2011: First Metrics

[handful_ofdust]

While simultaneously waiting for my CZP editor's notes on A Rope of Thorns (the rewrite itself needs to be over by mid-January) and vaguely starting to plan out Chapter One of A Tree of Bones, I need to finish the first short story of the year, which also happens to have a January deadline attached. Thus:

"Lagan"
Words added: Roughly 900
Words total: 1,358
Needs to be: 4,000/5,000
Research: Supplies for long sea voyages; the Great Pacific Garbage Knot; East Timor; piracy. How big a salvage vessel needs to be, with how large a crew.

Got some good plot twists, a beginning and (amazingly) an ending. The rough shape is there, in other words--I even have head-casting for some of the characters. Now, to the grind!

Comments

[intertribal.livejournal.com]

Let me know if I can help re: East Timor. I mean, I'm sure you can find out all you need, but... wanted to offer.

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that'd be great. I only have maybe 5,000 words to play with, so I'm trying to figure out just how in media res I need to start things, but...my main question(s) are whether or not East Timor is a good launching point for a salvage vessel bound for the Great Pacific Garbage Knot, and whether or not there's a current history of piracy around that area. I'm lamentably unsure if the troubles in East Timor make it just generally off-limits, but I was looking for something that's close enough to Australia that a couple of Aussies could sign on there.

[intertribal.livejournal.com]

Hmm... my first instinct is to suggest Christmas Island instead, but that's kind of on the other side of Indonesia from the garbage knot thing. Incidentally that's also where a lot of the pirates are (Christmas Island area). I don't think there's a whole lotta pirates in East Timor - too many problems. Have you considered Papua or New Guinea?

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

I hadn't, but that makes a lot of sense, since Papua and New Guinea are also pretty close to Australia, right? I have this impression that the guys I'm centring around ended up somewhere port-like doing a job they were uninspired by, got drunk in a bar and ended up signing up with this crazy Garbage Knot salvage ship guy. The pirates are probably in the area generally, and come after them once they release the news that they've salvaged part of a wrecked famous eco-ship that comes with a big salvage fee attached, making the assumption--not unjustified--that the ship is probably also full of other stuff.

[intertribal.livejournal.com]

Yeah - plus, closer to the Garbage Knot than is East Timor. I'd suggest sticking with Papua New Guinea (a former Australian territory, turns out), the independent state that borders the Pacific directly. Papua and West Papua, the Indonesian provinces, would have many "issues" and I suspect less development.

[sovay]

Research: Supplies for long sea voyages; the Great Pacific Garbage Knot; East Timor; piracy. How big a salvage vessel needs to be, with how large a crew.

I don't think I can help with any of those subjects, but I'll send music if it suits.

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

Too bad neither of us can get hold of a copy of "Luminous Rose" by Robyn HItchcock! That'd be perfect.;)

[sovay]

Too bad neither of us can get hold of a copy of "Luminous Rose" by Robyn HItchcock!

I don't know why you think that.

Would you also like "The Ghost Ship," or have I already sent it to you?