do better in November.
November Goals
Finish One Fiction
Finish One Non-Fiction
Finish One Research
Movies / Shows
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Foundation Season 1
Star Wars Bad Batch Season 1
The Thing from Another World
The Thing
I finished the first season of the Bad Batch, the Star Wars animated show. This is doing a good job of showing the transition from Clone War to Imperial Army, There’s enough of a mystery to keep me interested, enough action to keep it exciting, and enough world building to keep me attached.
This Halloween I ended up doing a horror movie double feature. I’m not much of a horror movie guy, but enough of my friends love the 1982 The Thing movie that I said I would watch it this month. And my dad, being a movie connoisseur, said I should watch the 1951 The Thing from Another World, so I made a movie night of it.
The Thing from Another World is a fun movie. It’s about a US science expedition to the north pole that finds an alien life form in the ice that comes alive and tries to kill them. The movie is more than 70 years old, so there are several dated aspects, but they in no way detracted from the movie. The dialogue was fun to listen to (very fast paced and overlapping). And most of the characters were less stereotypical than I expected. I was a good movie to start the double feature.
The Thing is a different movie. The expedition (to Antarctica this time) doesn’t find the creature but encounters it. The creature is a chameleon instead of a straight up monster, and the tension of the movie is less about beating the creature than it is about the trust or mistrust of the characters amongst themselves. The effects are great. It was a fun watch, and I see why people like it so much. The only distraction was trying to figure out where I’d see so many of the actors before.
November Goals
Watch three movies
Finish Foundation Season 1
Finish Two other Season of TV
Games
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Dune: Spice Wars
World of Warships
Last of Us 2 (Replay)
Madden 26
I started a new game; Dune: Spice Wars, which is a RTS game set on Arrakis in the Dune universe. It’s a good mix of resource management, strategy, politics and covert actions. It’s scratching that strategy itch of mine, but it doesn’t have much of a storyline.
Other than that, I played through more of the other ones. Not much to add, really.
November Goals
Start a PC Storyline Time
Finish Last of Us 2 Replay
Get back into Horizon Forbidden West
What’s Next
I’m on the wait list for several events coming up or in 2026. As things become official I will have them posted.
Magic, science and mythology are three broad categories to cover. Each one represents a deep part of the lore. This is getting into the metaphysics of the story, building gears that grind layers beyond what the characters do and the reader sees. They represent aspects that can influence the characters’ understanding of the world around them.
I mean, that’s a lot to put on the categories.
Not every story will need magic, science or mythology. Some might not need any of them. But if the story does require anything, I’ve found it helpful to build a framework beforehand so I can remain consistent.
After all, we don’t want to break the story, do we?
Break the Story?
Yes, break the story.
Using magic and science to solve plot problems is a time-honored tradition. But use it too much, and it becomes a joke (see Batman’s utility belt or Star Trek technobabble) and the story breaks. There needs to be a balance, otherwise the reader will be left thinking that it was too easy.
And mythology may not be about solving problems directly, but it is about how characters interact with their world. And if I build an entire mythology, only for the characters to never reference it or react to it, then the world breaks, and then the story.
I want to be careful that the rules I’m building remain important but constant. Part of that means considering what I need the system to do, and what I need it not to do.
‘So…think Michael will learn to draw hands sometime? I’d really like thumbs.’
Magic and Magic Systems
A magic system is a set of rules for extra-normal powers and abilities that can be accessed through natural talent or learned ritual. It can run from the wizards and artifacts of a fantasy story to the psionic and telekinetic powers of science fiction.
I have several projects that need magic systems. Champion Bold needed some rules for psionic powers for consistency. Orcfyre needed magic rules for not only spells, but the influence of divine power on the world. Several of my minor projects (fantasy and science fantasy)require their own systems.
The important thing I need to keep in mind while working on these systems is that I’m building guidelines. I don’t need to work out every single variation of spell that exists within the world. I just need enough that the story is consistent. With that in mind, I want to build the rules specific to the project I’m working on, while leaving enough room to build on for future projects.
Building a Magic System
When I’m devising magic systems, there are a couple of important questions I want to consider first.
What can it do and what can it not do? It’s important to set boundaries. Is magic common: have practical utility or tactical use? Or is rarer, used by the elite for grand purposes?
Who can access this system?: Not everyone can cast spells or conduct rituals. Who can do it and how they access it? How rare are magic users? What sets them apart?
How is the system received? A magic user could be accepted and protected, or they could be feared and persecuted. How are magic users incorporated into different cultures within the world?
What are its consequences? Magic should have a consequence, even if its as simple as exhausting its user. Something needs to keep magic users from using their magic on a whim.
Example System – Vi World Magic Spirits
I’m going to bring up my Vi world magic system, as its the system I’ve developed the furthest.
Vi world is a fantasy world I’ve been building for some time; it’s the setting for Orcfyre, my ‘someday this’ll be ready to publish’ fantasy novel. It has a long mythology that I’ve worked out over the years, built around the idea that the spirit world exists alongside our world. And the spirit world is where magic comes from.
Magic is what happens when spirits are pulled across the divide and used to influence the real world. This can be hurt or heal people, change an item, or seek the truth about secrets.
