Okay Readers, Here's What's Up: Q&A, Explanations, About Writing
I've been getting a lot of questions. So, this is a mix of answering question as well as discussing the future of Arthur: A Serialized Novel (from here on out called AASN). Also, herein lies an explanation of the magic system of AASN. ALSO AN EXPLANATION OF MORIARTY HOLMES: WHY AND WHAT.
Things marked explanation are me explaining things. Things marked question/answer are my answers to actual questions you have asked.
Question: Why haven't you edited that work I sent you?
Answer: The computer on which I did my editing was...yeah. Killed dramatically? I have to redo all that stuff, and I'm getting to it.
Question: What the [flip] is [AASN]?
Answer: This site, aside from my periodic rambling pieces, which are always deleted to leave only canonical work for AASN, is a special kind of Novel. It is released here on this website in readable parts.
Question (roughly approximated): Why do you write AASN?
Answer: I started writing AASN to practice writing. I am a goal-setter when I work, and to create an environment where this would be viable, so I started AASN. (I'm the kind of guy who says like, "Okay, today I will write 1000 words" and, after I finish, put like a checkmark next to the goal.) So, I needed something that would, as I became a better and better writer, allow me to evolve it in any direction I wanted to. Not in terms of plot, you understand, that is already laid out for the most part. For example, when I started AASN I viewed my ability to create unique character voices as poor and thus working from first person viewpoints of lots of different characters was what I needed. (That's how I improve by the way, target a weakness and figure out how to systematically practice it, and then do so.) So, the way AASN is written, at least originally, was for me. I never expected this large an audience. Now, on that point - and back to the whole goal-setter thing - I needed an environment that would 1) make the improvement in my work measurable and 2) keep me obligated to keep going. I expected a few friends to read this and that I would keep going so I wouldn't seem like an impulsive ditz. Using Google Analytics I can measure the traffic on my tumblr, and by rarely reblogging I can assume that any change in the amount of traffic to my website (longer than one minute) comes from changes in the quality of my work. As many of you know, I prioritize the enjoyability of reading a piece over its functional value, and this method makes it so that if I don't put out good stuff, I don't see traffic-based improvement. Also there are the likes, but I really don't know how to use those as valid measures. Today, AASN is a living work, and as a result of its popularity (and thus positive feedback from my traffic measures as well as a moral obligation to keep this going for you guys) I've had to change a few things. For example, I had to stop for a month so I could get ahead on the whole thing and actually organize releases. If it were 15 of my friends reading this, I'd be okay working when I could to make high-quality posts and posting stuff whenever. However, now you guys are an audience and I have to change how that works. That means that stuff is prepared way in advance and released on a regular time table. So, that, ladies and gentleman, is the meat of why AASN is.
Question: How many people actually read AASN? You keep talking to 'readers' and [fecal materials], but who the hell are they?
Answer: In terms of follower count, I've stopped writing count announcements, so that may be why you're having trouble. I don't want to give definite numbers any more because it would skew my feedback from traffic. Internet Fact: More Viewers Gets You More Viewers. If I say something like "I have X" many followers or "I get X unique visits a day according to Google Analytics" three things are going to happen. First, a lot of people will think "oh, this must be good if so many people read it." Simultaneously, second, people will say "What a D-Bag announcing how many people he has reading, is he really that insecure?" And it's not that I care what other people think, it's just that to stay true to this project and keep my improvement measurable (getting visits and follows primarily for high quality work and good content), it's not in my best interest to say something like that. And finally, third, people will have negative feelings as a result. Look at it this way, a lot of Tumblr, and let's be honest, is an ocean of really unhappy people looking for a way out of whatever their lives are doing. Let's say for one second that many people you know think that the longer your hair is the better you are as a human being. How are you going to feel if your friend Ecrid, with his enormous, puffy, long hair walks up to you, when you already know he's got that great mop, and starts telling you how long the strands are and how much they grow each night? Life isn't a pissing contest, and if you treat it like one you'll just piss people off. I have no desire to unnecessarily diminish people (and that's natural, not presumptive on my part, that's why we have words in english like jealousy or greed or resentment - because that stuff's common.) So, to answer this question, lots of people read this blog, and, more importantly, it would still be here if they didn't - though perhaps not as motivated.
Question: I just realized that all the events that have taken place so far have occured in less than 36 hours [except the past pieces]. What kind of a story is AASN?
