Start Here
Wanna read the first paragraph of the sf novel I started writing today? Well, whether you want to or not, here it is:
My name is Thomas Mathiason Rimsky-Korsakov. I am the second son of Delphinium McKinley Rimsky-Korsakov and I have been ordered by my Commander to write down everything that happened, and my ship-mates have been told to do the same. At the moment, even money among the members of the crew says this order came down to us, through our Commander, from that thing in the sky. You can see it at night, an oversized star threading its way through the other stars up there like a friendless giant crossing a crowded square. I hear the people up there think they are in some sort of navy too, like us, except our ship can go on water and theirs can't. I hear they think our ship is stupid looking, and that nobody but an idiot would build a ship like ours to go on the water, but what do they know? They can only go through space.
Okay, that's it. You'll never see me mention it again until it's done. And no, you aren't supposed to be bowled over by the brilliance of the prose. I just wanted to do something to mark the occasion of this thing's birth.
Congratulations on getting underway and good luck with the rest of it.
Posted by: Bob Dively | March 18, 2006 at 08:21 PM
Thanks, Bob. Now all I have to do is type the phrase "The End" and put a hundred-or-so-thousand words in front of it. But that's the easy part.
Posted by: Corpsy | March 18, 2006 at 09:40 PM
You're a braver man than I! The very thought of writing a novel makes me go all anxious and breathy and sends me running back to my shorter short stories.
Go you!
MKK
Posted by: Mary Kay | March 19, 2006 at 02:55 AM
Happy Birthday SF novel!
Posted by: Maureen McHugh | March 19, 2006 at 09:44 AM
Thanks, guys.
Posted by: Corpsy | March 19, 2006 at 01:13 PM
Hip Hip!!!
Good luck. I can't wait!
Posted by: punkrockhockeymom | March 19, 2006 at 02:36 PM
Thanks, Kimbo.
Posted by: Corpsy | March 19, 2006 at 03:44 PM
One word at a time.
I like the voice.
Posted by: Jo Walton | March 19, 2006 at 06:04 PM
I like the voice.
It makes my day you heard it in the first paragraph. Of course, if it wasn't hearable in the first paragraph, I'd have to throw the paragraph out.
BUT... it was there again this morning, so that's a good sign. Now all I have to do is maintain it, and remember to share the reins.
One word at a time.
That too.
Posted by: Corpsy | March 19, 2006 at 06:59 PM
Congratulations and good luck!
Posted by: marrije | March 20, 2006 at 08:01 AM
Thanks, marrije.
Posted by: Corpsy | March 20, 2006 at 10:43 AM
Promising beginning.
Posted by: Scorpio | March 20, 2006 at 06:59 PM
Thanks, Scorp. Not to be boastful (it's only one paragraph for gawd's sake) but I kind of agree. That sounds terrible, I know, but I only mean it in the sense that there must have been enough promise to make the last two days of writing very much fun. On account of: they were.
Posted by: Corpsy | March 20, 2006 at 07:21 PM
I also enjoy the "Voice."
it's the voice of a man who knows everything, but reveals very little.
the name choice is bewildering.
in a word: Gripping.
Keep it up.
Posted by: Steve C. | March 21, 2006 at 06:51 PM
it's the voice of a man who knows everything, but reveals very little.
Well, there's a long way to go so at some point he's gonna have to be a little more forthcoming, I think. :)
Posted by: Corpsy | March 21, 2006 at 07:39 PM
Either that or it's a narrator like the one in The Sound and the Fury, and he's not telling you things because he can't figure out what's important and what's not.
I liked it to. I'd keep reading.
(Hey, aren't you supposed to do this in November?)
Posted by: Xopher | March 23, 2006 at 05:51 PM
November? Is that the "write a novel" month or something?
This is Art, Xopher (note the uppercase "A"). I can't be expected to wait months and months when Art (note the uppercase "A") is at stake.
I never.
Posted by: Corpsy | March 23, 2006 at 08:11 PM