Asking my questions
So, let’s consider my questions.
What can it do and what can it not do?: The magic of Vi world can do almost anything, from levitating small objects to divining the future. But because of how difficult the magic is to use and control, it’s not a common. If you see someone on the street corner offering spells, it’s more likely slight of hand.
Who can access this system?: Anyone who can pull a spirit across the divide can use magic. This isn’t easy. Unless you’re at one of a few spots where the divide is weak (commonly where temples and oracles set up shot), you have to use force. That means either a natural talent due to heritage, using an item or ritual, or sheer willpower. Even then, it’s not easy.
How is the system received?: Every culture in Vi world accepts magic in one form or another; none reject or persecute magic users. But every culture also has their own set of norms and expectations, and magic users who reject such expectations can find themselves in danger rather quickly.
What are its consequences?: Using magic is exhausting, even with training. Unless an individual’s heritage (racial and familial) is inclined towards magic, even a single spell can drain a person, perhaps even unto death. In many cases, multiple spellcasters will be used to reduce the impact on any one user.
Impact in the Story
Within the Vi world, magic is a known quantity. It exists, and everyone knows it. When it happens, it has an impact. But getting it to work usually requires significant effort, so it is not commonplace. it allows me to write a story where the characters know such magic exists, but do not feel the worry that it will erupt at any time.
Magic’s rarity is in contrast to our next topic, which requires as much effort to construct, but with the expectation that it will be used far more often. Now, we will discuss science systems.
Science
A science system is a set of rules for branches of knowledge and avenues of advancement that are accessed through technology. It can run from steampunk airships and mechanical suits of a fantasy story to the energy weapons and space travel of science fiction.
Science is rooted in the real world, which makes building a science system a different challenge from a magic system. Anything I need to build will have something similar or related I need to research and incorporated. Even FTL travel — with no working real-world examples — needs to take into account the speed of light, distance between systems, and the strength of gravity.
Building a Science System
As with magic, it’s important to remember I’m building guidelines to remain consistent. I don’t need to build everything. I need to build what I need for the story, and enough extra to give it some depth. But that’s it.
And there are the questions I need to consider.
How reliable is the science or technology? An established empire will have reliable technology, while frontier societies will need more maintenance. Also, this is an important question to ask in the context of the story; if I need it to be reliable, or to fail, I need to account for that.
What does the science/technology do or not do? Just like magic, I want to consider what the technology of each system can or cannot do. There should be limits.
What is the math? Yes, there’s that math. I need to have numbers in mind for firing ranges of weapons, speed and acceleration of space ships, communications time, etc. A lot of little things that I want to make sure are consistent one chapter to the next.
How knowledgeable are most people about the science and/or the technology? Not everyone can know everything, but there’s a difference between a ship’s crew knowing the basic principals of how their engine’s work, and believing it to be esoteric witchcraft.
Example System – Light Star Universe
The Light Star Universe is home to Champion Bold, my recent science fiction novel. It’s always been a pretty standard science fiction universe; what made it special was not the technology, but the aliens and the stories we told.
How reliable is the science or technology? Most of the technology encountered in Champion Bold is reliable and known. That isn’t to say experiment tech doesn’t exist, but it’s not put into mass production if it’s not ready for use.
What does the science/technology do or not do? The technology of the LSU is generally pretty standard sci-fi fare. It allows faster-than-light travel, artificial gravity and space combat. It does not bring back the dead or teleport people across vast distances.
What is the math? I won’t bore you with equations. I will say that after I worked out the math, much of the story had to change. A couple of combat chapters were re-written to be consistent, and the length of the story doubled once I accounted for FTL travel speeds. But, overall, it strengthened the story.
How knowledgeable are most people about the science and/or the technology? It’s roughly equivalent to modern industrialized society and the technology we use on a daily basis. Most people understand the basics and the principals, but they wouldn’t be able to repair or rebuild it without some training or education.
Impact in the Story
The technology of the Light Star Universe exists to allow the stories to take place. It is not there to dramatically change things, but is a stable and reliable base which the characters can expect to do what it’s designed to do. But most importantly, it’s consistent, which means the story can advance without the reader pausing and asking ‘wait, I thought ….’
If magic is rare, and science common, our next topic is so common as to be subtly invisible. This is our last section of the post, mythology.
Mythology
A mythology system is a set of stories and beliefs that guide and influence a society’s morals, decisions and responses to the events they are experiencing. It’s a broad heading, that covers small sects of Christianity to fantasy world mythologies to alien philosophies.
(I debated using philosophy or belief system for this part of the post, but I’m going to stick with mythology.)
At first glance, you might think it looks out of place here. Mythology, after all, doesn’t give people special powers or abilities. But mythology in one way or another does shape how the characters in a story interpret the world around them and the events they experience.
Mythology was fairly minor for the works I’ve published so far. I’ve only had to build a sect of Christianity and some the cultural mythologies of some alien cultures. But having these worked out , even in their minor forms, was still important for the characters’ arc. But for future titles (Orcfyre being a prime example).
