Eye of the Cortex Part 1

The Eye of the Cortex

His heavy ship jettisoned the first stage fuel cell stage, its metal core spiraling towards the planet disappeared rapidly behind him. The additional thrust pushed him further into the concussion cockpit seat he was already strapped into. Despite having the best training the United States Air Defense Federation could have given him, none of it prepared him for what he experienced now. A heady, delicate blend of violent, abrupt sensations, mixed with the elusive beauty of finally escaping his birth planet's torrid atmosphere. He would have held his breath, had the pressure not forced him to do so.

Jeremiah Cortex gripped the control wheel tight with one hand, and desperately tried to find the switch with his other. The view screen, in his tightly compact cockpit, glowed blue and red, as he felt the second stage engines cut in, nailing his body even deeper into the chair. He gritted his teeth to cracking point as he fought the intense G-forces exerted upon his large frame. The control switch he desperately sought would engage the ship's artificial gravity, offering relief to Jeremiah and his precious cargo.

He felt the ship lurch as an exterior heat shield panel flew off. This was followed by the roar of the engines,it was as though the hideous vibrations cut his body in two. He felt as if the molecules of his body were being blasted together as if he were trapped in a terminal microwave beam.

His mouth opened, but the scream only filled his ears in the vacuum. Blood
trickled from his left ear, as he again stretched his suited limb to the control stud. His mind began to glaze over and he desperately fought to maintain consciousness, there were no back up systems should he fail. A jolt from behind shot him forward, only the harness held him in place, but it gave him the reach he needed to throw the switch on. It initiated complex machinery which established an artificial gravity, and then everything went quiet.

Jeremiah's body suddenly felt heavy, and he felt relieved.

His eyes, trained to be alert for warning signs, scanned the controls for anything unusual. His head still swam from the after-effects of the gravity well, but the drug control unit installed in his suit kicked in and brought his mind back fully under his command. Everything shone normal, all the lights and gauges hummed in various shades of green. A dim red light changed to amber, then yellow and finally a pale green, flashing gently to his left.

He felt the ship's autopilot activate, and begin a slow sweeping manoeuvre to the right. The cockpit suddenly went dark as it curved its way past the sun's glare, shrouding the ship in the moon's shadow, falling under the sphere of influence of the long-dead planetoid.

He unbuckled his seat harness, checked the air pressure gauge of the suit and ship. When they were in equilibrium, he unhooked his helmet, and breathed in the fresh filtered air from the afterburner engines.

He took off his heavy gloves, storing them safely with his helmet into a locker above his seat. Punching another button on his control panel, it righted the chair, and slid with a gentle motorised drawl, effortlessly towards the main control decks.

Swathed in changing glows of colours emanating from the displays, Jeremiah ran a firm hand through his grey hair. Although only just thirty, he had gone grey by the age of twenty-five. His face was wet with perspiration, it had been quite a ride.

"Document locker kay-twelve is now ready for use.", came a metallic woman’s voice from the ships speaker system.

He got up and checked his course, felt the ship righten itself, and watched the ship yaw and head for the next planet beyond Earth. All the stars, twinkling in the blackness looked the same to him, he had to trust the navigation computer to do its task, and he had to trust mission control on Earth to ensure his journey wasn’t a waste of human life.

He stepped down from the control booth, and followed a pulsing red line lit on the floor towards the rear of the cockpit. A door slid upwards which he stepped through, sideways. These ships were designed for smaller crew members, and not his six foot frame.

It was his own sheer good fortune that had seen him on this ship, by rights he should be at home on his father's ranch enjoying the late summer heat.

It was my own sheer stupidity too, he thought.

A little Moonlighting on the Side

I spent a day travelling to and from Liverpool for a training course, and found the time to shine up some of my writing that I did on the Orchid. I think I am as happy as I can be at the moment with the prologue. It says everything I need to at the moment, but Im not 100% sure of the way I said it.

Whilst in Liverpool in my hotel room, I was able to get out of my head and onto paper about another 1,000 words. No great shakes or milestones, but Im getting ever closer.

Still planning on going to Dragonmeet this coming Saturday (December 1st 2007), and hoping to snag a signed copy of the Starblazer RPG and get a signed copy of Games Night by jonnynexus.

