ElCad the Author

[ElCadaver]

Hi All,
nearly finished all the landscaping of the new house, so haven't been online much.

I have however decided on my eventual exit strategy from the blood and horror which is cardiac surgery. I going to start writing fiction and get it published. Spending as much time making up characters as I have, it seems a waste to not use it. Plus I was pretty good at writing in school, and I've read books before where I've said to myself "well, I can do better than that!".I'm planning on writing a trilogy, based on one of my former characters. They will be fantasy, but not D&D for obvious reasons. Several of my former characters will be appearing actually.

I am determined to get published and have some seriously good books. I'm not sure how long that will take. I've been studying and planning, and will be starting in ernest next Jan, once the house is all finished.

I'm not telling you all this have a boast however. I'd like to extend an invitation to ALFAn's to be involved.

I'd like to offer the opportunity to have your character in my books.

During my ALFA years, I've met many really great characters through the characters I've played. The ones I consider my memorable characters are:

Lomi (Lomiallor Lor'liarill - mute comic tree hugger)
Powder ( Ye' Buggers!)
Ravenscar Steel (Best death ever)
Filthy Ike (Stinky Half Orc Monk)
Kert Davis (Wise cracking wanderer)
Seraphina thorngage (Bastard sword cheese chopping halfling paladin)

The terms are:

No strings attached. I can make up characters myself, but if you want the buzz of having your character in a book then sign up. You would not be entitled to a cent, ever, if I make any.

Characters my PC's have interacted with the most are more likely to get in, as I would say I know them, from my point of view. They would be written as I had percieved them, not neccessarily as you view them, but I would do my best to embody the spirit of the PC in question. Anything can happen to them in my book.

Good guys and bad guys accepted.

If you are interested, reply with their name and a short bio so I remember, and eventually, I'll get some paperwork out to you. NWN1 and NWN2 PC's please, as many of the greats were in NWN1 IMO.

I'd definatley have a mention of ALFA in the dedication somwhere should I use any characters.

ElCad

[Galadorn]

cool.

[Veilan]

Shaddap and come play sir.

[Galadorn]

Sorry.

[Veilan]

I meant ElC... but you works fine for me too.

[loulabelle]

First of all, I think that's a great idea!! Look forward to reading them.

Next I want to encourage you to join some of us over at National Novel Writing Month http://www.nanowrimo.org During the month of November you average writing just over 1500 words a day, every day for 30 days and the goal is to have at least 50,000 words by the end of the month. They won't be awesome words, or possibly even coherent sentences, there will be plot holes galore and story gaps but it's a lot of fun and you end up with the beginnings of a first draft. So there's that. It's also a good way to help you find time to work on your story, which when you have a full time job can seem hard. It's really not, Nano just shows you how goddamn lazy you are ;-D It sounds sort of gimmicky, but heard of a book called Water for Elephants? Maybe you heard of the film dramatisation instead. Nanowrimo 2006 book

Also, I'm not sure if you're planning to just take character concepts (I've done this for sure with stories) or actual events and such from alfa1 and 2. Your character isn't copyrighted but a lot of everything else is. Going to take a lot of planning just getting around the copyright stuff.

I remember playing with Lomi and Powder If you want to have a peaceful female druid popping in and out now and again, go for it

Not everyone can get a novel picked up as a debut author so I'm passing along the advice given many times to me which is to aim for the SFF short story market and build up a CV of success. I actually went to a lot of writers' events at Dragoncon and picked up a lot of advice I'm happy to share with you, pm or email me (you have my email right?) if you like. Apparently the short story market is "better than it's been in the past decade" for the genre.

Do Nanowrimo. My parting words. Oh and I'm happy to critique for you.

(PS I'd like to play with you again sometime too )

[CloudDancing]

Writing is great. And the National Novel Writing looks like a good excuse to prep something i've been sitting on for a good while.

Just make sure you ask permission from any writer here in the Alfa library who has spent a good deal of time writing their own mythos and story to use their characters.

Plus it is easier to use something like the "Snowflake" method to generate your own unique characters.

Actually copyright law currently protects any intellectual property you submit on a forum or in a place like youtube to a certain limit the moment you upload it.

So as per content derived from Alfa's writers stories, it would be best to avoid using those. I'd ask that consideration from anyone even though I feel my built Alfa/Nwn content is free to the creative commons.

[Swift]

For anyone else here doing Nano, my name is Siaer if you want to add me

One of my non-ALFA friends is also doing it. He is going to write a book called Mazel Tav Cocktail. Should be incomprehensible!

Mine is basically just gonna be one long story pulled from loose, untouched plot threads for my existing ALFA character, since a) I have no plans to bother trying to sell it and b) For me, 38 days just isnt long enough to plan out something completely and utterly new from scratch. Maybe for NaNo 2012...

[ElCadaver]

Like I said in the first email, I'll only use characters who specifically say they want to have their PC in a book, and have signed some sort of waiver before they do so..

I'm considering Nano. Looking at coming up with a prequel to the main trilogy I would like to have published. I guess I have a month to come up with a plot structure and such.

