Tag: outer space

Oh, no! Forty characters!

Yesterday, I posted a partial list of cast members in Resilient. I finished the section this morning.

The book has forty characters!

It made me groan with sorrowful anticipation. Somebody — another writer, a reader, a critic — is sure to complain, even lecture me about my ignorance of some fundamental rule that authors of fiction must adhere to regarding the size of one’s cast.

What does one do when faced with a dilemma of this gravity? Google it.

Whew. Jami Gold says I’m not a fool.

“A sweeping family epic needs a lot of characters to create the sense of scope.”

That’s a relief. Thanks, Jami!

Here’s the finished section. Continue reading “Oh, no! Forty characters!” →

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All those weird names

I just started the Dramatis Personae pages for the front of Resilient. It’s the first time I’ve written one, and I admit to a little trepidation — there will be cries of “See, that’s what I’ve been telling you” from certain people in my circle.

Yes, the book has a huge cast, and the names are non-Western. Here’s a sample — please, somebody, tell me you don’t mind.

The Cast

In order of appearance

Bina Dhava Raji Limar. Mother of Suban Dhava. Captain/Owner of the fishing campaigner Kevarta.
Dani Yantur Iravat. Relief captain aboard Kevarta. Born in the Daza Islands. Amil Leyta’s first love.
Matsika Dhava Mahat Limar. “Mat”. Father of Suban Dhava. First Mate/Owner of Kevarta.
Barun Mahat Limar. “Baba”. Nephew of Matsika Dhava, son of Mat’s sister. Deck hand aboard Kevarta.
Suban Dhava Mahat Raja. “Raj Zaramalla”. Son of Mat and Bina. Adopted son of Stena Zaramalla.
Sarvaga Pala Mahat Limar. “Vaga”. Computer engineer/materials scientist/physicist. Co-founder of Deva Karu Science and Engineering. Friend, collaborator and business partner with Amil Leyta. Co-architect of the Soul Camera, Soul Vessel and a wide range of technologies derived from the discoveries of Bishen Parsanda and Rivan Saraf.
Lavani Pala Raji Limar. “Vani”. Wife of Sarvaga Pala. Daughter of Anand Suwanetra and Ojal Sinaya. Gravitics engineer employed by Pazca Military Industries.
Masala Brahmarsi Mahat Limar. Prefect of the SagGha, otherwise known as the Brotherhood of Monks. Guru Brahmarsi is the order’s most elevated spiritual leader. A Cadre veteran of senior rank. Former officer of the Cadre Policy Office, also called the Vartula — the administrative high command of Vidura’s non-aligned military.
Amil Leyta Iravat. “Mil”. Solon of Physics. Apprentice to Rivan Saraf in the advancement of Trans-Dimensional Physics. Co-founder of Deva Karu Science and Engineering. Friend, collaborator and business partner with Sarvaga Pala. Inventor of the Soul Camera and Soul Vessel. Lead scientist responsible for a wide range of technologies derived from the discoveries of Bishen Parsanda and Rivan Saraf. Associate Director and interim lead scientist at Parsanda Resarch.
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It’s a wrap … almost

I wrote the final chapter for my third novel – Resilient – yesterday.

166 chapters. 77,769 words. Woo!

Here’s the pitch:

Set amidst the clash between an advanced, space-faring commonwealth and its stubbornly malignant enemies, Resilient is an epic story of adventure, survival and perseverance.

When a nomadic clanswoman finds herself detained by provincial authorities, a local family’s newborn son becomes just another treasure for her to steal before being deported.

Suban Dhava is a displaced person, unaware of his origins, living at the edge of poverty on a foreign continent — a lawless, turbulent region, scarred by war, isolated by quarantine and embargo — and yet curiously blessed with scattered harbors of hope and redemption.

A forgotten birthplace lies across a seaway, almost within reach. The Anye Accord is civilized, generous — but weary of the Vanya and their habits of subversion and murder. Now only citizens are allowed to cross.

Suban is a citizen — one of many things he doesn’t know about himself. Even his given name has been lost — a word taken from spoken Sanskrit, signifying his clan’s connection to the sea.

It means properly anchored, sturdy, resilient.

Suban will have to be all of these things, if he’s ever to make his way home.

Watch this space, folks!

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