No Writings Here, there is nothing to see.

Ive not written a word for ages now, and the reasons are multiple, and may or may no be connected.

(1) we are having the kitchen done, which includes the dining room, meaning my computer set up and entire RPG collection has to be relocated for the thousandth time to somewhere else. Which again means I have to invent an ad hoc storage system so I can find what Im playing/running now, without upsetting the balance.
(2) most of my story notes are intermingled with my RPG notes from my Orchid 7th Sea campaign.
(3) I had a meeting with an agent which kind of soured my opinions on having my work published. Im shocked at the demands (shocked is a harsh word, and perhaps it should be coloured with "I should have been less naive") and expectations that an agent has in terms of control and direction.
(4) as Im running a game at the moment most of my impetus is pushed in that direction.

evilref (159.134.56.47)

15th Aug, 2007 11:10 (local)

There is a school of thought that says that once you have one agent interested, you should tell others. The normal reason suggested is to get them into a bidding war over price ... but the bidding war could be over T&Cs, I guess.

Link | Reply | Thread | Delete | Spam | Screen | Freeze | Track This Select:

lawbag (62.69.73.216)

17th Aug, 2007 12:25 (local)

Seeing as it is my first foray into the realm of the agent, I felt I aught to have researched what they are about a bit better. Surely there is nothing wrong with being naive?

Writers do the writing, so let the agents do the agenting.

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread | Edit | Delete | Screen | Freeze | Track This Select:

evilref (159.134.56.44)

17th Aug, 2007 12:55 (local)

I guess I'm just cynical about any kind of middleman. Since they don't produce the value or consume it, it seems to me they win by squeezing both producer and consumer.

But middlemen tend to be a necessary evil.

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread | Delete | Spam | Screen | Freeze | Track This Select:

w00hoo (86.152.93.183)

15th Aug, 2007 17:09 (local)

Not having ever looked in to this, what sort of demands did the agent make? Was it something like 'Write something that's the same as Harry Potter, that sells' or something more esoteric?

Link | Reply | Thread | Delete | Spam | Screen | Freeze | Track This Select:

lawbag (62.69.73.216)

17th Aug, 2007 12:34 (local)

The agent seemed casual enough and interested in the subject matter, more than I thought he would. What annoyed me though was the "dancing" around when I needed to know hard facts, commitments and percentages etc...

I know the industry is volatile and also full of variables like the popularity of the author, the subject matter, but it would nice to know where I am starting from when it comes making a stand.

I think he (or the company he represented) was also looking for products or novels that could be developed for multi-media beyond the printed page. Suggestions such as "serialised" stories, specific deadlines and activities that generally take the author out of their comfort writing zone.

The agent knew the industry was changing and certainly books like Harry Potter have re-invented the whole reading phenomena, (I guess most people forget that the Lord of the Rings movies got people reading the trilogy), and there was a "bent" towards that.

One piece of good advice he gave me, and one Id like to share with you right now is;

go and have a look in a remainder bookshop, a shop where they sell books at £ 0.99 pence each or some such, wander the entire length, noting the books, and then go home and DON'T write one of those.

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread | Edit | Delete | Screen | Freeze | Track This Select:

w00hoo (86.133.101.70)

18th Aug, 2007 02:34 (local)

Well, you got a bit of good advice. I can see why they haven't given you an actual price considering the volatile marketplace at the moment and the spot entertainment consoles will hold in it if the market crashes.

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread | Delete | Spam | Screen | Freeze | Track This Select:

Writing Again? This Must be Madness

Actually the title is a lie, Im not actually writing, just copying up my notes onto computer, and according to my writing stats Im way behind any schedule, I think only NASA are more behind than I am.

Been haunting a few RPG gaming websites are specifically set up for writing RPGs, some paid sites, some free sites. I think I will throw a few bones out and see which dogs get gnawing...

www.scrivenscape.com

SCRIVENSCAPE

Early days, and we don't even have a fancy tagline as yet.

This is our writing portal, I'll keep you posted regarding the developments of this site.

Edit 2014 - this died a death and the domain has long gone.

