International Diplomacy story
I had a dream recently that was really awesome. I could picture this international political drama making a great movie especially with the renewed role that diplomacy has attained with the Obama Administration. I am treating this post as a way to get my ideas down for later research and expansion into perhaps a novel. I apologize in advance if this post seems disjointed as a consequence.
My story takes place at an international diplomats conference (don’t know if these things exist so obviously some research is needed) where my protag, a young Indian woman or perharps from somewhere in the Middle East, is a junior diplomat attending this conference perhaps for the first time. She believes that diplomacy can make a difference with all the vigor of someone who is either very naive or very young or both. She meets with an older diplomat, who has been discredited or at least is no longer listened to. He (second protag) has an idea on how to solve a particular crisis in an imaginary country that is in turmoil from either a civil war or an invading country. He believes he could trick on particular dictator by playing on his vanities or sense of irony into providing support in ending the conflict. I remember my main protag (I need to research names!) trying to sell this idea to the senior members of her delegation with all this awesome diplomat speak. I am so bummed that I cannot remember what it was she said. Anyway, she manages to sell the idea. They start to put the plan together and are executing it. Phone calls are being made, information is being gathered. My main protag is in her element, she is totally jazzed. Unfortunately, this is when the alarm goes off.
I’m thinking there needs to be an expansion on these few scenes. Right now it’s just a short story really. I could get maybe 25k-30k words. I’m thinking I can add a few hurdles and twists into the situation. The main focus though will be on my two protags, one being redeemed the other growing up with the crisis as a back drop. I will have to do a lot of research on this before I can even start. I know nothing about the UN, diplomats, international crises, dictators or small African or Middle Eastern nations real or imagined. I don’t know enough about how women are viewed in diplomatic circles, or how a woman from that region would reach the level of diplomat. I have to admit I am daunted by the task in front of me, but I am a little thrilled with the idea. Wish me luck!
Crochet Blocks – Triangle shawl [updated]
I have been working on three projects at the same time, a Dr. Who scarf, a receiving blanket for my friend who’s expecting her second baby sometime in the next two weeks, and a triangle shawl made up of crochet blocks from 200 Crochet Blocks, Old Vienna and Alhambra for a birthday present for my husband’s aunt. The Dr. Who scarf is somewhere beyond six feet long probably closer to ten feet and much more to go. The scarf is my first commissioned work being done for material cost only, but still it makes me feel good to know that.
The receiving blanket is for a baby boy in a blue Batman print flannel with a variegated blue to white crochet thread border. I am making it up as I go along, and as I learn new stitches from other patterns. I do like how it is looking anyway. I will have to put aside the other two projects in order to finish this one first. I especially want to get this one done soon since I don’t know when my friend will pop (so to speak).
The triangle shawl is the one project I’m actually enjoying. I like working with this particular yarn more than the 100% acrylic stuff from the scarf or the small crochet thread for the receiving blanket. The yarn I’m working with, Plymouth Yarn Encore, is 75% acrylic and 25% wool. It feels good in my hands as I work the blocks. I am still trying to get my tension right in each square. I’ve made about eight or nine as of last night. I think I will need another ten or so to make it the right size. I have been concentrating on this one because I enjoy working on it even though it should be second on my list of priorities.
The Sharing Knife: Beguilement Book Review
I’ve been plowing through books the last few weeks since my trip to Portland where I spent the other half of my Borders gift card. Another book I picked up with that card was Lois McMaster Bujold’s The Sharing Knife: Beguilement. I finished it last night, which means I will probably get some actual sleep tonight! I have missed reading a book that is actually a pleasure. I wanted to get back to it as soon as I was done with my TV shows this week.
Fawn, after having sex for the first time, is pregnant and in pique of fear and embarrassment runs away from home. On the way she is kidnapped by mud-men, creatures created from stolen ground and animals shaped into men by malices. She is rescued by Dag, a Lakewalker whose life is dedicated to eradicating malices. Their adventures lead to a fight with the malice, Fawn’s terrible loss, a misensorcelled sharing knife, and their eventual falling in love.
Their falling in love is a problem since it is frowned upon for Lakewalkers to entangle themselves with farmers (not just actual farmers but anyone not a Lakewalker including townsfolk, innkeepers, etc). It is ok to dally with one, but no farmer would ever be welcome at a Lakewalker camp. It is not clear why such relations are forbidden. There are hints given about half-breed children, a difficult military, nomadic lifestyle, and the fact that farmers have no groundsense. Ground is explained pretty much the same way as the force in Star Wars, the energy that exists in all living things. Lakewalkers can actually sense this energy. Some use it to track, others to make, some to heal, but all use it to read other Lakewalkers. They can read emotions, moods, guess at each other’s thoughts, sense each other’s presence when hunting, and even to detect whether a woman is fruitful at any particular time.