Building a Mythology
As with anything, I start with ‘what do I need to build for the story.’ Then, I move on to my mythology specific questions.
What are the important tenants of this mythology? Every mythology has something it emphasizes that makes it different from others. I want to consider a bullet list of what the mythology teaches, preaches and demands of their followers.
Who is the mythology for? Not every mythology will be followed by everyone. It could be a very elect group of people, or perhaps followed by citizens of a certain city or members of a certain species. But I’ve found defining how someone becomes a follower really helps, even if its as simple as ‘an alien mythology followed by a race of aliens.’
How do followers of this mythology act differently? I want to have some basic idea of how a follower of a mythology acts in accordance with their beliefs. More specifically, how does a follower act differently from me and what I consider normal. I also consider questions of devoutness; some people will take the beliefs as iron rules, while others will pay lip service and go about their day.
How real is this mythology? Every mythology will include myths, but there’s usually a grain of truth in the middle. Depending on the story, the grain could be pretty close to the mark, or could be pretty far off. How close it is could be a matter of contention with the world, and could be a source of conflict within the story.
Example Mythology – General of the Pen
For the example of this portion, I’m going to return to the General of the Pen, the story we’ve been developing as part of this blog series. In particular, I want to build the mythology of the Campilesian Church. I know the organization of the church from a previous post; now, I’m building the beliefs.
What are the important tenants of this mythology? The Campilesian belief system is very close to Christianity in a lot of ways. This system has a firm belief that everyone has a passion in their life, which leads to their high number of saints and grand patrons. They also are less strict on gender norms (usually) and abhor slavery.
Who is the mythology for? The Campilesian system is for everyone, from the common farmer to the ruling lord. They accept converts fairly regularly and easily. Most Campilesians live within the Campilesia region, or in a neighboring region.
How do followers of this mythology act differently? The belief that everyone can be great at something means that most followers have some passion they pursue. Some may make it the main part of their life, or it’s something they engage in outside of their profession. But they are generally supportive of everyone around them.
How real is this mythology? The basis for this belief system is an ancient philosopher who works for the survival of the Campilesian people when conquered by the Ferrans. His system allows them to survive as a people under centuries of rule by other people. The religious aspect — spirituality and afterlife — are believes, but not perfectly known.
Impact in the Story
The Campilesian religion gives the people who make up most of the characters in my story a shared belief system. A system that encourages people to find their one passion, which could be Campilesian independence. It also means that the people view the sacrifice of military service in a very high light.
Conclusion
Magic, Science and Mythology are all broad topics that I’ve bumped into during this post. In each case, I’ve provided a brief overview of what each one means and how I start their creation. The actual work would include pages of notes and histories, spreadsheets of math and lists of entries. Unique questions for each system that don’t apply to the others. A lot of work and information that the reader will never see.
With the end of this post, I’ve finished my four posts on the World Building aspect of the PBRG system. Next up, I’ll go over the Research aspect. I don’t imagine that’ll be more than one blog post, but we’ll see how that goes.
Logical Lou and Creative Cal enjoy a leisurely morning after working hard to finish a book.
Right now, it is Sunday morning. I’m sitting in my normal coffee shop with a cup of coffee and a box of homemade cinnamon sugar donut holes. It’s lightly raining outside. The paperback copies of Champion Bold are sitting on my dining room table; the hardcovers are on order. The supplement proofs (round 2) are on their way. I have nothing I have to do this Sunday morning. So, I’m going to reflect.
Champion Bold will be my first book in six years. I’m hoping my next book, either The Colonel Lieutenant (Sasha book 3) or Champion Impact (the sequel to Champion Bold), or perhaps some other project, will be published next year. Maybe, more than one. But if I’m going to do that, I need to be faster and more efficient at my writing and my editing.
So, in this post, I’m going to write down some lessons I’ve learned from this process. Some of this may be obvious, and some of this may be things I’ve touched on in past blog posts. But I mean to assemble all these little bits in one post that I can reference as I’m working on future projects. This is particularly true with the graphic intensive supplement books, which were quite a new experience for me to deal with.
And now, the lessons. In no particular order:
Do the world building first
I’m already doing a whole blog series on why this is important and the PBRG process I’ve developed for projects. But working on the supplement books for Champion Bold, there were several instances where I added stuff that could have been great in the book, if I had built it before hand. But it would have been too much to shoehorn it in afterwards. Build first, write second.
Check and proof constantly
Scrivener doesn’t have a great spell and edit checking program, not like Word or other dedicated text programs. And a lot of time at the end of Champion Bold was spent spell checking and edit proofing. Processing chapters earlier through Word would have saved time at the end.
Add words to the dictionary
You can reset the dictionary of a Word editor pretty easily. This is helpful when your science fiction story includes alien names that count as over two thousand spelling errors. It’s a lot easier to catch that you mixed up reasonably and responsibility when you’re not wading through 500+ uses of the word Bendradi.
Use page breaks to control the flow
Converting a document from word to PDF really messes with the layout. Particularly in the supplement books. What looked nice in word, with two pages per section, was suddenly all over the place. Using page breaks to control the flow of the document is necessary.
