Char dev- Wise Old Man

Often the hero is lost when they have a disrupting event that knocks them out of their comfortable ordinary world. They need words of guidance. This is often provided by someone(s) with the wisdom of age and experience. There a several such voices in the story. Art, Kwon, the monks, Lag, and Taj (which gets another post).Kwon is very practical, pragmatic, and somewhat fatalistic. As he says so succinctly, “If
we stay, I cook. If we go, I cook. Meh.” He goes with the flow, doesn’t fight nature. But that very pragmatic “suck it up and do what you have to do” is pervasive.

When going through security, the old fine art dealer ahead of him, Art, is fleeing oppression, and helps him start to think clearly, and evaluate his circumstances with clear-eyed realism, while at a the same time commenting “mysterious ways,” implying that not everything can be known, and some things must simply be accepted.

The dying monk helps give him a sense of mission and immediacy and nearness of death.

The rest of the monks of St Possenti let him know there are people that are good, and appreciate him and his actions, that see some of the evil in the world and do what they can to clean up its messes.

Lag helps give him, quite literally, a mission. Several, actually. But he’s often as cryptic and hidden in his actions and motivations as he is helpful. Yes, he explains himself sometimes, but there is always more backstory.

 

11 thoughts on “Char dev- Wise Old Man

  1. Been watching you interact over at Vox Populi. Kinda brutal at times, I would say. No, not just you, for everyone that goes there.
    Vox said it: He’s not interested, either on his blog or at his publishing company, in some lilly livered jellyfish. Much rather a man who stands on his on feet and slugs it out without giving up core beliefs. Not to say that beliefs will not change with time and experience of course.
    You’re doing well so have fun with it and enjoy your status of author with a publishing company. And, I think, you and the other ‘first’ crew of authors at Castalia, will enjoy much status and recognition from, at least, those readers and critics that are worth listening to.

    1. Thanks for the words of support. I thrive on argument and debate. That’s how I learn. Attack, defend, consider, evaluate, reevaluate, thesis, antithesis, synthesis. Compare facts vs. analysis of fact vs. values and beliefs. When I have to defend a position against a vigorous attack, I have to make sure my thinking is clear, so my statements are likewise clear. I have to question my assumptions when others do; at the very least I have to be clear what they are. If I’m shown to be in error of fact, I’ve got no problem admitting it, because that means I learned something, corrected an error. If it’s a difference of opinion or fundamental value, well, that just one of those “it is what it is, agree to disagree” things. I don’t agree with Vox on any number of things… but then I don’t know ANYONE that I’m in total agreement with. I’m to pro-military hawk to agree with a lot of pacifist Libertarians. I’m solidly pro-gun (heck, I’m even a “media specialist” and explosives maker for the boomershoot.) so I can strongly disagree with the typical pro-govt liberal, and don’t mind drug legalization to the approbation of many conservatives (please note, I do not use or condone their use to the point I’m a teetotaler, I just feel the cost of prohibition in terms of civil rights abuse it too high). A solid argument that makes me think hard about my position is a good thing.So a place to argue in honestly and politely blunt ways is totally fine by me.

  2. Forgot to mention in the last comment. I know it’s way too soon to be asking about the prose version of Stars, but I will anyway. I want to re-read the story but want to wait on the rewrite to do so. Should be interesting to see the relative level of enjoyment between the two. That the enjoyment will be there is a given. Don’t suppose there is a projected timeline?
    I suspect you are burning midnight oil to get that done. There’s no doubt both you and Castalia are looking forward to the new version. Both parties are surely looking toward the extra profits. How will that be handled? Another depublished then republish? Mostly curious. I will have my two versions; perhaps unlike some. Hee Hee.

    1. Details are private, but I will say it’s a better deal that I’ve seen any other publisher offer to a writer. Nothing up front, but royalties at a fixed percentage starting from book number 1 sold. I’m about 40% through it. Vox has said he’s like to release it in two lower-priced volumes, but that’s not fixed in stone.

      Conversion goes at variable speed; some parts translate very quickly, others much more slowly. Losing a lot of words like “cut to,” adding a lot of words like “Bipasha said…” losing camera directions, adding general scene description language. Pretty close to a wash. The screenplay-like style is great to handle some things. Two person conversations are pretty easy to alter; a roomful of people all talking in no particular order adds a lot of words without adding much clarity, and would be faster/lighter/easier/clearer in original format.

      1. Details should be private. 40 % done. You are not collecting moss on yourself by any means. Good.
        Two lower priced volumes? OK. Vox knows best on these matters. My own 2cents worth would be to keep at least the original base price for the redo with, perhaps a .99 or 1.99 for the screen play format for those so inclined. Though, he may have meant something like both for 5.99 or 6.99.
        Don’t tell him I’m over here offering pricing advice he might just ban me; or worse, ridicule me up and down his blog. I rather be banned.
        I will tell you this; If it comes to paying a few more bucks to get the new redo if it means buying both, I will happily do so.

        At any rate, good luck with it all. If you get a movie deal make them let you do the screenplay and not let them mess too much with the story. I think thats why Vox has not had any of his novels made into movies. He trust those guys about as far as he could throw a planet.

        1. We plan on keeping the original current format one on the market, and then release the prose format version with a new cover. Not sure about what the overall pricing plan numbers will be. I’m a total noob at it all, and I’m sure he want’s to both maximize profits and readership, as a larger following because of a reasonable price will generate larger profits in the long run.
          Re: movie deals. I retain all film and TV rights. A producer would have to write a REALLY big check to get total control from me, because I’ve seen what a director with an agenda can do to a good story (cough StarshipTrooper Cough, or pretty much anything else by Heinlein, for that matter). If it does got to film, it’ll retain the same flavor. If it goes to TV and gets stretched to a whole season, a few more missions can easily be added, and the romance much more properly developed. I didn’t because I wanted to get it done, and not have the story so long it would make Michener blush.

          1. One last reply then I can leave you alone for awhile.
            Starship Troopers is within the top 10 fav. books of all time for me. I remember looking forward to the movie and was appalled at what they did. If I had the skills for make-at-home movies to rival hollywood the first one I would do is Starship Troopers.
            The only Heinlein adaptation worth its salt was Puppet Masters. And, they did a pretty good job of it. If I were super rich and could get the rights to Heinlein’s novels the only one I would not redo would be Puppet Masters.
            Lot like Clancy. The only one did right, and good right it was, was the first one Hunt for Red October.
            And, surprisingly, was Stephany Meyer’s The Host. I loved the book and found the movie well done. One more: the first of the Atlas Shrugged movies. Tough material and a valiant effort even hamstrung by low budget. I hope they finish the series.

            Those hollywood types are mostly horrible at the novel adaptations due to whatever.

          2. It’s not that they are horrible at adaptations. It’s that they hate the themes and ideas in books like Starship Troopers. Paul Verhoeven was trying to make it a satire to ridicule the ideas Heinlein was putting forth. It wasn’t a “badly done” adaptation, it was a deliberate subversion. I agree, Starship Troopers is one of my favorite books, and least favorite movies ever.
            Like I said, to hand over all say in a movie would require a LARGE check. To keep it in theme, a much smaller check.

          3. … and not have the story so long it would make Michener blush.

            Next time go ahead and try!!! 😉

            You know the story of Tolkein and LOTR, right? When he first brought it to his publisher, it was just one big long work. The publisher said, people will never go for such a long novel, can’t you make it into a trilogy?

          4. Naw, too much work. It’s also takes too long. If I knew I’d sell a half-million, so the time in vested would be worth it, I might try. But…

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