New Writing Opportunity

I have started using a little program called Dark Room on the PC (there is a MAC version for all you fans), which sounds so simple, Im surprised it hasnt been done before. What is essentially is, is a very simple standard text editor, but you view it in full screen, no icons, no windows task bar or pop-ups. Just you, the white paper and black text.

The reasoning behind this is when you write there are so many distractions, email, internet, Doom and whatever to take you away from your writing, hence the name, Dark Room.

I have only just started using it, as an antithesis to Microsoft's Word. The reason being I was finding myself more worried about page layout, content, page and number counts and not enough on the story itself. Well hopefully that has now changed.

The real reason for me needing to get back on the writing horse is that my Muse has informed me that there are 3 agents interested in my material, in addition to other works. Im hoping to have a meeting with at least 2 before the end of May 2007, and discuss The Orchid and other works, serialised or others.

Writing to deadlines is one thing, but writing a serialised piece of work is a totally different discipline. You cant go back and change things, once it is written it is finished, its like working in slabs of stone. It requires to author to have a much better overview of the story structure, as well as knowing when he can slow things down, speed things up, focus in on specific events, and develop elements, whilst still maintaining the direction. This goes against the grain of my style at the moment which is a very organic writing style. I know what I want to happen and occur, Im just "writing" to get there.

Writing Partner(s)

Spoke to my writing partner purely by accident last night online. Seems he is about to finish his university degree, and has plans afoot for post graduate business.

Cant say too much, but it does involve other partners, all of whom will be collaborating on a huge internet based writing/publishing portal. We have sponsors already onboard who are prepared to advertise on the portal, and that is a good start.

From a writing perspective it will enable me, or indeed any writer the exposure and feedback they need to become better writers, not just from the editors, agents and publishers, but also the intended market. Despite all of this exposure, the copyright inherent in the material remains the property of the writer.

Ill keep you posted on developments...

Did I Write That?

One of the wondrous things about reading your own work back after many months, or in some cases, years (school book work), is how shocking your work is. Both in terms of great writing, and appalling composition.

The notes I made back in October 2006, which I am currently writing up, showed me some interesting insight to events and back story for the supporting characters. But I'm stuck at the moment how to bring these past gems into the narrative. I have instead produced a character list and story elements as well as past stories that I'd like to bring into the story to emphasise historical magnitudes.

For example, if one character has had an experience with being taken for a fool, or having had money or wealth taken from them by deception, they will be wary (if they are clever enough) of it happening a second time. So they may when presented with a new situation or opportunity, decline it and remark on a past event, that neither the opposing character or reader is aware of. As a writer it adds to the character depth, as a reader it heightens believability, but also it enables me to perhaps develop that history event should I feel the reader deserves it.

This is one of my story writing skills which I hope to improve, does anyone else have little story devices which either trick or fool a reader into "understanding" a character better?

Back on the Writing Horse

Mother in law has gone back home for 2 months, which means no gaming, but oddly I have found myself with time to return back to my book. I havent written any new material, as I am writing up notes I made back in October 2005. Has it really been that long, 3 months. It feels like a lifetime.

I imagine I have enough notes to keep me busy until next week, but then the printing and writing begins again. I was working on the chapter where I introduce the main antagonist. The interesting part of this character, is that he evolves from being the antagonist to the "hero", to being the protagonist. It is a difficult road to walk/write, but Im hoping positive feedback from my muses will assist in making sure Norreys isn't the fool he initially presented himself as.

I am at 103,000 words, and while my original deadline of November 2006 was missed by a mile, I am going to be more realistic and say, December 2007, the final draft to be completed. Of the 35 chapters scheduled, only 4 have been written to a draft standard, but they are not in sequence as yet. Still wrestling with the prologue as it sets the tone for the whole novel.

Anyway, with my RPG gaming group on hold (we were playing WHFRP v2.0 to great enjoyment), the writing takes the forefront. I used to write on the train during the 3 hour commute, but having now changed jobs this is virtually impossible. Im starting the gym this week too, so I need a way to exercise and write/vocalise my ideas at the same time. Any ideas?

Brief Updates

I feel bad having not written a whole word for this or any of my blogs, let alone my book.
Spent Christmas in Spain with my eldest daughter visiting my family.
Ran into an old friend before New Years Day and banged heads about old times and the future.
New job going very well, but not getting much time to spend online.