The last couple of months I've been out and about, mostly doing archery, and having fun in the sun. I know, I know, not the typical wargamer pursuit. I've also been taking the time to read a bunch of books from my to be read pile. I've been putting up reviews over on my writing blog.
I picked-up a golden oldie, Larry Bond's Cauldron, which I've just finished reading, a story that runs to nearly 700 pages, which has given me lots of ideas. But, more importantly as a writer, it gave me pause for thought about story presentation. Things like staring in media res, in the middle of the action, or in this case not so much. Cauldron is definitely a slow burn novel with occasional flashes of action to spice up the plot.
Of course the book is a bit dated, being written in 1993, set in 1997. It's a yesterday's future of tomorrow, which despite being wildly out on its predictions, still manages to be relevant to today's political turmoil. And by that I mean Brexit, and what that means for the future of Europe.
If you haven't read Cauldron I can recommend it, there are some nice ideas for post Cold War gone hot scenarios with Franco-German attackers facing Polish and Hungarian defenders, with the aid of American and British forces. Maybe not totally plausible, as I find it hard to imagine the Germans going on the offensive with the French, but if you roll with it there's a lot of fun to be had.
Besides reading, I've been thinking.
Mostly around what needs to be done to lick my novels into shape. This has been a bit of a slog, and at one point I was pretty sick and tired of my trilogy. However, as I get closer to finishing the third book to go out to Beta readers, revise the second after been through the Beta readers, I have found myself looking forward to starting the next book in the series.
Shock, horror, probe I was lying in my bath listening to the soundtrack to the first Conan movie and ideas for two scenes just came to me. Just like that. Ideas for a mission to set the characters against formed, but whilst I have a theme, or more correctly I have some themes I can choose from, the plot as such remains elusive.
Got to have a plot, so I'm thinking about that.
This is long way of saying that post here will be a bit thin until I find some time between tapping on the keyboard to paint stuff. Don't worry I'm not abandoning the blog, if for the simple reason my own setting generates ideas for making forces, which I then have to make and paint. And I have so much stuff to make and paint.
Inspiration is cyclic and I'm sure your experiences in fiction will eventually reflect back positively on your tabletop hobby.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure it will. I think I'm one of those writers who like creating worlds to play in.
DeleteNice post. I am just having a similar experience to your Larry Bond read. After reading this in 1981, I re-acquired The Third World War by Sir General John Hackett (and others). He used his professional insight to write an account as to how political and military developments took us down a path towards and into world war (in August 1985). Despite this being a book of its time, there are still some ghosts of yesteryear that come to mind as one re-reads this, as well as a touch of unease as 2017 has aspects that can look similar to the book content.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, good luck with your writing as you enter a new phase of progress.
Never got around to Hackett, but have heard good things about the book. And we both seem to be seeing the ghosts of the past present in the future. Cheers.
DeleteKnow what you of all people
ReplyDeleteshould have a reaction for?
Leave this lemming world.
Wiseabove.