Answer: Most importantly, AASN is a story. It is a long story that is special because, unlike a novel, it can be told in a very different way and because of the presence of command- (if you're on a mac) or control- (if PC) -F, you can search through it when you forget. The large spacing between events as well as the many different characters makes things hard to follow, which is AASN's primary medium-based weakness. Unlike a web-comic, which AASN models in some ways, you have no visuals to connect to which help to recall the information or events, and thus the complexity of picking up a novel (which you would read in large chunks and several sittings) as well as the memorability that goes along with that kind of readings, is lost. Thus far, reports to me have indicated that re-reading it is the best way to combat this, but this is the internet and this novel uses a unique medium. So, this allows me to combat this logistical problem uniquely. Just as tumblr-noveling has its disadvantages, it also has its advantages. So here's how I plan to work on "the confusion problem:"
Have a free E-reader release so you can peruse and reference more easily
Update and maintain a reference section which is easy to look through while being spoiler free if your behind (hyperlink in the sidebar)
Include short prior-event summaries in the new sections
Make the characters more contemplative about what's gone on in they're past (a technique you'll be familiar with if you read sequels to books - somewhere first twenty to fifty pages or so always manages to have an overview the events of the last book by using character dialogue).
UPDATE ON A SCHEDULE TO KEEP YOU INTERACTING REGULARLY SO THERE'S LESS OF A GAP IN TIME TO FORGET.
IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE IDEAS TELL ME, BECAUSE I NEED MORE IDEAS.
Question: I find your world intriguing but the magical system confuses me. What is going on exactly?
Answer: Magic in AASN comes in many different flavors and varieties. The Magical System, for those of you unaware of this lingo, is the basis and rules by which magic operates in the AASN world. Based on my familiarity with fantasy works (don't even get me started - trust me, it's extensive) it is unique and nothing really like has been done before. Let me give you a breakdown and side-bar explanation (which I can do more frequently since the story is period released and thus doing so won't draw you out of the world - although it will undermine my reviewer's ability to judge whether or not I've conveyed something well in my writing, so if you are a reviewer not-privy to advanced knowledge, and you guys know who you are, do not read the below explanation. Honor System.
Explanation: Let's start with the big picture in fancy philosophy talk: Fate V.S. Free Will. There is no answer nor will there ever be in the world of AASN. However, there are aspect of both affecting the world, in other words Free Will to act within certain Fates, where the participants (those who are a part of the Fates) in turn have Free Will that let's them choose different outcomes, which may or may not be predetermined. Okay, let's do the more understandable explanation.
In the AASN world, there are people in the past with the ability to detect future events at what is something like the subconscious level. These futures are highly undetermined, and not even the people with the ability to detect them can transcribe what is literally going to happen. For example, in Legends we see that Sir Thomas Malory wrote a book called Le Morte D'Arthur, and he is described by Merlin as being a balls prophet. Malory could sense that at some future points events similar to the events in Le Morte D'Arthur would occur, but he didn't know it would occur in an age of cars and such and thus wrote a poor approximation of events containing chivalrous medieval knights. Not really what's going one, is it? So, by connecting magically to this sense of the future and writing down his interpretation of it, he's created a magical link which allows for far more variability in the actual events than there would have been otherwise. For example, if you get shot in the chest you die. If I tell you four seconds beforehand that a bullet is going to hit you in the chest, you can change the outcome of events (being shot in the chest) by dodging and maybe getting shot in the leg. That is what the CEO does. His employees use the magic of variation released by Sir Thomas Malory writing down the legend of king Arthur to detect and kill various threats to his existence, as does Morgose. For instance, if there were no King Arthur, anyone it's indicated that he's destined to kill would not necessarily die. Something would interrupt the paths of destiny resulting in a paradox of fate. By messing with the predetermined events, people like Morgose and the CEO hope to gain by making events more predictable and in their favor.
There's also normal magic. This is the magic of wizards and allegiances and tampering with reality. Magic like when Mrs. Vole blew up a panzer tank or when Hector received tattoos on his arms for choosing his allegiance to Arthur. This is the magic of Excalibur which lets Arthur into Hector's inner most consciousness to cause strange, but real events to unfold. This is the magic of Fated Souls in the wrong bodies, resulting in strange beasts of men, like Rodimer, or the fouling up of Fate causing the Inflicted Man to be unable to die.
The two different kinds of magic may be summarized as such. The first comes from logically altering the outcomes and destabilizing reality, resulting in strange events to occur out of paradoxes. In addition, working within the parameters of the destined reality can cause predetermined events to be fulfilled, whether or not they are logical, but simply because that is how things, in some cases, must now be. The second is a classical magic, like fireballs. I cannot, at this time, reveal any more other than it is limited and thought through. For now, trust that Mrs. Vole's, Merlin's, and Morgose's sources of magic and the mechanics of their workings do exist. Finally, these two systems are intertwined.
Yes, I really worked this hard to create something unique.
Question (and I'm copying this one word for word): What is Moriarty Holmes. I can't tell if this is turning into some BBC fanboy's slash fic or you're actually being really brilliant or what. It's awkward. WTF.
