email problems and researching...
I've been having a whole lot of problems with Mozilla Thunderbird lately (a result, I discovered, of not compacting my folders often enough--like, never). As a result of trying to fix the problem and make the program usable again, I've managed to delete just about all the emails in my inbox folder. And I can't get them back.
So, I'm putting out this general plea--if you've written to me and I haven't answered your email, could you please resend the email? I'm not intentionally ignoring you, I promise!
Onto writing stuff--of which not a lot was done yesterday. I wrote two pages of the fifth Riley, but I was a little concerned about the direction and stopped. You see, my plot springboard for the fourth book came from an old Persian legend about the dark God Angra Mainyu, and from the ancient belief that human sacrifices brings great power. But my initial idea for the fifth book also involved human sacrifice, which meant two books would have similar plot paths. Not a good thing. So, I spent most of yesterday researching myths and legends, trying to find the spark of an idea. One that wouldn't mean too much of a rewrite of the first chapter. Hours of searching led me to the Goddess Kali, and from there, the cult of thuggee. Which, as my movie-mad husband immediately pointed out, was what the second Indiana Jones movie--The Temple of Doom--was all about (meaning, I'm now going to have to watch the movie to ensure my spark of an idea isn't too similar to the movie. The sacrifices we writers have to make.... :D ) For those who aren't familiar with the movie (or like me, simply can't remember it), the cult of thuggee were a well-organized group of criminals who took part in carefully planned, large-scale robberies and murders in India for centuries. Posing as friendly travelers, the Thugs befriended and accompanied groups of wayfarers and, when the time and omens was right, killed them by strangulation and robbed them of their possessions. And they did all this as an expression of their devotion and service to Kali, the Hindu goddess of creation, preservation, and destruction. Now that's a legend I can work with! Of course, human sacrifice is still a part of the plot, but it's different enough that it won't seem the same. That's the hope, anyway. As ever, I guess we'll see how it all pans out once I get deeper into the book.
So, I'm putting out this general plea--if you've written to me and I haven't answered your email, could you please resend the email? I'm not intentionally ignoring you, I promise!
Onto writing stuff--of which not a lot was done yesterday. I wrote two pages of the fifth Riley, but I was a little concerned about the direction and stopped. You see, my plot springboard for the fourth book came from an old Persian legend about the dark God Angra Mainyu, and from the ancient belief that human sacrifices brings great power. But my initial idea for the fifth book also involved human sacrifice, which meant two books would have similar plot paths. Not a good thing. So, I spent most of yesterday researching myths and legends, trying to find the spark of an idea. One that wouldn't mean too much of a rewrite of the first chapter. Hours of searching led me to the Goddess Kali, and from there, the cult of thuggee. Which, as my movie-mad husband immediately pointed out, was what the second Indiana Jones movie--The Temple of Doom--was all about (meaning, I'm now going to have to watch the movie to ensure my spark of an idea isn't too similar to the movie. The sacrifices we writers have to make.... :D ) For those who aren't familiar with the movie (or like me, simply can't remember it), the cult of thuggee were a well-organized group of criminals who took part in carefully planned, large-scale robberies and murders in India for centuries. Posing as friendly travelers, the Thugs befriended and accompanied groups of wayfarers and, when the time and omens was right, killed them by strangulation and robbed them of their possessions. And they did all this as an expression of their devotion and service to Kali, the Hindu goddess of creation, preservation, and destruction. Now that's a legend I can work with! Of course, human sacrifice is still a part of the plot, but it's different enough that it won't seem the same. That's the hope, anyway. As ever, I guess we'll see how it all pans out once I get deeper into the book.
posted by Kez at 3/24/2006
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