If you’re a regular of this blog, you may have noticed that I took off the statusbar for Ashes of the Starry Sea 2.2. I’ve decided to discontinue that project for the foreseeable future, while I work on Genesis Earth and Bringing Stella Home.
It’s not that I think that Ashes doesn’t have potential, or that I can’t rewrite it. It’s just that I don’t want something good to keep me from doing my best.
Ashes, in its first incarnation, was very much a practice novel. It has potential, but it’s going to take a lot of work to get it publishable. In the meantime, I’ve got two other novels that are much better–much more workable. I don’t want them to be any worse because I’ve diverted too much attention toward something else.
When I wrote Ashes two years ago, I cringed at the thought that this was going to be just a practice novel. It was my magnum opus, the best thing I’d ever written! Well, since then, I’ve written a lot of other stuff that is much better. I’m able to let this baby sit on the back burner while I polish the better stuff.
(baby…back burner…okay, disturbing image)
In unrelated news, I had an AWESOME story idea today at Leading Edge!
Ever read the Illiad or the Odyssey? Didn’t you think that the Greek gods were just so petty, with their stupid feuds and their dumb wagers? Did it disturb you how they toyed around with humanity, ruining people’s lives just for sport?
Well, imagine this: an ancient Greek Van Helsing who slays gods instead of vampires!
Yeah, man! That’s gotta make for some interesting story material right there! The godslayer…the man who dares to challenge fate and takes up arms against the forces of the universe, slaying the immortals, overpowering the omnipotent, and outwitting the omniscient. Sounds like…like Richard Dawkins meets Sparticus. =P
Anyway, that’s the idea. What’s your take on it?
The Greek Van Helsing sounds like a sweet idea. It actually reminds me of Brandon’s work–every epic fantasy he’s written has involved god-rulers in some form. I think the godslayer is a very workable idea for a pretty epic fantasy. I haven’t read them, but I think that His Dark Materials (a.k.a. The Golden Compass trilogy) has something to do with slaying diety. The biggest obstacle I see your story idea is giving the man enough ability to actually take down a god….whether it be some sweet magic he develops, or starting a “house war” among the Gods (a la The Final Empire), etc.
Ah yes, The Godslayer. Wasn’t that the title you came up with? Hey, you should add in a sparkling vampire pony and send it to Leading Edge for the contest. It could be his trusty steed which sometimes kills Gods on the side.