CarolJ
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Arcadian Dreams (Ch. 1)
🕑 Added 2020-03-01 05:13:32 +0000 UTCThat's right, there are three posts this month! One of the benefits of getting settled in to my new place is having more time to write when I'd otherwise be getting interrupted or otherwise thrown off my metaphysical groove. I don't know if I'll be able to get much more than three or four per month, though, but I hope to be a bit more regular in this regard going forward. As a wise man once said, after all, "You gotta be regular if you're gonna be happy." He also said "Do you like lamb, Doc?" But I feel like that particular koan doesn't apply nearly as directly.
Anyway, this is my latest attempt at a multi-chapter work! There were a few issues with previous forays into the format, most of which stemming from the idea that each chapter was more or less a standalone "episode" as opposed to part of a single, cohesive narrative. I also took some time to outline (a good chunk) of the story before beginning the first chapter, so hopefully that forethought makes the process easier.
Truth be told, this is just another way I'm trying to be more like GigglingGoblin, whose writing I would highly recommend if you haven't seen her already. Her Monstrous Ranch and Intrepid Pawns series have so much more impact and heat to them because we're so much more attached to the characters, and that's something I'm trying to go for in this story. As a wise man once said, "You gotta have stakes if you're gonna be invested." Or something like that. It's been a while since I saw The Shining.
I don't want to give away too much of the underlying plot, especially because this is literally the first chapter, but I hope that the twists and turns I've laid out become that much more apparent as things proceed from here! I also hope that I'm able to wean myself off of my love of genies and illusions, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
As always, thank you so much for your support, and I hope you enjoy my stories! Please let me know if there was anything specific you enjoyed. As an author, I thrive off feedback, and I feel like I'll need a lot of it in this series if I'm going to successfully navigate the perils of what's essentially novel-writing.
Comments
CyanMax
Wow! Really great chapter you've written here, I can't wait for it to be continued. It kind of reminds me a little of Alexandra the Great (which if my favorite story) with the seemingly "industrial" approach to making men dumb, hung studs. I look forward to the next chapter ^^
Pangolin
That's just good foreshadowing! For an episodic story, unless you literally just do some random arbitrary stuff, there are always people who will catch on. Not that I hold a candle to the reddit crowds for Mr. Robot or Star Trek Discovery - for the latter I was spoiled on two huge season 1 twists by a single midseason finale post with uncanny deduction!
Carol J.
R-Remind me to never commit crimes if you're the detective investigating them.
Pangolin
Classic fantasy story beginning with the imprisonment! And I’m definitely interested to learn more about the world and Sasha’s character and motivations: the references to ”mana” and Melissa instantly making the leap from bomb-making to ”using magic in naughty ways” make me think it might be a special prison specifically for mages to drain their power for some purpose. And the last page as well as the mention of Sasha making a deliberate choice to end up in Arcadia makes me think he at least originally intended to subvert it somehow - or perhaps rescue someone. In any case, looking forward to more!
Carol J.
Writing is hard! I'm still learning! Concrit only!
Carol J.
This is what happens when I try to post stuff after work. I'm so sorry!
V01D
“Three POSS this month” - lol
Connor
I think you might have forgotten to attach it lol
