Hope everyone is having a great week! I wasn't going to share this, and many of you wouldn't care anyway, but after a bit of a slump over the past year I've decided that I MUST recommit myself to writing novels! Otherwise, I will shrivel and die.
I can't get much done at the moment, because my exams are starting, but I'm beginning to immerse myself back into a novel I started writing two years ago. "The Knights of the Fish" (working title) is based on a Spanish fairytale of the same name that I read from a compilation by Ruth Manning-Sanders. It's your classic hero's quest story, with knights going after dragons and rescuing princess, but with my own somewhat original take on it, particularly since I've set it in the 16th/17th century, when knight errants were already a little outdated. I've spiced it up with a bit of humour and wit that I hope manages to mock the medieval fantasy genre while also being taken seriously. I've also added in LOADS of subplots and side-characters like a troupe of actors who get up to mischievous shenanigans and a couple courtiers who constantly connive for power. I've derived lots of tropes from other folk tales and created a balance of witty dialogue, action-filled fighting scenes and court intrigue. It might not be the most original novel ever conceived, but I excuse myself by calling this an "adaption" of a folk tale. I'm mainly writing it because the humour, the action and even the more serious scenes are so fun to write!
I'll try to produce a synopsis, if I can!
I've polished up the plan I wrote two years ago and written a couple more chapters. It'll be 50 chapters all-in-all (a big step from the 15 chapters in my first book "A Definition of Magic"). Right now I'm up to 35,000 words and I've only written 17 chapters out of the 50! Zeus, give me strength!
In the meantime, feel free to read the rough draft of the first chapter I've posted on Google Drive. Here the mastermind wizard fights to escape the clutches of a villainous witch and the first of six dragons that appear in the story!
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxCSozSsVZukYUF6VGNKTjhIbTg/edit?usp=sharing
There are better chapters, but I'm proud of this one too. I'd like to post a more funny and witty one, but most of the subsequent chapters don't make a lot of sense when read out of order. Plus, spoilers. I'll see if I can assemble an excerpt!
Now I've come to the point where I make too many promises...
If you like it or have any questions about it, please leave a comment below!
Everyone stay calm and reduce harm! I love the very few of you who come to this blog!
P.S. I must attribute all of the awesome new planning techniques I've acquired to Katytastic on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/Katytastic) who does loads of videos on books and writing, being a novelist herself. Check her out if you're an aspiring writer or just a general book-lover!
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