Put images in front of text
I found this out almost by accident. Unless the image is surrounded by text, put it ‘in front of text’, which gives you a lot more flexibility in controlling where it goes. This is particularly helpful with full-page images; I could have the heading information in the back and covered with the image. Worked out really well.
Print color pages before proofs
The biggest surprise with the first supplement proofs was how much darker everything was on page. Wasn’t noticeable with my first printed books because the the images weren’t too important (the Renaissance Calling backer book) or were in black and white (Templar Scholar). But when you’re printing pictures of spaceships against starfields, it matters. Print in color to see how different a printed picture is against what shows up on a bright monitor.
More time for proofing PDFs
One thing I did well this round that I learned from earlier books was to spend time proofing the printed proofs. But I could definitely improve on spending time proofing the PDF proof that KDP offers. It might save time, or at least a round of physical printing.
Highlight the word ‘said’
I did this late in the project and it was good, but a mind-numbing process. I did a search for the word ‘said’, then clicked next. Wherever I found sequences of the word appearing many times in a short amount of time, I fixed it. I chose different words, or removed or changed dialogue so it didn’t need a word. It felt better afterwards. I only wish I had done it sooner, and by chapter, instead of with the entire document at once.
Put the publishing date a long ways out
When you’re setting up the publishing date in KPD or Ingram Spark, put it a long ways out, months away. Unless you have a deadline coming up (and if you do, by all means pay attention to it), there’s no reason to give yourself an artificial one.
Work on all editions of the book simultaneously
Don’t do the hardcover, then the paperback, then the eBook. If there’s one minor change between one edition an another, that can be really frustrating to let through, or to fix. Do all editions at the same time, and fix them all at the same time.
And so on…
With Champion Bold finished and the supplement either done or one short revamp away from completion, I’m ready to move onto the next project (or projects, given how my mind works). This weekend was a nice, relaxing reset from the harsh editing of the last month, and it’ll be good to get back into writing and creating. And I believe the next project will go smoother, both in the writing and the publishing, thanks to lessons learned, written down, and not forgotten.
One of my biggest challengers as a writer — or as a creator in general — is having too many projects on my project list. Sure, I know the two or three most important ones, but for a lot of the extra ones I had a hard time tracking them. Thus, [art of this whole revision process includes coming up with a way of prioritizing my projects.
What did I do before?
For several years, I’ve been prioritizing my projects as ‘Primary’, ‘Secondary’ and ‘Tertiary’. But this process wasn’t working.
As I said above, I could easily choose what my primary projects were, but I had a hard time differentiating between secondary and tertiary projects. For another, I really didn’t have a clear idea of what made a secondary project separate from a tertiary; or for that matter, from a primary project.
I could never settle on a list I liked. I ended up with too many primary projects, or too manty secondary. The tertiary list had projects that I was actively working on and projects I barely ever thought about. Were they all tertiary projects? But the ones I was working on couldn’t be secondary projects, they weren’t that important, or they weren’t far enough along.
No, I needed something new.
Defining the Levels
The first thing I needed to do was establish what each level was.
When I sat down to define my levels, I thought I would get away with three. But it became clear to me pretty quickly that I needed more, especially for the lower-level projects. I had to differentiate between what was just an idea, versus what was an idea in progress, versus what was a story in progress.
I eventually settled on five project levels. Starting at the lowest.
Quinary Projects are ideas I have that would be cool to write, or they’re far enough down the series line that I haven’t done any real work on them. They’re just some ideas, maybe some brainstorming or notes, lists of research books to read at some point. The fifth Sasha Small book and the historical dramatization of Winfield Scott’s life are examples of quinary projects.
Quaternary Projects are projects where I’m developing the broad strokes. I have a core that I like (some characters, or a setting, or a story), but I don’t have enough to start writing. I need to work out the big strokes, so that can build the details through the PBRG process. My science fantasy adventure story (project ‘Resurrection’) and the sequel to Champion Bold (titled Champion Impact) are both quaternary projects.
Tertiary Projects are projects that I’m running through the PBRG process. I’m building the world, researching the topics, and gaming the wars. I’ve probably written more than a few scenes for the stories, if only to scratch that creative itch. My civil war historical series and my collection of Renaissance Army short stories are examples of tertiary projects.
Secondary Projects are projects where I’m trying to get a Rough or Alpha draft written and revised to the point that I believe it is ready to publish. This could take a few rounds, so it’s not as easy as just writing a draft. Right now, I only have one secondary project: Orcfyre, my fantasy novel I just can’t get right.
Primary Projects are projects where I’m revising Beta and Final drafts for publishing. They’re also projects that are continuations of currently published books. Champion Bold is a primary project because its about to be published; The Colonel Lieutenant should technically be a secondary project, but as its the next book in my main series, I’m bumping it up to primary.
How do I process my projects?
I start with the five categories.
I take each project and sort them into the categories. This requires me to take an honest look at each project and ask some questions:
Where am I at with the project?
What do I need to do with the project?
How important is the project to me?
Unsurprisingly, once I take an honest look at my project list, I come to the conclusion that most of my projects are quaternary projects: no matter how much writing I’ve done or not done, the project needs a significant amount of world building to progress. I can write scenes, but I should avoid major draft writing until I’ve answered some big questions and have a good outline ready.
