Writing life: A celebration of thirty years of The Three Lands

I pressed my Muse hard and persuaded him to finish writing Law Links (The Three Lands) today, November 8. I began writing that novel fourteen years ago, almost to the day: November 15, 1995.

By coincidence, this year happens to be the thirtieth anniversary of the original draft of the first Three Lands story I wrote, Blood Vow. In honor of that, I thought I'd show three versions each of two scenes from the novel, so that you can see how my writing has ceased being absolutely dreadful progressed.


( The first appearance of the Chara in 'Blood Vow,' just after my 16th birthday. Spoilers for Part One of 'Blood Vow.' Warning for bad teenage humor. )

( The same scene re-written one year later )

( The final version of that scene, age 45 )

( The first appearance of Lord Carle, in a passing reference, as part of a flashback )

( The second appearance of Lord Carle. Warning for a horrible simile. )

( The final version of that scene, age 45 )

( Journal entries about 'Blood Vow,' 1979-1995, with major spoilers )

Home life: TMJ, tennis elbow, and dry eye - the unholy trio

"In the midst of winter, I finally realized that deep within me there lay an invincible summer."

--Albert Camus.

I'm posting separately this entry some medical problems I've been having recently. (Don't worry, they aren't life-threatening, just painful and annoying.) I figure that people who are interested in reading my Daily Life entries may not want to wade through tons of medical stuff, and vice versa.

( Background to my entries )

( My doctor and my wallet )

( Well, whadya know. I have a stress-related illness. )

( Pillows. )

( Tiny food. )

( Less talking, more progress )

( Sleeping and posture )

( Desk posture )

( Now my glasses have decided to misbehave (but wow, once they behave, life'll be great) )

( Yet another bodily complaint )

Daily life: Trying to figure out ways to improve my wordage

"Look, I do know this: stories matter.

"Sometimes they come to me in the middle of the night, I wake up and I know there was once a person with a name, a history, a life -- and sometimes they died a hundred years ago and sometimes they haven't been born yet, but they're so real, they're right there, like I can touch them. I write them, when I can, and grieve them often, in ways I've learned to be smart enough not to talk about.

"At times that bothers me, the silence I feel obligated to that comes with storytelling. It bothers me when I write, which is one manner of inhabiting a character, and it bothers me when I act, which is another. But I've learned to live with it because stories, and the people they are about, are, in the telling, more important than me.

"I'm just a translator, a medium, a canvass and a liar. Their stories matter so much that in the telling of them, all I can wish is to disappear.

"And I love them so much, the people I tell into being.

"Which means that when it comes to the business of awards my gut says, honor them. Not me. Not writers. Characters. Stories. Honor them."

--RM

( Background to my entries )

( Writing: Man, oh, man, I'm offline for a month, and the entire e-publishing world changes )

( Simplicity and Writing: My time online; plus, the Prison City stuff I found )

( Writing: For your amusement, the Nautical Telegraph Code )

( Writing: The Lambda Literary Awards discussions in the blogosphere )

( Simplicity: Getting back on track )

( Writing: Squee! My name was mentioned at Yule Treasure! )

( Home: What happens in today's society when you aren't geek central )

( REVIEW: Recommendation of Rudyard Kipling's 'Stalky & Co.' )

( Writing: Monthly totals )

( Writing: My Muse moveth )

( Writing: My Muse really moveth; plus, Rosemary Sutcliff and P. G. Wodehouse )

( Writing: My Muse slows down a bit; plus, turn-of-the-century romantic friendship fiction )

( Writing: Triumph! The Turn-of-the-Century Toughs world is now the Mid-Atlantic )

( Home: Reasons why I often feel I'm a conservative )

( Writing: Not-quite-good-enough writing )

( Writing: My unfocussed Muse )

( Writing and Mentoring: I've decided to make my winter schedule my year-round schedule )

Daily life: Counting my past wordage

"My biggest writing mistake is that I can't leave well enough alone. Even after the manuscript has come back from the various proof-readers I use, inevitably, the urge to pick a scab overrules all logical sensibility."

--C. Anne Gardner. Because, um, yeah.

( Background to my entries )

( Writing: Wordage and my Internet addiction (a look at the past) )

( Writing: My ability to write descriptions )

( Simplicity: And the computer file purge continues )

( Writing: More schoolboy fiction )

( Writing: The advantages of being blind, word-count-wise )

( Writing: Switching over to editing The Three Lands; plus, W. Somerset Maugham )

( Home: Fall leaves and gardening )

( Writing: Switching over to writing The Eternal Dungeon; plus, The Beta Reader Problem )

Reply to comments: The Lammies again

( Reply to lemursexbot - i.e., my apprentice - about critiques of my Prison City manuscript )

( Reply to dharma_slut about the LLF thread )

( Brief reply to yonmei )