Monday, July 07, 2008

Shouldn't I be Writing?

Two possible thoughts for further Half-Continent stories:

- roving the vinegar seas hunting pirates and kraulschwimmen and any other tasks required in the Emperor's service = sea battles, vinegaroon life, wider politics;

- some kind of expedition (ala. King Solomon's Mines H. Rider Haggard - a most excellent book!) for lost and longed-for secrets in monstrous places = monsters, history, more monsters.

Should I be telling you all this?

Given certain revelations of admiration for a certain leer and lamplighters' agent, should he have a story of his own, too?

Maybe I should just get on with finishing Book 3 of MBT - enough with this presumptuous whimsical dayfancying! Back to ADWC (see previous post)...

33 comments:

Snooze said...

Why not both? I do indeed like both... but if you're doing the pirate one make sure it involves sea monsters, and yes doing one on sepastipole (i am really hopeing you mean him...lol... otherwise it may make me look dumb) would be good too :D

But I also fully agree with you finishing book three first... lol..

and YES you should be telling us!!! lol

Snooze said...

also... lol...
why did you stop telling us what you had for breakfast? lol... it was rather interesting :P

Anonymous said...

I always like to read about the "dark side" (loved Darth Vader, evil with a streak of good). Why not write about a lahzar, not necessarily about Europe. It can be a totally new person.

Anonymous said...

of course you should be telling us. what is the internet for but distracting oneself from one's work?

i have a question [i was going to send it via email, but what the heck, i'm here]: what kinds of music are most prevalent on the h-c? is it sort of elizabethian-period, or older, or younger than that, or purely invented? i am sure it changes from city to relative wilderness, formal to informal, and obviously there are different cultures with different styles, but as perhaps a rough guide...? i think this a very important element to consider. and probably a distracting one, too

Anonymous said...

and i agree with anna. can't help but love the dark side of things

i wonder if it is because authors often take more care in creating their villains, to make them more convincing and frightening or quatever?

smudgeon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
smudgeon said...

Hmmm, if I had to pick one, I would say "Roving the Vinegar Seas". You have done such a great and intriguing job with setting up the seafaring ways in MBT 1&2, it would be great to see all those grand ideas fleshed out into a tome or two of their own...

But as you are some way through book 3 already, I would urge you to please finish it first! One magnificent octopus at a time, Mr Cornish...

R.J. Anderson said...

Given certain revelations of admiration for a certain leer and lamplighters' agent, should he have a story of his own, too?

YES, PLEASE.

Femina said...

d) All of the above.

With perhaps (e) Europe's backstory. I don't know what it is about her - I know if I met her she'd scare the tripe out of me yet I would STILL want to be just like her.

Sam Hranac said...

An expedition could be combined with a quest. I could go for bits of the sea, but I'm not sure about an entire book full of waves - might get (erp) queasy.

Anonymous said...

hmmm...I personally would love to see a
vinegaroon story! I love the Aubrey Maturin series (by Patrick O'Brian) very much , and reading a MBT book on naval life would be fascanating. :)

tho, of course, I wouldn't object to reading a Sebastipole book...:3

Drew said...

Hey DM!
Hope all is great-- been way busy with stuff for SFRevu and some personal writing as well.
My two cents? Go with what excites you. Either possibility you've outlined seems like a great launching point for a story or three (maybe more). Maybe you could do a collection of shorter works.
=sigh= I haven't helped at all, have I? Ah well.
Take care and keep writing!
Drew

R.J. Anderson said...

So basically the consensus is that we need a seagoing adventure with Sebastipole and Europe. TOGETHER, THEY FIGHT CRIME! (I mean, monsters.)

[strike](And fall in love.)[/strike]

Sorry. *skulks away in shame*

Anonymous said...

Perhaps Europe´s back-story will be told now in book 3.

If I get the book (2) right (my english is not so good) so are there some tension between countries? Perhaps something about that and some kind of "hero"/or as I like, "dark" person adventures, aiding one or working against another country?

As I wrote my english is not so good so I might have missunderstood the book.

Anonymous said...

I'm with femina. Europe all the way. I mean Sebastipole is great and all but come on, she's the Branden Rose.

Or, you know, something equally enthusiastic but a little more dignified.

Tiffany Trent said...

I read Foundling all in a rush and was so desperate for Lamplighter that I raced and grabbed it.

Thank you for such lush, mind-boggling, utterly creepifying worldbuilding and incredible dialogue and...uh oh, I am gushing.

*pushes fangirl back in closet*

I'm longing to know more about the training of calendars and leers myself. And if there's ever any political intrigue between the factions that might have implications for the current situation...