And that’s a good thing. The whole point of this process (both the PBRG and the Prioritization) is to make my work more efficient. to stop writing things before I’m ready to write them. And having stories where I don’t know the ending, or where I don’t know the McGuffin, or where I don’t know the characters: those are stories I shouldn’t be writing.
Rules for advancement
Which is a good time to bring up another aspect of this process: how do I decide when to advance a project from one tier to another?
From Quinary to Quaternary is pretty simple: I just take ‘that would be a cool idea’ and start working on it. I want to get it to the point that I can run it through the PBRG process. So, I take the idea, I get the Grand Overview, answering the big questions about the story and where its going.
Quaternary to Tertiary means I’ve got a story and an outline, and now I’m running it through the PBRG process. I (P)lot the story, then (B)uild the world, (R)esearch the topics and (G)ame the scenarios.
Tertiary to Secondary means I’m writing the rough and alpha drafts. I want to get a draft ready for other readers to read it and get me feedback.
And Secondary to Primary means I’m working to get the draft ready for publication.
Imperfect System
Now this isn’t a perfect division. Some of the projects on my list are sitting higher than they should because they’re part of a series I want to focus on, or because they’re dear to my heart. But that’s part of a personal system like this. I have to accept some oddities in order to make it work.
How does this help?
You’re not wrong. Once you get past the primary projects, what does it matter how the rest are organized?
I don’t know what to say. It just does.
I’m not kidding. Once I got this organization figured out and I organized I projects, my worry dropped. I had them in their place and I wasn’t going to forget about them. Each one is on my master to-do list, sorted into their priority group. Each one has several bullet points attached, listing characters, ideas or plot points I need to work out before I can progress the project to the next level. I stopped making list after list of projects, trying to get it right, because I did it.
I got it right.
Conclusion
From a vague and disorganized system that wasn’t working and was actually distracting me, I built a new system that works. I can track my projects, incorporate new ones, and feel confident that I’m not going to forget anything important.
I’m glad I got this reorganization complete. Since I finished this process, I’ve been able to focus on the important part of creativity: writing stories that people enjoy, and enjoying the creative process myself. I’m not making and remaking lists of projects. I’m creating.
December was a busy month, between moving, book work, and the holidays. I had to start adjusting to my new schedule, which is having a big impact on my reading and project work (see below). And while I was moving, I added lists of items I own but have never read or watched, giving me more lists to deal with. Yay, lists.
Projects
With my new schedule, I have more time at the coffee shop in the morning to write and work on projects. At my new house my office is dedicated to projects. So, I anticipate getting a lot done at the new place.
I am at the point where I can order physical proofs of Champion Bold, and start prepping the eBooks. This is not difficult, but it does require me to sit down and do it. *
I’m finishing up the supplement books, and I should be ordering copies of those soon as well. I have to finish a few bits of artwork and make sure there isn’t a lot of blank space, then I can pull the trigger on those.
As for Sasha book 3, I spent some time going through what I wrote during my NANOWRIMO re-write challenge and wrote some act synopsis for the rest of the book. It turned out to be a good exercise; I’m more confident I can finish the book off shortly and get that prepped for editing.
I have other projects in the work, and now that I’m done moving, I’m eager to get to work on them.
January Goals
Approve physical copies of Champion Bold.
Get physical proofs of supplement books.
2025 plan for Sasha Book 3
Project plans and lists
Books
Image courtesy of Amazon
Fire and Blood (Fiction; Finished)
Fool Moon (Audiobook; Fiction; Finished)
Sapiens (Non-Fiction; Restarted)
One downside to moving is that I’m no longer taking the bus to work; so I’m losing out on a lot of reading time. I have to find time to reach a chapter or two each day; as such I’ve started considering my books as a ‘bedside book’ or my ‘backpack book’. Not only that, but I have a list of over 100-titles that I own but have never read; I want to work on getting that down to less than 100 books, and eventually zero.
On the plus side, my long walk from parking to work means I can start getting through my audiobooks.
I finished two books in December. Fire and Blood is a fictional history of the Game of Thrones universe, and it was a fascinating read. It really explained a good portion of the Targaryen family history in Westeros. It only got so far, and I wonder if there’s a second one coming. It did inspire me to consider similar projects of my own.
I also finished Fool Moon, the second Dresden Files book. It was quite the story, and I enjoy the universe and the rules of magic that the characters use. What did surprise me is that I guessed the end of the book about halfway through, but only because it was the only explanation that was left given what we knew. But I thought ‘that can’t be it’ and pushed it out of my mind. I guess the lesson as a writer it: if you need the reader to be unsure of who did it, make sure they have several suspects.
January Goals
Finish one fiction book
Finish one non-fiction book
Start one research book
Movies and Shows
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Star Trek Lower Decks Season 5
Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire
I watched the last episode of Lower Decks. I enjoyed it. It was not everything I expected, but it hit all the high points it had to. I’m sad to see it go, but I appreciate that it needed to end before it got too old.
