Category: The Fallen

“The Fallen” 4/1

No, this will not be a recap of “Alice in Wonderland.” In fact, it is proving to be rather difficult: most of my stories are driven by character interaction. Once I focus in on Alicia Alvarez, alone, then there is much more exposition than I am used to.

That’s fine, I suppose. I often try to do something “different” when writing. That’s usually changing genres but in this case, I guess it will be my task to learn to write with only a single character.

Unless she meets something.

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“The Fallen” 3/11 (end pt3)

Here we close out Part 3. Each of these is longer than the previous, so I do wonder what kind of adventure Alicia will have.

For all of Anton Senior’s devotion to his wife, he’s still a guy and we guys will always look. Saras knows that full well, but chides him, anyway. It’s all in fun. I think her declaration at the end was a good way to wrap this up.

Next Monday: down the rabbit hole. Deus vult.

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“The Fallen” 3/10

Finally realized yesterday that I will not – cannot – force this story beyond where it wants to stop. If I did, then it becomes my story and not theirs. So, 35k words, 40, 50? Not worried anymore. It will be what it is.

Being in territory nominally claimed by the imperium, things are much more relaxed and open. We know Fussy and Aurelia would routinely strip and bathe in front of their troops, so it seems Saras is like that, as well. Morals were very strict after the Breakup/Change, but that was three, nearly four generations ago, now. And, demis are used to doing their own thing.

I’m not about to get drawn into another meeting and another dinner, so Part 3 may wrap up on the next installment.

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“The Fallen” 3/9

“What’s behind curtain number one?” Now we know. This is, obviously, me ripping off Tolkien; I’ve long said that all writers “borrow” from one another, but “ripping off” sounds better.

This wraps up the Alvarez’s visit to Ekaterinburg. I’ll gloss their trip to the dams and move things along to their stop in what is de facto imperium territory. It will be a much more relaxed visit as everyone is on the same side. Once that is completed, I’ll close Part Three. Part Four still only exists as notes as I still don’t know what I’m doing with Alicia.

Below, Count Lavrov really steps in it, doesn’t he?

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“The Fallen” 3/8

Playing more catch-up, so another longer segment for the weekend. You’re welcome.

We get another possible foreshadowing of what may or may not be under the Tharsis Plateau. There is also an interesting tell in what Ivan calls Anton and Saras. And, with the mention of Cartaphilus, we now have a touch of the Secondary World in this story. No idea where that might lead.

Looking forward to what’s behind the curtain. See everyone on Monday.

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“The Fallen” 3/7

Well, hello Another Dangerous Person. There is no way, none, that the PM of the Russian Empire is unaware of the unfolding diplomatic situation on Mars. Not about to let things get muddled, Reina obviously wants some skin, literally, in the game. So welcome Ivan, ladies and gentlemen.

Another slightly longer segment, but after spending the last two hours typing, I realized I’m 4000 words ahead of what I’m posting, and the Alvarez’s still aren’t yet to imperium territory for those talks. I might know where that’s going, but more importantly, I need to decide if this will be a novella (~35k words) or another novel (min 50k). Until I answer that, I cannot start Part Four.

When Sergei meets Ivan in the epilogue of Ice Inundation Intelligence, his private thought was, “how can such a nice kid be her son?”

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“The Fallen” 3/6

Bigger update with someone new to this story but introduced a few other places, especially in the epilogue of the 5-star reviewed “Ice Inundation Intelligence.”

“The Fallen” is gaining its own momentum. Part One was 3800 words; Part Two, 6400. To-date, Part Three is 6800 and not about to end for at least another 2500-5000. Maybe Part Four will just be, “rocks fall; everyone dies.”

*sigh* We all know that won’t be the case. I’ll keep on keeping on. I know I’m working toward the image of the girl in the swamp. It’s just a matter of getting there.

With all of these Russian demands, I realized I’d better put the map back up.

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“The Fallen” 3/5

A bit of a physical transition from Neo-Yokohama to Ekaterinberg. And yes, Alicia’s reaction as the pass over the marshes is what we writers call a “tell.”

The Russian functionary makes two mistakes in a row, which I find a bit surprising for a politician at that level and on another world. When I wrote what comes out in segment six, I now think it was a ruse to get Anton wondering how competent these people are. Looking further ahead, I was surprised to find someone I’d not expected to see on Mars. That will be for later.

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“The Fallen” 3/4

A rare Saturday update. I’ll be busy Sunday through Tuesday morning, so I thought to get something out now.

We start in on international politics, with the Japanese consul in Neo-Yokohama getting the first word in. For a diplomat, I’d say he gets too many words in, so I think the slight to Anton is deliberate. Toward the end of this segment, he lays out his travel plans for some shuttle diplomacy.

Starting to wonder if I should pin that map of Mars to the top of this blog as a reference.

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“The Fallen” 3/3

At last we get Anton Sr into the frame. He’s twenty-nine, I think, at this point. A high-caste Mexican married to a demi-human, mixed race imperial princess. With an ambassadorship. And, as we discover in this shorter segment, still, after five years, getting used to married life.

Hell, at five years my wife and I nearly got divorced. It was my fault. A twice-divorced colleague sat me down and explained: “Clayton. You’re a man and an engineer. If someone tells you a problem, you immediately want to fix it. Women are NOT like that. They talk to talk. Just pretend you’re listening and all will be well.”

And here we are, thirty-one years later. Thanks, Bill!

Section 4 will start us down the political spillway: Japs, Rus, imperials. And a very odd occurrence when they fly over the Arabia Marshes. I wonder if the plot might be showing up?

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