Question (Translated to the best of my ability): Pardon, kind Ecrid, but the presence of Moriarty Holmes in the presence of a King Arthur story confuses me. I cannot tell if 'twas whimsy that made you bring him into the fold, though based on the text I see that hints and logical promises to that event did exist. Seeing as it was not impulse that drew you to his inclusion, I supposition that perhaps you are a fan of Sherlock on the BBC, and are creating a strange sort of homosexual romantic fiction between Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty. Whatever the reason, I feel this detracts from your story, and would like further explanation so I can forgive you and appreciate your reasoning and work to the utmost once more. By fornication, I am confounded.
Answer/Explanation: As you so adroitly stated, yes, Moriarty Holmes was planned from the very beginning. Sadly, up until the point where I actually wrote and posted the work, I considered not doing it, changing the plot of the story to get rid of his inclusions. However, I decided that upon a deep examination by the reader, such a presence makes sense. Let me give you my writerly reasons:
AASN uses a magic system that links magical energies to the revelations made in books by prophets. The birth of Moriarty Holmes gave me the opportunity to show how important and powerful the connection between using texts as a focusing point for magic in the AASN world are. It also gave me the opportunity to show that the magic of this world is fallible. Up until this point, the only time we see weakness in terms of magic is Merlin's incompetence during the chase scene where even if he is a great and powerful wizard, he can only do so much at once, i.e. magic rickshaw. His limited knowledge of modern weaponry and habit of being underprepared also contribute to this but overshadow the weakness of magic with their presence; the net effect becomes that magic was not the problem in that scene but the wielder of the magic. While a good scene to introduce human flaw into Merlin's suspicious character, it was only when he absentmindedly allowed Arthur to pick up the wrong book (a fact very underplayed in the scene to lend more focus on the dangers of magic) and draw a destined soul into Gregory's body. That scene, irrelevant of the reader's emotional reaction of introducing a Sherlock/Moriarty character at a time when it's becoming cliche, serves to show the weakness and dangers of magic, that magic tied to destiny can interact outside those bounds, and show that excalibur has more than a few uses.
AASN primarily, in its heart, is an English Novel by its nature. True, AASN explores themes like Fate V.S. Free Will, Good V.S. Evil, a young man's journey of choices between greatness or survival, or just how powerful the changes in extremely evil people can be when approached with life or death situations or opportunities for a kind of redemption. However, and most important of all, it also explores the interaction of fictional history's impact, in this case quite visibly, on the modern time; how given these fictional events of England's past and myth and legacy would come to bear in a modern view. Things like 'where is the chivalry of knighthood?' and 'what is the price to incite betrayal?' and 'Can friendship so sudden be true and exist and beat all out?' are toyed with and experimented upon. Sherlock Holmes and Professor James Moriarty have laid more weight and impact upon the modern day than perhaps any other fictional characters in history, and they're pseudo-inclusion in this story is natural.
Moriarty Holmes also, from a literary standpoint, adds a lot to the narrative. First, the reader is familiar or at least acquainted with the notions of these two characters, which makes the Sherlockian Canon an apt source and superior over other options I might have had, such as Dorian Gray or Oliver Twist or even James Bond. Familiarity is key for enjoyment, after all. The story is hard enough to follower as it is. Next, we have a character about which nothing really is known, outside of the fact that he is a combination of persevering good and insatiable evil, shoved straight into the middle of Arthur's - our main character whom we care about - enclave. It adds the threat of interminable danger. We don't know that the tattoos on his arm would prevent his betrayal or selling Arthur out. Perhaps he wants to manipulate and extort the boy, or steal Merlin's secrets. On the other hand, he may take after his good counterpart, want to do justice, put the world right, help Arthur to defeat the villains who abuse their power and commit terrible crimes. In that sense, he is a ticking time-bomb, waiting to be released. Because of his harsh tones and nature, he may never really be trusted.
Functionality is also important. We have a muscle man/enforcer, Hector, a University Student, Arthur, and a dodgy old wizard, Merlin. This team of rag tags are pitted against an almighty wall of impossibilities trying to kill them with men and women and guns and blades and magic and nearly infinite resources and power to back all that up. There's being an underdog and being an underdog. To get by this spider-web of danger they need a spider, and who better than the aspect of James Moriarty? To help in the fight against this evil this aspect must have a supreme willpower and motivation, the ability, or at least potential, to be a towering pillar of good. Who better than Sherlock Holmes?
Why not just have Moriarty or Sherlock? Because that is cliche and there are limits on creative borrowing. It makes sense that there are parallels between known fictional historic figures, so it's okay not to make a new character. Arthur Pendragon and Merlin are hardly new ideas, and neither is Sherlock Holmes or Moriarty. However, it's not just that Moriarty Holmes is an aspect of these two fictional behemoths, it's also that they are put into a older-middle-aged man's body. Sherlock's prowess with strength isn't really there as far as we know, and by amalgamating the sleuth with his arch nemesis we are, in fact, actually creating something new, especially in a different body, but with the benefit of true familiarity that the reader can associate strongly with.
Okay, that's all I have time for.