The one movie I watched last month was Rebel Moon Part One, which was a Zach Snyder movie released on Netflix. I’d heard it was a pretty rough movie, but I watched the director’s cut which seemed to address a lot of the issues with the story telling. Even so, it wasn’t great. Don’t get me wrong, it was fun, and it had a lot going for it. But there were plenty of scenes that seemed to exist just for their own sake, and background info that we were missing. I would watch it again, but I understand why a lot of people wouldn’t watch it.
January Goals
Complete one season of TV
Watch one movie
Games
Baldur’s Gate 3
Madden 2025
Warhammer 40K: Armageddon
Not much to add for the gaming section. I worked through some more Baldur’s Gate 3, played some Madden 2025, and beat another mission of 40K Armageddon. I do want to play more, but I want to play better. And I need to keep my projects going.
January Goals
Continue RDR2 or AC: Odessey
Continue Baldur’s Gate 3
Finish W40K Armageddon
What’s Next?
Focus on getting books ready for publishing, and advancing projects. I’m signing up for 2025 conventions. I should be at Minicon this year, and I should have a launch party for Champion Bold sometime this spring. I’ll let you know the dates soon.
World Building is fun. I do it at the drop of a hat. I’ll world build just for fun. Heck, I sell world building services on Fiverr. It’s not something I need prompting to do.
I do world building for stories fairly often. Lots of scratch paper and unsaved spreadsheets have been scarified to idle world building. But in the PBRG process, it’s not about doing the fun parts of world building that come to mind. It’s about identifying what I need to build, doing the work, and then saving the work so that I can come back to it and reference it when I need it.
This is a long process, so instead of one big blog post, I’m going to try to do this in four. In this post I’ll touch on maps, then I’ll do Histories. Post three I’ll do Institutions and Organizations, and finally Mythologies, Magic and Science. This may change as I develop this series, but I don’t want to get too much into it. I’ve still got Research and Gaming to get through.
I am also going to do the General of the Pen segments at the end of each section, instead of doing a new blog post for each topic.
But I will want to build more than that, because I expect that inspiration will strike as I write. I want the depth to be there, so I don’t stop as I’m writing. This means I will build (and may have to research) more than I initially expect.
What is World Building Again?
Real quick, let’s go over what World Building is and how it’s different from Plotting.
World Building is building the depth behind the story, including aspects that may influence the story without actually appearing in it. If Plotting tells me my characters of going to Plotburg, World Building will tell me the size, the layout, some important places, the local government, the demographics, etc.
The purpose of World Building is to give me a good depth to the setting. It gives the places a better feeling. It gives the characters the ability to makes choices based off something other than plot. It gives me answers to questions I don’t know I’m going to ask while I’m writing.
It also gives me consistency. Remember, I’m building this process because my original process was too slow. And part of that was too many times where I wrote contradictory things I had to go back and fix. Oh, is Plotburg six miles from the river or eight? Now I’ll know ahead of time.
World Building Step Overview
The World Building step begins with a list of items from the Planning process. This list will include maps, character bios, institutions, mythologies, etc. Essentially, anything for the story that I should build before the story begins. It will grow as I plot, plan, research and game.
Now, I should have at least a good idea of what these things are and how they’re going to influence the story. I know where they’re going to appear and their importance. This give me a minimum of what I want to build for any given item.
So, let’s get into it, shall we?
Maps in Theory
There’s no project I’m working on that doesn’t require several maps. Maps of regions, maps of cities, maps of star systems or star charts of entire clusters. Lots and lots of maps. Oh, so many maps.
Maps aren’t just pretty, especially the early maps. They provide a good sense of how scale. More than once I’ve had to heavily revise a story once I realized the characters were moving too fast (it takes how long to walk a mile?) They’re helpful to track the location and movement of people and military units. And if I have to game out a campaign, I need the map to game on.
The number and details of maps can vary between projects. I generally find myself putting them in two tiers.
Tier I: Detailed Maps
Detailed maps I will need to reference often. I may need to game something out on them, or even put them in the book. These maps will have a key and a scale, a compass and a grid. They’ll be detailed, and probably in color.
Tier II: Basic Maps
Basic maps I don’t need to reference often; I just need to know what they look like. They don’t need to be detailed; just some simple bubbles showing the relative directions, with maybe some general distances listed. That’s all they have to be.
Maps in Practice – The General of the Pen
Now let’s consider my project, The General of the Pen. I’m going to start by listing the maps I’ll want to prep for the story.
A continental sized-map, so I can determine where various nation-states are in relation to the area of the story.
A regional or national map
A map of the area the book will take place in.
A map of the main city
A map for each of the battlefields of the book (three planned books)
That’s seven maps. Not bad, really.
Next, I want to divided them into Tier I (detailed) and Tier II (basic) maps.
The continental and national maps I can put in Tier II; the story is going to stay in a valley, so I just need to have a general idea of what’s outside the valley.
The valley I need a detailed map of, since I’ll be gaming out military unit movements and campaign operations, so that’s a Tier I.
The main city I’m actually going back and forth on; some scenes will happen there, but not enough to warrant a very detailed map. I will put this in Tier II for now, and if I need to work on it more as I go, I will.