[Dorn]

My two characters of note from ALFA (1) are:

Dorn - son of the Sky Pony tribe, champion of The Long Road, scourge of Chaunteas Chosen, dragonfriend, dragonslayer, founder of the Wayfarers mercenary outfit, axewielding friend of the Kryptgarden Druids, bareknuckle fighter of hillgiants, hero of the Daggerford Bridge (takes countless poisoned arrows from endless orcs trying to hold a bridge solo for two dawdling bloody lesbian elves),

Sir Kit Gyrfalcon - Paladin of the Red Knight, marshaller of the forces of the highforest and dwarves of delzoun, knight then commander of the Eastern armies in the defense of Loudwater during the Shadewar, soul currently leading the Red Knights hosts in heavan, body currently housing the ancient twisted soul of the Beastlord (gave his body up as a trade to get the beastlord to turn his forces against the Shadovar defeating their southern armies and saving loudwater).

You can use them...except they're dead of course.

[ElCadaver]

You can use them...except they're dead of course.

Authors get unlimited resurrection as a special ability.

Cheers Dorn.

I should also point out that if anyone who has offered characters has used the name of a published character, let me know, so as not to upset copyright people.

[maxcell]

Loulabelle wrote:

(PS I'd like to play with you again sometime too )

For that you actually have to play Lou.

[ElCadaver]

Sneak peak of Chapter One. I'm new to this, but I hope some of you find it palatable.
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Several small stones shattered on the granite wall beside Ike’s head.

Heart pounding, He instinctively flinched, lancet shards bursting like firecrackers around him. Savage glee rose up from Ike’s chest, distorting his face into a determined grimace. Now you got me mad! He leapt up the flying buttress of the chapel wall.

“Filthy, Filthy!” taunted the mob of brown robed boys below, loosing several more stones from leather whip-slings.

The whistling whine met Ike’s ears; he twisted midair to avoid the volley. Landing like a coiled spring, he kicked out as the projectiles shattered around him, back flipping in the direction of the high wall surrounding the compound.

The mob bellowed with delight and surged towards the wall.

Arching backwards and spread eagle, Ike’s back slammed hard against the stone battlement. The flat rough stone dug into his flesh. Ignoring the pain he seized a handhold wrists turned, hanging like a crucifixion. Swinging side to side, Ike taunted the mob with his nether regions, glowering like a madman.

“Stinker! Filthy!” they replied. Leather snapped and stones flew.

Anticipating the impact, he breathed out hard, crunching his abdomen. The momentum carried his legs up over his head. A loud ‘fharp’ escaped as he flipped over the edge onto the wall.

Half the crowd below laughed raucously, his assailants staring with disgusted looks on their faces.

A bell tolled.

Resentment rising up to sting his eyes wet, Ike let out a derisive snort as he watched the mob melt away, disappearing into thickset buildings for the evening meal. Ike winced as he sat down. Gingerly he pulled several small shards from his thigh, muttering curses as he did so.

From his vantage point, Ike watched the sun melted between mountain peaks, like a whorl of cream on hot Gubbage. Ignoring a growl of hunger the thought of dinner provoked, he roughly wiped his eyes as his emotions drained away with the setting sun. Gazing as the golden glow receded, Ike idly wonderd if he’d see the drifter Reg tiptoeing along the distant tree line in the waxing light. She’d appeared more often of late, staring up at the monastery from out past the orchards full of loam berry trees and breadroot canes.

Shadows deepened.

As Ike was considering how to sneak in for Nightsup, a flicker of light in the window of the high tower across the compound broke his reverie. Ike eyes narrowed as he strained to see, then widened as his heart leapt. With a happy ‘whoop’ he loped off towards the tower, hopping along the parapets.

The wall ended abruptly at the gatehouse. He leapt sideways with practiced ease, snatching the thick portcullis rope. The rope creaked in complaint under the strain. With a deft wheel, Ike glided in space, momentarily enjoying the caress of the cool twilight air before landing on the scullery roof, treading lightly as he went. Spoons clattered against a hundred bowls beneath his feet. His stomach growled louder, and for an instant his feet listened and forgot their place. Lurching headlong, Ike spread his legs to steady his gait. A clay tile clattered down the gabled slope and burst on the flagstones below.

Stoopid, Ike chided himself, images of cleaning the scullery cisterns as punishment crowding his thoughts. Crouching low to avoid detection, he headed for the edge of the building. The balustrade of the main hall lay a stone skip away across a two story drop.

Senses alive, Ike sprang cat-like, hands first across the void. Landing on all fours Ike skidded across the wooden floor. Powerful legs kicked out against the wall, bringing him to a stop. He waited a moment. Hoping no-one had heard him; he galloped along the mezzanine floor, sneaking a peek up at the high tower window again.

A thin figure shuffled across the void in silhouette behind a gossamer shade.

His concentration divided, Ike failed to notice the portly robed figure rounding the corner of the porch.

A bolt of raw adrenaline shot through Ike's veins. Too late, he threw his legs forward to stop, sliding under brother Curryn like a rolling log. A stack of books and parchment flew into the air as the Monk landed with a thud.

Ike sprang back to his feet before the last parchment landed. “Sorry Brother, sooooo sorry!” he winced apologetically

Red faced, Curryn reached for a book to throw, only hesitating last minute as he regarded the golden tome.

“Ike!” Curryn blustered.

“Gotta go!” Flashing an embarrassed grin beneath tousled brown hair. Hells teeth, he thought.

Primed for flight, Ike covered the distance to the railing in two rangy bounds. The wall of the high tower loomed up before him….

[ElCadaver]

Ouch, is that what people not trying to hurt your feelings is like? Lucky I have thick skin.

[Rotku]

It's nothing to do with your story. It's just we don't like you