(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr)
I’ve been posting about my writing here a lot. So, with intermittent updates, I’m going to talk about my fiction writing project, “A Bridge To The Quiet Planet.”
First of all, yes, fiction. I’ve not done public fiction in awhile – but I did side projects, edited, coached, and did stuff for the Sanctum. I figure it was time – and it’s fun. If this works, I plan to split my time between fiction and non-fiction.
And what’s it all about? To sum it up in one sentence:
A sorceress, an engineer, and a priest on a planet-hopping road trip with the owner of a mysterious collection of holy books.
The idea came together when I got inspired to write, contemplated a few past projects and some recent anime, and came up with a simple idea – what happens when you take a world of magic and monsters, gods and spirits, and technology evolves as well? Welcome to the world of Telvaren and it’s planetary colonies, a nation of science and sorcery, where the gods use the internet and interplanetary travel is done via techno-wizardry. Politics is driven by a mixture of gigantic cities, assorted guilds and unions, and divine interests – but don’t let the present distract you, because there’s a past of mysterious artifacts, demons, dragons, and more waiting to be discovered . . .
Into this comes Marigold and Scintilla, a sorceress and a “technic” who act as a freelance techno-magical hazmat and research team for the wizardly guild Phoenix Ascendant. They have “A Plan” for their careers, which requires them to get into a lot of weird situations to gain influence with the guild. They’re good at getting into and out of trouble – until someone wants to hire them not to find something mysterious, but to help him carry a set of holy books to Godsgrave, the world where deities go to die.
Also, it’s a lot of money.
Soon they’re outrunning a special branch of the Military consisting only of people who’ve lost loved ones, what may or may not be a demon escaped from the prison-world of Pandemonium, and some mysterious individuals spreading stories on the Network that connects people. No one is what they seem, no one is quiet telling the truth, and the dumbest things can be done by people who are very smart . . .
So it’s up to Marigold and Scintilla to punch, talk, shoot, conjure, run, lie, and plan their way out of trouble. They’re going to get their client to Godsgrave by hook or by crook, because as crazy as things get, the two people they are sure they can trust is each other.
I hope you’ll all enjoy it, and I plan to post more on my blog – I think what I’ll do is alternate posts on the story with posts on my writing findings, give or take.
– Steve