The battle maps will, almost by definition, be Tier I maps. I may or may not game out the battles, I haven’t decided yet. But I want the details so when I’m writing the battle scenes, I can write them believably.
Drawing the Maps
For the basic maps, I really don’t need to put too much effort into them. Now, if I do, great. Nothing wrong with that. But I don’t need to. I just need them to be broadly done.
A simple map that shows the story area in red; the nation in green; allies in blue, and bad guys in black.
For the detailed maps, I’m going to put some effort into them. And probably go through several drafts. In the past this has meant a lot of pen and paper as I’ve worked through multiple iterations. Recently, I purchased a map program called Wonderdraft that I use to build maps for my RPG games. This allows me to build, fix and play with my maps without needing to start all over.
The valley, showing the cities, towns, rivers, roads, and unfinished railroad.
Even this detailed map is missing a few things. What is the scale? What about town names? Still a lot to do to finish this map off.
Now, I haven’t built the maps for the three battles yet. Before I do, I want to puzzle out about how big the battles will be, how exciting they’ll be, and what I’ll want to have happen. Then I’ll build those maps.
Conclusion and What’s Next
The world building process is to establish consistency. Building the maps early helps me keep people moving at appropriate speeds and in the right directions.
Coming up, I’ll look at world building histories, including those of people, places and entire worlds.
**This is blog post number 4 on my revised writing process.**
Last post I went over the first step of PBRG, the Planning and Plotting step. I discussed the process I’m trying to use. Now, I’m going to show how that process works by applying it to a creative project.
The project is called ‘The General of the Pen.’ It’s a working title, and we’ll see how long that sticks.
Process 1: The Idea
What is ‘The General of the Pen’?
It is a story about a mid-level general, Gerhard van Rumm, in a mid-19th century world. He is caught up in an independence movement and becomes a leader in their army. This army is fighting an initial campaign to buy time for outside support to come in.
First, I consider what’s unique about this story.
The technology level is mostly new, with cannon and muskets instead of machine guns. (American Civil War instead of World War 1).
Gerhard is a mid-level commander of an army, who gets to make strategic and operational decisions for the story.
There is a much larger, world-wide movement that impacts the story; they’re buying time for other factors to come into play.
It’s a new world I haven’t fleshed out yet. There’s a lot of unknowns I can play with.
Those all sound good, but what’s not new? What’s similar to what I’ve done before.
Gerhard is a bookworm, like Sasha Small (Renaissance Army series)
He’s also level-headed in battle, like both Sasha and Augustine de Zama (Champion Bold).
The scope of the story shares a lot of similarities with the Renaissance Army story, as it is about an uprising against a superior government force.
The similarities are something to be wary of, but they’re not story-breakers. I’ll give Gerhard some unique traits for my characters: he wants to be loved and have a family, or maybe he already does. I can keep the story focused on the campaign and not the social movement, so it’s not the Renaissance Army redux.
Remember, a lot of the differences will be fleshed out during preparation and writing, so I can accept a larger ‘This is similar’ list and trust I will fix it later.
Process 2: The Five W’s (and that H)
The next process is to work out the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of the story. After several passes through the first process, I should have a good idea of each of the answers.
Who
*Gerhard van Rumm, a mid-level general who is shanghaied into fighting in an independence movement. *A friendly general who wants van Rumm there. *An influential character who doesn’t want van Rumm there. *Minor generals. *A love interest.
What
*The army begins to assemble. *Training and teething issues. *An enemy formation comes up; a fight occurs. *Protagonists lose the first fights, win the last ones through work and determination.
When
*The story takes place late spring/early summer. *It will take place over several weeks, maybe even months.
Where
*This story takes place around a city on the border of the independent region and their overlords. *Must of the action occurs in a mountain valley, covering several hundred square miles.
Why
*The region is trying to declare independence. *The main character gets involved and wants to win.
How
*The independence movement will fight against long odds. *van Rumm will have to make difficult choices. *they will buy enough time to finish the narrative.
‘The General of the Pen.’
I’m keeping this process down to a few pullet points per question, but ideally, I’d write up a paragraph or two. Just looking back at this list, I know I’ll want to expand on Gerhard’s motivations to win and detail the independence movement to give it a unique flavor.
Again, this is a series of processes that don’t stop until it’s published. A lot of these aspects will change as the story progresses.
Just a character, standing in a setting, ready to go.
Process 3: The Acts
Okay, now I’m dividing my narrative into acts, segments of the narrative.
I know I’ll have an introduction act: the reader will meet the characters, learn about the area, and discover why the story is happening. It won’t be long, but all stories start with it.
The conclusion act will see the heroes victorious, tie up any plot strings that need tying, and prep the next story (if there is one).
Those are the two easy ones. Now let’s build the middle.
I want this story to be short, but also full of action. And I want the characters to suffer before they win. So I’m going to have three Major Event acts. I’ll put a development act right after the introduction, and then two Recovery Acts between the three Major Events.
But wait! Is there a better way to do this? Something more exciting?
What if I removed the development act, and consolidate the information into the introduction? The crisis starts early, and we see the characters in action before they’re ready.