Though Rossamund at last getting his wish to sail the vinegar seas would be wonderful, too. :)

All Best,

Tiffany Trent
Hallowmere series

Snooze said...

To be truthful I believe there would be a story behind nearly every character in the H-c so how bout finish MBT, then continue your life slowly making stories about EVERYONE.
But start with those ones you just came up with first... they sound interesting :D



...well maybe not everyone (even though I hate to say that) but at least ALMOST everyone... :D
-susan

Anonymous said...

Well I reckon they're both great ideas - but delve more into how monsters came to the half continent... I dunno, even think about making 'half-breeds' as such, like minotaurs in greek mythology.

Anonymous said...

OK, i haven't read book two, coz i ordered it in and its on its way.

Foundling was a fantastic book! Leave loose ends in book 3 so you can write a book 4!


P.S. I wrote the 'half-breeds' comment' follow it up.
ZAkk

Anonymous said...

Oky dokey, I haven't read the book, but i've looked at the pictures and they're really good.
What does the frunt of rossamund look like?
Is it seen in book 2?

From
Potato-octopus23

MooseGuy said...

they both sound interesting, but aren't pirates usually cooler than privateers? and also the good thing about the second one is that we would being 'seeing' parts of the half-continent that (i assume) we have not heard of before and thus would be completely new and exciting.

oh! and i was wondering- is there life on the other planets of the solar system that the MBT planet (altgird or something, wasn't it? i am very forgetful) is located in?

Femina said...

Bwahahaha... you should know better than to write a post on this site that says, "So, what should I write next?" Can of worms - meet can opener.

:)

Nate said...

I finally got Lamplighter, my girlfriend bought it for me for my birthday. It's great! and I was so surprised to see my name along with the others here in the acknowledgements. That is very cool!

D.M. Cornish said...

Who says pirates are cooler than privateers?! I happen to know several vinegaroons who would take mighty big offense at such an assertion.

All of this is gold folks - can of worms or otherwise.

Your point Monday about villains being often more thoroughly thought out was salient - got me thinking. This is probably some of the juice that makes Europe a joy to write - she has the touch of villain in her.

Still trying to write genuinely interesting non-villains is an enduring goal of mine.

...and Anna your English is just fine and you got Book 2 absolutlly correct, and I reckon the dark adventurer working against another country or kingdom is a brilliant thought.

Potato Octopus, you are just going to have to get Book 2 to find out aren't you...

Gtg, will get to other's comments soon.

D.M. Cornish said...

Training of leers and calendars, friction between their factions, half-breed monsters, dark lahzars, vinegaroon adventures, Europe's backstory (just talking with Tim Travaglini, my US publisher this morning and he is of the same opinion about Europe - I have a sense that a book about her might be inevitable) Indeed, he expressed his expectation that I just might be writing Half-Continent stories for the rest of my natural life [Lord willing]), Sebastipole's story - Sebastipole and Europe falling in love! Goodness me!!

But ... is right, "one magnificent octopus at a time..."

MooseGuy said...

But pirates are right up there with Snoopy, God and thylacines when it comes to awesome things! It's scientifically impossible to get cooler than that!

D.M. Cornish said...

He he...

Nate said...

"monsters, history, more monsters."
I need more of these

D.M. Cornish said...

So do I! ... and my absolute pleasure about the acknowledgements thingy :)

Anonymous said...

One loose end is Verline and the homeless foundlings that were living in Madame Opera´s house. What has happened with them? And Gosling? Is he ever to be caught?
Perhaps he will be eaten by a sea monster.

I confess, when there is loose ends I make up stories of my own. If it´s my favorite TV-sries that has been cancelled or a book that ends just wierd, doesn´t matter. That way I can get the closure that I want. I just hate cliffhanger-endings. So please Mr Author, if you decide not to write more books in the series, don´t end it with loose threads!

Anonymous said...

Finished book two yesterday and as an avid reader of Fantasy i was very pleasantly surprised. I suppose a heavy metal festival in germany wasnt the most common place for the reading of such writing but i couldnt tear myself away from it. Loving all the ideas and looking forward to the next installment of the MBT series with great anticipation.

Keep up the good work D.M.

portals said...

I think that these ideas are great, and seeing as there are so many references to the life of vinergaroon, it would be awesome to encounter more and 'expierience it'. An expedition would also be great because of the long long journeys and more adventures.
Keep up the great work!

Jack Dixon Ryan said...

I admit, I find it very unusual to have the opportunity to write to the author of my favorite book series, but I am accustomed to unusual. I first heard about the book when I got it from my aunt last year. I had never seen anything like that! It was paperback but it had tabs! That got me hooked just by how unique it looked.
Then I read it.

I'll end my story with the phrase- "Please do NOT stop writing these books!!!"