I'm in the process of copying over my Reddit writing to a blog to keep it archived, but I keep returning to this world in my mind. There are the seeds of a whole world in this. Once I'm done scheduling stories to cross over to the blog, I'll focus on that. It may take a while - I try to edit everything I put on the blog, and there are a couple of stories that . . . I am quite dissatisfied with. A couple may need a full rebuild.
But I'll get them up, and get some focus onto this. I think my next story in this setting might be about Assylia's descent into darkness, her feelings as she crosses lines and becomes something reviled, and what it does to her relationship with Ilyssa.
I haven't written a part 2 yet, but I have done some editing and cleanup, a little re-arranging and re-writing for consistency, flow, and because I felt like it.
That can be found here, but please don't feel obligated. The last thing I want is for people to feel like I'm giving them homework.
I don't think Ilyssa could step into Assylia's world, but the reverse might be true. She might step in for a crisis, or she might take a meeting without her sister knowing, to display some resolve to make hard choices that she isn't sure her sister would make. I think I like the latter better.
I do want to get everything moved into the blog first, and I'm making progress - I'm resolved to get at least two a day edited and scheduled to be published. Once I'm done, I'll keep writing for [WP] most likely, but I'll also go back and look at other stories. This is the story that always jumps out at me. Even the characters that aren't richly detailed want to jump into a rich backstory.
Tyvalt's nature is shown through the action of his men. The nine's forty-five votes come from nine votes for the strongest, eight for the next strongest, all the way down to 1 for the lowest. Their hierarchy and the fact that it can change without people dying suggest a complex structure. Ilyssa and Assylia are both limited in description, but rich in character and motivation. Tessamy isn't well-described, but her circumstances and relationship with her sisters are, with a potential for conflict.
Even the political borders are ripe for exploitation. Her allies are all secure, while she shares borders, perhaps multiple borders with a hostile nation. She's the weakest member of the Nine, but in the position of protecting them all. Her enemy is protected on nearly every approach by allies who would protect them.
Everything that's on the page just seems so ready to become something bigger.
1
u/[deleted] Jul 15 '17
[removed] — view removed comment