I give this a definite two thumbs up. I love fantasy romance, and this one is right up there. You can follow the link from the cover image above to read an excerpt. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy romance, or anyone who would like a new twist on Jedis and the force.
Seraphs – Faith Hunter Review
I finished the second book in the Rogue Mage series, Seraphs by Faith Hunter. I really do enjoy this story, but there is still something bothering me about the book or writing or something. I think part of the problem is characterization. There are roughly seven or so characters other than Thorn. You know a little about all of them, but not enough to form a complete picture. Thorn seems to live too much in her head for the audience to learn more about the characters that she interacts with. I find that irritating honestly.
Another problem is the second gun fight just outside of the pit under the Trine. Seriously, do you have no other way to move the plot? Both books have now ended exactly the same way, Thorn decides to go into the Trine alone, is followed by other characters who then are injured or shot during a gun fight just at the mouth of the entrance, a fierce battle underground and then after nearly or actually dying, waking up in bed recovering from her wounds thanks to the seraph Raziel.
The other problem I’m having is with the scene changes. This installment felt like a bunch of scenes spliced together almost coherently. I say almost because of a few continuity issues. Continuity isn’t usually a huge thing for me. If there is something 200 hundred pages before that wars with something I just read, I don’t usually mind because I’ve already forgotten that part! However, when the very next scene makes no sense after reading the previous scene, well there I have a problem. For example, Thorn has a minor fight with Rupert but a few pages later Thorn is miffed that Rupert didn’t invite her to dinner. What?! Was Rupert supposed to get over whatever made him storm off when she got hungry? Just didn’t make any sense to me.
Again, my assessment of this series is that the concept is awesome, the execution not working out so great. I am reading the third installment, Host right now. Hunter brings up a great deal of questions that I want answered, but I may only stay with the series if this is the last book. Something tells me it isn’t.
Bloodring
I finished Bloodring by Faith Hunter last night. This is the first book of the Rogue Mage series. I was loathe to put it down all week, exhaustion the only thing that forced me to sleep. Last night, since I had no where I needed to be today, I decided I was going to finish it. Needless to say, I liked it, but there is something niggling at me from completely gushing about this book.
Thorn St. Croix is an unregistered neomage, a separate race living after the Apocalypse. The plagues, the arrival of the seraphim, the appearance of demons and Dragons, and the destruction of most of the world. Billions died when the seraphim arrived, but the world did not end. The Most High never appeared. The seraphim refused to affirm any religion which led to holy wars breaking out all over the planet. These holy wars only caused the seraphim to kill more. Any human violence was met with seraphim judgement. Neomages, a race not prophesied, are kept in concentration camps or Enclave. Any unregistered neomage would be captured, tortured, and eventually killed if captured by humans. The seraphim would just return them to Enclave.
Thorn cannot return to Enclave. When she came into her power at age fourteen, she was flooded by the thoughts of all neomages in Enclave. If she stayed, she would go insane. She has lived among humans hiding her nature.
Thorn’s ex-husband is captured by Darkness, a daywalker is stalking her stepdaughter who is pumping the little girl for information about Thorn, and a kylen (a quarter-mage, quarter-seraph, half-human) is investigating Lucas’s disappearance threatens to uncover her secret.
I didn’t feel that Faith Hunter was a great writer, but she definitely tells a good story. I have read a number of “how-to-write” posts in order to figure out how to re-write my two novels. Repeatedly the advice I’ve read is to start your novel as late as possible. I often had the feeling that I had missed a previous novel or the first two or three chapters while reading Bloodring which leads me to believe Hunter was following that advice. Aside from that vague unease that I was missing something, I enjoyed the story. The characters were not irritaing although I was confused by the Ciana’s characterization, (Thorn’s stepdaughter). For most of the beginning, I thought Ciana was a teenager. I was surprised to find she was only seven years old. Thorn was cool as a character but her motivations were difficult to understand. She was constantly messing up, but there was no apparent consequences. The only thing that could explain it, is that she must be under seraphic protection. All I can say is that I will be reading the next two in the series, so I can discover the answers to all my questions.
