I think I've got it. Satan has been conspiring for two millennia to seize control of the Church, quietly replacing clergy with his own servants. That plan is finally coming to fruition with only a few key figures left to be replaced. It is those few who are murdered by some violent means. Nothing too gruesome so I don't lose my target audience, but sufficient to satisfy the Unholy Trinity's lust for vengeance against all Catholic clergy. Campagna and De Rosa don't need to investigate a lot of different murders since most of them already happened in the past. They do, however, uncover this ancient conspiracy during the course of their investigation. That puts their lives in danger as they rush to expose the conspiracy, making for more of a classic thriller story. Boy this is going to be complex.
1,626 2019-04-06 22:51:34
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
1,627 2019-04-06 20:27:13
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
As my post in premium describes, I'm trying to find a way to tone down the violence of the murder mystery half of my book. The main stumbling block is the fact that the Unholy Trinity hates the Catholic Church and the clergy with it. Not sure how to reconcile those. If the violence is excessive, I'll lose my target audience. Another concern is that, if the deaths are too repetitive, they lose their impact. I'm trying to address the latter with unique religious poses of each of the dead and different Bible verses at each murder scene. I can also add a look of horror frozen on their faces.
Suggestions?
Dirk
1,628 2019-04-05 21:50:19
Re: Maiden and other stuff (52 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Saw your reply to my review. For what it's worth, your story did not strike as a panster. Just a little rough around the edges, which I'm sure you know how to clean up. The detective half of my story is mostly a pantser, which is why it fell apart. I saw the big looming problem (too much violence at a personal level for a Catholic novel) early on, but figured I would figure it out when I got there. Clearly that didn't work. So be it. I'm currently planning non-violent but mysterious deaths while adding Catholic elements to each body, including a Bible open to specific verses for each murder.
1,629 2019-04-04 00:54:18
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Thanks for your help.
1,630 2019-04-04 00:47:43
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I think this works better:
As Romano turned the final corner, he felt a chill in the air. He checked a vent. The heat still flowed. He heard rustling from his office. “Hello?”
A shadowy figure shrouded in swirling fog rushed out, its heavy footsteps pounding the floor as it headed for the exit.
“You there. Stop!”
The intruder looked in Romano’s direction and focused glowing red eyes on him, then let out a demonic howl. The sound sent a chill down the father’s spine.
The end of the corridor filled with fog until the shadowy figure could no longer be seen. Romano summoned his courage and charged into the mist, but the intruder was gone. Only fog and ice-cold air remained, both of which dissipated quickly.
Romano’s heart pounded. He checked the main doors and found them unlocked. It wasn’t like Father Calabrese to forget to close up for the night. He locked the doors, then ran into his office and grabbed a bottle of holy water from his desk. He sprinkled it across the entryway while praying for protection of the orphanage.
He returned to his office to see what the intruder might have taken. Everything looked as he had left it except the Eucharistic Adoration schedule was missing — the one that showed which boys were assigned to the chapel and at what times.
Romano tried to reason out what he had just seen. With that fog swirling, he hadn’t been able to see any of the intruder’s features, although Romano figured it was probably a male. Perhaps the man was dressed entirely in black from head to toe and wore costume-party contact lenses. If he carried dry ice, he could generate the fog and cold air. Romano shook his head. He didn’t really believe it, but what other possibility was there?
He dialed 113 for the Polizia di Stato. He would explain his theory to the police to avoid sounding completely crazy, but he had to act. One or more of the boys might be at risk.
1,631 2019-04-04 00:24:12
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Hmm. If I have the doors be unlocked, readers will later wonder why the intruder unlocked the doors on the way out, when he can easily travel under them. I think Romano should assume Father Calabrese forgot to lock up and the intruder entered/exited that way.
1,632 2019-04-04 00:12:53
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I went back and deleted the horns. I decided there's a good story reason why those shouldn't be used.
The rustling was of paper. He stole a printed schedule.
It's not a man-shaped cloud of fog. It's a dark figure (e.g., a man who will only appear in shadows) surrounded by some amount of swirling fog. It could almost be explained as a guy wearing black clothing and black-face or a ski mask and costume-party contact lenses, and carrying dry ice. The part that makes him more than this is his ability to generate heavy fog and travel anywhere it can go (e.g., under doors). I'm trying to make scene 1.1 consistent with what Campagna and De Rosa see on the security footage in scene 2.2. I'm debating whether the orphanage doors are locked. If they're locked, Romano/the reader know this is a supernatural event, which is probably best to avoid for now. If they're unlocked, then Romano could reason the way I did above, which I think is preferable for this scene. He could think it was someone who entered the orphanage before the doors were locked for the night.
The howl is something a human can do, so Romano could reason that away too.
1,633 2019-04-03 22:37:22
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
What's an End Times thriller without horns, glowing red eyes, and a demonic howl?
As Romano turned the final corner, he felt a chill in the air. He checked a vent. The heat still flowed. He heard rustling from his office. “Hello?”
