{"id":177,"date":"2013-06-19T16:29:00","date_gmt":"2013-06-19T16:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/how-far-weve-come-and-how-far-were-going\/"},"modified":"2013-08-08T19:19:37","modified_gmt":"2013-08-08T19:19:37","slug":"how-far-weve-come-and-how-far-were-going","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/how-far-weve-come-and-how-far-were-going\/","title":{"rendered":"How Far We’ve Come and How Far We’re Going"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well ladies and gentlemen, the time is quickly approaching.\u00a0 I am actually counting down the days, because we are likely within one month of a publication at this point.\u00a0 It has been a long time, but the trilogy is likely going to be complete by this time next month.<\/p>\n

It’s not set in stone just yet, but my editor was intent on trying to get me his final edits this weekend.\u00a0 If that’s the case, all I’ll have to do is look at his changes and approve or deny them.\u00a0 That might take a week or two if I’m really diligent.\u00a0 After that, I do one final read through the material myself, give it the go ahead, and publish.\u00a0 The artwork is already done – you’ve seen it if you looked at the Kickstarter we ran a couple months back.\u00a0 The only thing I would have to do after that is begin resizing the artwork for a paperback release – maybe around November of this year.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, I haven’t just been sitting around, twiddling my thumbs.\u00a0 I’ve been working on my short stories, in an effort to\u00a0tide over anxious fans once The Enemy Within has been released – the fact that nothing has been set to paper (digital or not) since November of 2011 is a sad thing indeed.\u00a0 I want to try and remedy that going forward.<\/p>\n

I’ve been working on two of the stories simultaneously – and I’ve been treating them as gifts for two of the people closest to me.\u00a0 Adelia is a fan favorite of my wonderful artist and girlfriend Rhianna.\u00a0 When you get a chance to read that story, you might notice a more playful, whimsical approach than the Child of the Stars trilogy presents.\u00a0 The other character is Bolt – he’s the one I started with, regarding these shorter tales – and he’s dedicated to my brother.\u00a0 I’m noticing as I spin these yarns, they’re growing bigger than I expected.<\/p>\n

Allow me to drop some history on you.<\/p>\n

When I first started writing the Tellest mythos back in 2001, it was such a miniscule idea.\u00a0 Tellest wasn’t part of the name.\u00a0 Tellest wasn’t even an idea<\/em>.\u00a0 It was just supposed to be a short biography for Kaos Kreegan.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

At the time, it was being written in the Forgotten Realms world – essentially just some heavy fan fiction.\u00a0 The profile was for a character I was making in Baldur’s Gate II.\u00a0 Subconsciously, certain facets of that game series\u00a0even made their way into my long term writing – Duke Eltan, as I came to discover long after I had written my original Kaos story, was a character from Baldur’s Gate.\u00a0 I think that even the last name Kreegan was probably subconsciously pulled from the Heroes of Might and Magic series.\u00a0 They were the series’ devils and demons.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Of course, I didn’t even realize that those name choices had been made.\u00a0 In 2001, my imagination was still stretching slowly over time.\u00a0 Kaos’ original name would have been Kaos Brightblade – for the sake of a videogame profile, that would have been fine.\u00a0 I don’t think Wizards of the Coast would have come after me for that.\u00a0 But Kaos, and the world around him continued to evolve.<\/p>\n

What was originally just a two page biography that I wrote in math class stretched and pulled until much of what you see in Bindings of Fate today was written (although in much cruder fashion).\u00a0 From there, 140 pages evolved to close to 300 when I added some solid backstory for Kaos.\u00a0 You’ll get to see the natural growth of that original tale when “The Veil of Mists” comes out in 2014\/2015.<\/p>\n

What I’m noticing, though, is that Adelia and Bolt are experiencing the same manner of growth.\u00a0 I don’t think I can call their solo tales short stories at this point.\u00a0 They’re more like novelettes.\u00a0 By the time I’m done with Adelia’s tale, I know I’ll be close to 20,000 words.<\/p>\n

