On the Sixth Book

After Wolfhound, my next project was based on a new idea I had developed based on a dream I had. You may already see where this one went wrong.

My dream had me playing a game of Zelda. I'm a bit hazy on the details, but the supporting characters were urging me to get to the end of the level before the boss broke free and ruined everything. Lazy sod that I am, I kind of laughed to myself, mid-dream, and said "Silly people. The boss never gets free. He just sits there until I decide to beat the crap out of him."

When I woke up, it occured to me that a videogame where the boss does get free would be an interesting project. At the time I was still unemployed and games have always been a hobby of mine. So I decided to come up with a videogame where that aspect would be included. Along the way it kind of morphed into some kind of proto-MMORPG monster where players would attempt to build and defend a realm against the demonic monsters that would undermine and destroy it.

By the end, I had a pretty neat setting and background, but unless some interested millionaire stumbles along I probably will never get the chance to put it into production. Given how many successful companies already have MMORPGs out, and how risky it can be to start one (i.e. Tabula Rasa) I don't know if anything will come of it in the game arena.

Yet I had a setting and world built, so I thought why not use it in a story? At that point I wasn't sure I wanted to do a lot of science fiction yet, and the temptation to slip back into fantasy for a while was alluring. So I started the project, now known as The New Realm, and poured effort into it like water on a fire.

Thus began the dreadful experience of writing a setting story. It was awful. Characters changed names, back stories and abilities. Plot events shifted like sand beneath my feet. By the end of the story, I just wanted to finish the thing and be done with it for a while. Even now thinking of going back to it sends a ribbon of pain through my skull. By the time the story shuddered to a delightfully disconnected halt, I was more than ready to take a break after a while. New Realm has been officially shelved since I finished it, even though the occasional inspiration strikes to add some detail to its background. I might eventually go back and work on it again, but for the time being I have other more interesting projects to tinker with.

Still, it would make one heck of a cool videogame though...