A shadowy figure shrouded in swirling fog rushed out, headed for the exit.
“You there. Stop!”
The intruder looked in Romano’s direction. More beast than man, it had curved horns and glowing red eyes. It let out a demonic howl that sent a chill down the father’s spine.
The end of the corridor filled with fog until the figure could no longer be seen. Romano summoned his courage and charged into the mist, but the intruder was gone. Only fog and ice-cold air remained, both of which dissipated quickly.
Romano’s heart pounded. He checked the doors, but they were locked, per usual at night. He ran into his office and grabbed a bottle of holy water from his desk, then rushed out and sprinkled it across the doors and floor while praying for protection of the orphanage.
He returned to his office to see what the intruder might have taken. Everything looked as he had left it except the Eucharistic Adoration schedule was missing — the one that showed which boys were assigned to the chapel and at what times. Romano dialed 113 for the Polizia di Stato. He would tell them it was someone in a costume to avoid sounding crazy, but he had to act. One or more of the boys might be at risk.
1,634 2019-03-31 03:07:18
Re: 2,000 Years Later - Will H. (38 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I hear you. For me it's tax season in three countries, and the Antichrist half of my story is not coming together
Congratulations on your wedding!
1,635 2019-03-31 00:20:08
Re: 2,000 Years Later - Will H. (38 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Will, you still with us?
1,636 2019-03-30 00:56:41
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Did some edits of scene 2.2 (chapter 4) and put it back up. Didn't bother to republish. You and Seabrass haven't blessed it yet, so that should suffice. Blessed. Get it?
1,637 2019-03-29 23:20:13
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Finally started my names bible. I've only written four scenes and already I have sixteen characters (including the first three victims) and fifty named people/places/things. Readers are going to have serious problems keeping all of the cardinals and bishops straight since most of them are just victims, and Italian names are more complex than English ones.
1,638 2019-03-29 17:34:27
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
As you know, capitalization of titles is the bane of my existence. In this case, there is only one duke in the story and capitalizing it grants him greater status in the story. Also, I question your rule of one. For example, in Galaxy Tales, there are three emperors (Nero, Apollo, and Caligula). Would you still capitalize it? Also, what about all the historical emperors? (Technically it's no longer an issue since I changed their titles to Augustus, but still...).
1,639 2019-03-29 00:12:22
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Thanks. It's interesting. In fiction, the following is okay, yet yours is considered incorrect.
The Duke nodded. Walked. Skipped.
Neither one would have made it past my fifth grade English teacher.
1,640 2019-03-28 23:56:18
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
On second thought, does that example above (about the Duke) even need an 'and' to be grammatically correct? The longer I stare at it, the more it appears correct as is.
1,641 2019-03-28 22:23:26
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I'm rereading Dune. Found a short paragraph with six exclamation marks. :-) Also, when Herbert punctuates lists of words/phrases, he often drops the 'and' before the last element (e.g. The Duke nodded to the men, smiled, traded pleasantries.) I like the way it reads.
1,642 2019-03-28 01:07:31
Re: Acts/ Dictates/ Mandates/ Mantle - Amy's Thread (1,905 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
How are you doing, Amy?
1,643 2019-03-28 00:04:29
Re: The Sorcerer's Progress (1,528 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
You still with us?
1,644 2019-03-26 00:45:25
Re: In-line vs Regular Review (20 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Thank you, Temple. :-)
1,645 2019-03-25 03:51:32
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I finally figured out a way of killing clerics that doesn't involve any gratuitous violence. It means blowing up my scenes 1.2 and 2.2, including the staged hanging, but I think it's worth it. Too bad since I just finished writing 2.2. I'll try to sneak in a rewrite of 1.2 before the end of April (tax season). The thriller aspect will come not from different kinds of deaths, but from the detectives racing to find a link between the deaths that will help them identify the next potential victim and, eventually, the Antichrist. This will be much easier to plan and write, reducing the size of my headache. It will also use more elements of Catholicism, which is a big plus.
Yay!
Dirk
1,646 2019-03-24 12:01:04
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Okay. The reporter is out for the first draft. I want to see how the story reads without him before deciding if there's any use for him. I've decided that if there is a reporter, he'll die late in the story. A thinning of the herd.
1,647 2019-03-24 00:08:33
Re: In-line vs Regular Review (20 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I agree with Bill. It would also make it possible to get rid of quickees. No need for two types of messaging. It would simplify things for new users.
1,648 2019-03-22 00:57:18
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I'm considering adding an annoying reporter to dog the detectives throughout the hunt, also per your suggestion.
1,649 2019-03-21 19:30:52
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Kdot, I'm going to get a ton of mileage out of the fog/shadowy figure I added. They will show up frequently throughout the book.
Thanks for your suggestion.
1,650 2019-03-16 02:56:46
Re: Savior of the Damned (the Connor series) by Dirk B. (1,472 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Let's just say he's not the marrying type. Feel free to guess though. :-)