Of course, with a slightly longer length comes a slightly longer wait.\u00a0 These short stories aren’t going to be coming out until liikely around November of this year (and even then, on a weekly basis for each chapter).\u00a0 But, I figured, I have a good amount of writing done thus far, and much of the content is unlikely to change.\u00a0 So what do you say?\u00a0 Would you like an introduction to the first 1,000 words of the first short story?<\/p>\n

~~~<\/div>\n
“Adelia”<\/strong>\ufeff<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\ufeff<\/div>\n
The bluebird\u2019s song was familiar.\u00a0 <\/span>It sat upon the stone windowsill, mere inches away from the jars of ancient substances.\u00a0 <\/span>Looking at the nearby dried roots, it would hop toward it quickly and then abruptly back away.\u00a0 <\/span>After each cycle, it would tweet its song as though it was trying to remain discreet.<\/div>\n
A sweet-smelling spring breeze turned a page in the large nearby tome, and the small creature hunched low, considering a hasty flight.\u00a0 <\/span>The man who sat at the desk began to whistle.\u00a0 <\/span>His song seemed to soothe the bird \u2013 perhaps because it was identical to the earlier tune.<\/div>\n
Gaston Camlann was known for such precise observations.\u00a0 <\/span>He was a man of great renown, gifted in many arts, both ancient and modern.\u00a0 <\/span>It was a wonder at all that he was able to excel at so many things.\u00a0 <\/span>He was, after all, human.\u00a0 <\/span>They didn\u2019t live forever.<\/div>\n
The sage, who fancied himself more a scholar, was beginning to show his age.\u00a0 <\/span>His once attractive features were replaced with wrinkles and rosy cheeks.\u00a0 <\/span>He wore a long, dark grey beard and moustache to hide most of his weathered face.\u00a0 <\/span>Long, wavy locks had been stricken a little brighter by the sun, nearing the color of snow.\u00a0 <\/span>He hid that indicator of his age underneath a wide green hat.<\/div>\n
Though preferring to wear the tall, pointed head piece back somewhat, he had learned much earlier on in life that the hat and his glasses often fought for a place upon his ears.\u00a0 <\/span>During his studies, those thin frames took precedence.<\/div>\n
As he whistled a second verse to his winged companion, a series of knocks upon the door played the percussion in their song.\u00a0 <\/span>Gaston was so engrossed in his studies that he was ill suited to notice, even when the rapping on the door became louder and more frequent.<\/div>\n
More aware than the sage, the bluebird hopped off of its stone pedestal, diving into the northern wilderness.\u00a0 <\/span>Gaston was shook from his task at that sight.<\/div>\n
He chortled to himself.\u00a0 <\/span>How easily Homer has trained me<\/i>, he thought, recalling how often the bird returned to him.<\/div>\n
Another series of knocks on the door had his full attention, then.<\/div>\n
\u201cYes, come in,\u201d he pleasantly permitted.<\/div>\n
The sturdy slab of elm slid open, and a well dressed man walked in, his polished boots tapping across the floor.\u00a0 <\/span>To his left, a laze feline lay peacefully, its tail floating to and fro as the visitor was seen.<\/div>\n
After removing his leather glove, the man reached out, petting the cat on its side.\u00a0 <\/span>Rolling over, the feline gleefully accepted the attention.<\/div>\n
Gaston placed his quill down, then, and turned to acknowledge his guest\u2019s arrival.<\/div>\n
\u201cAh, Edric,\u201d the sage said, standing quickly, and slamming his legs into the desk.\u00a0 <\/span>He winced, but worked at ignoring the pain.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIt\u2019s been some time.\u201d<\/div>\n
Preoccupied with the animal, it almost seemed that Edric would not find the focus to reply.\u00a0 <\/span>The black cat had wrapped its arms around the man\u2019s wrist, and was contentedly licking his knuckles.<\/div>\n
\u201cThat it has, my friends,\u201d the visitor said, giving a quick, rough little scratch to the cat\u2019s belly before retrieving his hand.<\/div>\n
\u201cAnd what brings you to my dusty old closet on this beautiful day?\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s not often that a White Knight of Gardone visits a meager hamlet like Forsynthia.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cForsynthia is anything but meager, and I believe it has evolved from a hamlet some time ago.\u00a0 <\/span>Also, my time in a white cloak has long passed.\u201d<\/div>\n
A smile crossed Gaston\u2019s face.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cJust as always, you focus on the corrections while you ignore the questions.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cAnything to gain a few extra moments to speak with an old friend,\u201d Edric said.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cOne of Jonathan\u2019s birds came through.\u00a0 <\/span>Apparently, your pupil had just arrived at the toll road.\u00a0 <\/span>I don\u2019t think she\u2019ll arrive too long after I did.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cAnd depending on the driver, the poor girl will be arriving without a coin in her pocket.\u00a0 <\/span>What a foolish idea those roads were.\u201d<\/div>\n