I consider this option. I’d need to be wary of making the introduction too long to make up for sudden event act, but maybe I can do it.
You know what? I’ll do that. The worst that happens is after a few passes, I add in the development scene. It’ll be easy as pie.
Now, I’ve got my seven-act plan. It looks like this.
Act List
Act
Type
Story flow
Act I
Introduction
Introduce characters, setting and conflict
Act II
Event
Battle; minor, but influential because of inexperience. Enemy wins.
Act III
Recovery
Characters react, make plans, train
Act IV
Event
Battle; another minor battle, good guys do better, draw, but have to retreat.
Act V
Recovery
Characters plan for final battle
Act VI
Event
Final battle, major battle; good guys win, but it’s rough. Enemy withdraws.
Act VII
Conclusion
Characters take stock, rewards, plan for next phase of the war.
Part of me is already twitching at having no development act. But I want to give this a shot.
Process 4: The Important Scenes
Now I get to plan out some scenes. Not writing scenes (though some of them I’ll be writing in my head) but identifying what scenes I need for each act. Reminder: I’m aiming for three scenes minimum.
Act I is the introduction. The first scene I’ll introduce the character, Gerhard van Rumm; he’s approached by his friend to join the army at a critical moment. The second scene, they arrive in their area of operations and Gerhard (and the reader) learns the terrain. Third scene, he meets some other key players, and the reader learns about the politics of the movement.
Act II is an event scene; the enemy is advancing into the mountain valley and wins a small battle. Okay, so I have one scene where the characters learn the attack is coming. They rush forward to find the battle underway (second scene), and a scene where they get their troops to retreat (third).
Act III is recovery. The characters discuss the events, and by discuss they yell and shout (first scene). The leader makes decisions and prepares for the next battle (second scene). And Gerhard has some time to reflect on the situation (third scene).
I’ll skip over writing the scenes for Acts IV through VI, though they’ll be listed on the chart below. Let’s look at Act VII, the conclusion.
In the conclusion, I need to reference the status of the movement as a whole, the situation in this valley, and Gerhard’s personal journey. I’ll first write a scene where the situation in the valley is confirmed, and a second where the national situation is addressed. Finally, I’ll had a scene with Gehard considering his part in past events, and look to the future.
Scene List
Act
Type
Scenes
Act I
Introduction
1: Introduce Gerhard van Rumm and his friend 2: Introduce the mountain valley, geography 3: Introduce minor characters, and political situation.
Act II
Event
1: Characters learn of a battle up the valley. 2: Characters arrive at battle, try to influence victory. 3: Victory not possible; army withdraws / flees.
Act III
Recovery
1. Leaders yell accusations, refuse responsibility. 2. General makes decisions, not all of them correct, to prepare for next battle. 3. Gerhard considers what he’s done, how he can do better, and what their odds are.
Act IV
Event
1. An opportunity to fight from a superior position arises. 2. Army moves into position, anticipation. 3. Enemy comes into view, attacks hard. 4. Army forced to withdraw but does so in good order. Tactical victory.
Act V
Recovery
1. Bad officers removed from duty 2. Learn of outside developments; importance of their victory 3. Officers learn of enemy movements, make a plan.
Act VI
Event
1. Enemy force moves into area. 2. Army counters; fight develops 3. Army wins
Act VII
Conclusion
1: Situation in the valley is established, reported up the chain of command. 2: National / international situation and what that means. 3: Gerhard considers his place in things.
Process 5: The B, R and G lists
As I’ve been building this story, I’ve also been making lists of what I need to build, to research, and to game out.
As I’m writing, all of these lists will change as inspiration and the story’s course have an impact.
World Build
I stated above that as this is a new world, there is a lot I need to build. this can be intimidating (a world is a huge place), so it helps to make a list of what I need to build for this story.
The geography of the continent, the nation, and the region the story takes place.
The culture of the people fighting for independence, their overlords, and the allies who might be coming to help.
The technology available to all sides.
The timeline of the past: how long ago was the conquest?
Research
Research can be a hard one to plan ahead on, so this list looks pretty large scale at the moment.
1860’s train speeds; construction of railways; ease of transporting goods and people.
Telegraph operations.
Development of battlefield medicine over the 19th Century.
I know how I want the battles to go, but I’m more concerned with how fast units and information are moving about the valley. Here, I want to prepare a map of the valley, figure out roads, railways and telegraph lines, and create rules for movement of units and information. Then I’ll spend a couple of evolutions gaming out the campaign.
Will I game out the battles? I certainly could. I have a couple of tabletop systems that could work, and one or two video games where I could custom build levels on, just to see how they would work. But I would do that to see how things could progress. The final writing would not be dictated by the game.
Conclusion
Okay, so I just ran General of the Pen through the Plotting step of the process. What do I have now?
I’ve got a list of scenes to write.
I’ve got a list of topics to research and world build.
I’ve got some sequences I want to game out.
Now, I could start writing right away, but we’ve just finished one of four steps. And while I may not need to knock everyone off the B, R and G lists, there are things I will want to prepare ahead of time. So we move on to step two.
Join me next blog post, when we discuss the B-step, (World) Building.
