New L5R Fiction

[daidoji_gisei]

My first fiction of 2009 can be found on the AEG forum: Defenders. (Attention helen_keeble: Contains one gruesome maho ritual.)

So far most readers are happy with it, and this makes me happy because it was one of the more difficult ones to write. A few have complained that it needed to have some important character die heroically in order to be a good fiction, but I'm not sold on this. First off, it's way too early in the year for me to start collecting physical threats against my person. Second, and more importantly, I don't think it really needed it. I'm not at all shy about killing characters when I think a story needs it, but I didn't (and don't) see the need here. Not every fiction needs to be a Great Tragic Epic.

What has me really happy, though, is that the Wanyudo have gotten singled out for mention by multiple readers. A wanyudo is a demon-ghost critter from Japanese folklore, and it's showed up as an action card in the set being previewed now. (Strength of the Dead) Last week as I was laying in my bathtub planning out the battle scene the thought suddenly came to me: "What this battle needs is some of those burning wheel oni of Todd's". It is truly gratifying to find so many agree with me, and I consider this a sign that I should plot more L5R fiction in the bathtub.

Comments

[the-bumper-car.livejournal.com]

I repeat again - I loved it, and while I understand why there weren't named casualties on either side, I wish that some named characters on the cultists who were killed. But then that would probably ruin the mystery of who is behind all this so... yeah.

And plotting in the bathtub! Didn't Agatha Christie used to do that too? :D

[daidoji-gisei.livejournal.com]

Did she really? How amusing--and it's nice to know I have such illustrious company.

[the-bumper-car.livejournal.com]

Bah, I can't find the reference which I read it from - but I remember that most of her murders were plotted out while she was in the bathtub. Most lethal bathroom ever? :P