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[larryhammer]

Current research reading, more useful even than Lost Country Life and Daily Life in the Twelfth Century, is The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. This to collect any cliches before they hatch*. I'm skirting the line with my Duke**, but otherwise I seem to be doing well -- though I'll have to watch my Weather and be careful once we reach the Court. (We have to go to Court -- after all, His Nibs works there.) However, the Mountain Pass will not be Blocked, the Ancient Engineering Works will be all but crumbled, and there will be no Siege of the Walled City. Also, no Colour Coding -- everyone has brown hair/brown eyes/brownish skin, so there.

Which is to say, while stomping out cliches was the initial impetus, I'm having fun tackling many head on. Like His Nibs's recent Bath scene. Not only didn't Her Nibs peek and there wasn't any Sex, but I wrote it lightly slashy. (Do not overlook the slashy possibilities of two knights in a hot tub. Just sayin'.) And contra the Rule about female tourists, Her Nibs's period has arrived. See also everything under Warrior Women and Female Mercenary.

Progress continues, despite recent work kurfuffles (half my department was fired last week, and I'm trying to get final doc together for a major release of my product). His Nibs grew much livelier once he finally met Her Nibs -- apparently he needs a strong foil to bounce off. In the next chapter, he'll try to arrest her liege-lord in her hall, which ought to be good for some sparks no matter how it turns out, and soon after we'll hit the road to find the king hi hough.

Maybe she'll kick his ass. That'd be fun.

*I'm also paying attention to limyaael's rants, of course, but it's hard to ping off her wittily.
**He's even over forty. <sigh>

---L.

Comments

cliche vectors

[palomapus.livejournal.com]

I guess I don't read enough fantasy to know what the codes and cliches are. It is LOVELY to read that yours will avoid the whole light=good, dark=low,evil,coarse. Where do I start to introduce myself to your universe? Do you know I only know that you are a successful writer and do not know what you have written? Exposed for the too busy to read sometimes person I am.
T.

Re: cliche vectors

[larryhammer]

"Successful" is relative. A handful of stories and poems, only -- no novels sold yet. Biblio of the recent ones is here.

---L.