Writing Colonies XXIX: SITREP - Half of "Picon" is complete

 Handy-dandy graphic:

As Picon has a rich naval history, I got to call upon my memories of Horatio Hornblower and the like for a fine chase across the seas, complete with mizzenmasts, monsters from the deep, and more.  In case you'd like to see it, here's the map I created for this part of the story:

Click to embiggen

It was fun, but now I move into more familiar territory: space.

The second half of Book Eight deals with the spread of revolution across the colonies and the last, great battle between the imperial powers takes place in Picon's orbit with proto-battlestars.  I've got a basic outline of everything, but there are still plenty of details that remain to be put in place.

Thanks for reading.  More to come.

Writing Colonies Part XXVIII: SITREP - "Aerilon" is finished

 Handy-dandy graphic:

With the completion of Book Seven: Aerilon, I have now finished four books out of the eight books slated for Volume Two.  So I'm kinda halfway done with Volume Two.  Yay.  And I now have "only" five books left to do out of sixteen.  Bigger "yay."

How's my pace?  Well, Aerilon took just over a month.  That's on par with both Virgon and Sagittaron, which also took a month.  Canceron was an aberration thanks to a false start and my diversion into Jonathan Swift, so that was two-and-a-half months.  I think Picon, barring unforeseen wackiness, will take about a month or so as well.

I've mentioned it before, but Aerilon provided the opportunity for me to write a western, of sorts.  It was rather fun and ended up lasting about 77 pages (for those keeping track) and it was a departure from my usual ___ of Kobol style in that there weren't chapters that bounced back and forth, telling the story from other characters' perspectives.  Instead, it focused on one person and his task on this planet.  

I did end up creating a map for it, so here it is:

Click to embiggen

(The long lines are trails that link the far-flung towns.)

Now it's on to Book Eight: Picon.  As this is "The Ocean Colony" and they have an established naval tradition, I think it's rather obvious that I shall have to channel my inner Hornblower and set off on the high seas.

Thanks for reading.

Writing Colonies XXVI: "Aliens" in the Colonies

For those interested in a SITREP (sans graphic), I'd say I'm about two-thirds done with Aerilon at this stage.  

A while back, someone asked me if there would be any unusual wildlife on the colonies, something we never saw in any of the shows.  As these were, essentially, alien worlds to humanity, it made sense that we could see something of that nature.  I've sprinkled a few around (the single-horned mountain rams of Gemenon, the wild cats of Leonis, various varieties of birds and flowers, etc.), but none were very prominent in the story.  That changes with a scene in Book Seven.

Ready to be grossed out by the lizard vultures of Aerilon?  Click the JUMP and read on.

Writing Colonies XXV: Gaius Frakking Baltar

 Since I'm writing about Aerilon now and I do those "interview" chapters between the Messengers and various characters, it seemed only right to check in with Gaius Baltar, the only regular character from the show from Aerilon.  

If you want to read his chapter (which includes a glimpse of his life with Caprica Six on Earth II), click the JUMP.

Writing Colonies XXIV: SITREP - Canceron is finished; starting Aerilon

 Handy-dandy graphic ...

My attempt at a Gulliver's Travels-style tale within the Kobolverse is complete.  It was fun, but perhaps a distraction.  I don't know if I will include in Canceron as it does not directly impact the story (a few characters reference it and some themes jibe), but for now, it's in there. 

If you're interested in such things, here is the map of Canceron included in Book Six:

Click to embiggen

For those keeping track, Book Six: Canceron is currently 164 pages long.  That's 354 pages in Volume Two and a grand total of 1,636 pages in Colonies of Kobol thus far.

Now, on to Book Seven: Aerilon ... I'm doing something a bit different again and focusing on a singular story that bridges the period between its initial colonization and them being (and wanting to remain) on their own.

Thanks for reading.

SITREP: What's ahead for 2021

Happy New Year, first off.  It would be difficult for 2021 to be worse than 2020 for most of us, but let's not invite that particular jinx, shall we?

The thing I'm still working on, of course, is Colonies of Kobol.  I still believe that I am more than half-finished with this sixteen-book epic and it could easily top 2,000 pages (across three volumes) when it's complete.  I am currently working on Book Six: Canceron and still have six to go after it's done.

While it has been lengthy, writing Colonies has proven very enjoyable.  In large part, this is due to the fact that I'm able to dabble in multiple genres as I tell the prehistory of BSG.  I got to do some good ol' Cylon action in Book One; some knight-type religious warfare in Book Two; some Game of Thrones-ian castle and political intrigue in Three and Four; a soupçon of Lovecraftian horror in Six ... That's on top of me finishing what Syfy wouldn't when they cancelled Caprica (I rounded off that show and started the Cylon War in Thirteen); showing the arrival of the Final Five, the creation of the humanoid Cylons, and the forming of Cavil's "plan" in Fourteen; and writing an epilogue to BSG itself with a story set on our Earth, both after the Colonials arrive as well as in our own future, in Sixteen.  Still ahead: a western, some Hornblower-style naval action, the origin of the Colonies' favorite sport, a deep dive into the history of Tauron, and more.

2021 marks the tenth anniversary of my publishing Lords of Kobol, so it is my hope that I can publish Colonies this year.  I don't know if I can pull it off, but I'm certainly going to try.  I managed to write some seven hundred pages in 2020, so I guess it's possible.

Your continued support is appreciated.  Follow this blog or my Twitter or Facebook pages for the latest updates.  If you'd like to help me out, you can buy and read my previous books here (please rate and review), or if you'd prefer, I have a PayPal "tipjar" here.

Thanks for reading.

Writing 'Colonies' Part XXIII: Have I gone mad?

Yeah, so ... I'm still working on Canceron, that hasn't changed.  Remember how I said I had an idea about how to build up the first part that I didn't like?  How that part was too slight?  Well, I had an idea about how to add some content and context, so I started writing the other day.

I may have gone mad.

Once you read what I've written (this is the first of the planned four such parts of new material), you'll understand my question.  You might even recognize its inspiration.  Read it after the JUMP.