Edric paused for a moment, considering how to react.\u00a0 <\/span>A moment later, he was shaking his head while smiling.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYou know the countryside better than most, Gaston.\u00a0 <\/span>Between the beasts and the brigands, all of Daltain is a dangerous place.\u00a0 <\/span>But with paid patrols on watch\u2026 well, you know what Lord Kerrigan says.\u00a0 <\/span>\u2018Good roads b \u2013\u2019 \u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cBuild a better country, yes,\u201d the old sage finished.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAnd there\u2019s quite a bit of wisdom there, too.\u00a0 <\/span>Far more than this wizened old wizard cares to admit often, anyway.\u00a0 <\/span>And I\u2019m sure those pampered, spoon-fed princes from Sungarden were happy to keep the hands out of their pockets.<\/div>\n
\u201cAhh, but I\u2019m rambling again,\u201d Gaston said.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAre you staying for some time?\u00a0 <\/span>Can I offer you some tea?\u201d
A weak frown could just barely be seen upon the retired knight\u2019s face.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAlas, my friend, I haven\u2019t come to Forsynthia just for reprieve.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m moving a caravan of weapons up to the Basalt Flats.\u00a0 <\/span>Lydick should be awaiting me in the armory if he\u2019s been properly advised of my arrival.\u201d<\/div>\n
Gaston nodded.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAlways too short, these visits.\u00a0 <\/span>No matter.\u00a0 <\/span>It will give me some time to stretch these old legs in preparation to meet the young lady.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cAnd I\u2019m sure there are a great many surprises you have prepared for this one,\u201d Edric mused.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m staying in Forsynthia for the night.\u00a0 <\/span>If my task is kind to me, perhaps we can meet for the tea later this evening.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cI should like that very much,\u201d the sage said.<\/div>\n
Following a polite bow, Edric turned and began out of the room.\u00a0 <\/span>He stopped beside the black cat, and gingerly scratched beneath its chin.<\/div>\n
\u201cFarewell, Dell,\u201d the retired knight said.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cKeep your master from falling too deeply into those tomes of his.\u201d<\/div>\n
Once Edric had gone from the room, Gaston turned to his pet, glee etched upon his face.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWorry not, my old furry friend.\u00a0 <\/span>You\u2019ll have a new companion to play with.\u00a0 <\/span>There will be time for books later.\u201d<\/div>\n
Dell let out a contented meow, but remained on his side, even as his master stepped clear of the door, and drew it mostly closed.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
~~~<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It’s a very brief intro, but I think it gets the point across.\u00a0 Dell, the cat, is likely going to be renamed, but I want to be careful to give him some anonymity for now.\u00a0 His real name may give a little too much of the central Tellest stories away.\u00a0 Now, how could a cat’s name ruin that for anyone?\u00a0 That’s my secret for now.\u00a0 The title will be tweaked once I get a feel for what the most important facet of the tale is as well.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I hope you liked that little tease, and I hope you’re excited for The Enemy Within.\u00a0 I went through all the emotions with that one – but\u00a0I’m at a point now where I think it’s one of my better works.\u00a0\u00a0The epic conclusion to the Child of the Stars trilogy is nearly upon us, and I’m glad to have you along for the ride!\u00a0<\/div>\n
\ufeff<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Well ladies and gentlemen, the time is quickly approaching.\u00a0 I am actually counting down the days, because we are likely within one month of a publication at this point.\u00a0 It has been a long time, but the trilogy is likely going to be complete by this time next month. It’s not set in stone just […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-2R","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=177"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":223,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177\/revisions\/223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}