KR: The First Steps
Here we go. Our little manga has already brought us three throphies in a single festival: an Art Prix by the jury, a prize by MS Entertainment, the biggest russian anime distributor, and another one, by the Wani Magazine and Range Murata himself.
Let’s hope I don’t get too intimidated by the high expectations. There’s quite a lot of writing to do ::)
Writing Goals 07-08
For the record: I’ve done a fourth step of 30 Steps to Becoming a Writer, and set my goals for the year ahed (wich, incidentally, started yesterday, may 1st, 07).
Those goals are (in no particular order; they’re all musts):
- A script for the first part of the Kriegsmarine Romance.
I might have to write some more if some ifs come True but part 1 is mandatory, come hell and high water. - The first draft for the novel code-named D.A.
That’s the one piece I want to write even if it’s the only thing I write. But since I want it to be good and since I never wrote any novels and since I’ve better keep it real, the first draft is more than enough for the year one, I guess. - A Lyadoff & Anchutkin novel.
Or maybe a novellete. Or a screenplay. Anyway, that’s a much lighter, humorous, pulpish one, which is why I wanna make it my trial balloon. - 12 acceptable short stories.
Acceptable by me, that is. One short story per month can be done, I guess. Even though the stories I did before were no more than 1500 words and took me a month or even more to produce. On the other hand, I wasn’t quite as persistent then as I occasionnaly am now. - Some [moonligther’s] work like journalism, copywriting or screenwriting.
No idea as to particulars. The merrier, the better. Money might help, too.
I might try the 5. in English: is there a better way to learn a language than to go and use it? Might even write a tentative story or two. As for the bulk of my fiction, I guess I’ve better stick to Russian yet. I know it, I feel it, I still got things to improve. A lot of them.
So, I don’t know why I write it all in English :) Maybe I just keep my Russian page for the showy stuff, and unmaterialized ambitions don’t show much. Especially here: russian authors have an unnerving ability to lose interest in their project even as people are willing to buy ‘em.
Good thing I’m a half-Jew, then.
The Kriegsmarine Romance begins
It has begun. Master Steerpike has posted the first four pages of Kriegsmarine Romance. The idea and art are by Steerpike, the script is mine.
The story (pretty long one) takes place in 1944. The Twilight of The Gods is setting. The World Serpent is tumbling and raxing, shaking the stars off the heavenly dome. The nations drown each other in blood. The Winter of Winters is over, and the wolf Skoll is preparing to swallow the Sun.
A submarine, known as U-200 in the Kriegsmarine HQ, sets off to Antarctica carrying the body of Hitler, successfully murdered by capt. Stauffenberg.
But those trying to ressurect the Fuehrer, know another name for the boat: Naglfar.
Here’s an imminently rough translation of dialogue (I’m not that good at American dialects yet):
page 1
Jenkins Sr: And I say it’s a fish!
Jenkins Jr: But it smells of meat. Not too fresh one either.
Jenkinks Sr: Fresh or not, it’s alright for pigs.
Jenkinks Sr: And what pig won’t eat, we’ll make into dung.
Jenkins Jr: Right, like we’re short on shit.
A voice: Jeremiah Jenkins!
page 2
Jenkins Sr: Reverend Mosers!
Mosers: What an ungodly monster is that?
Jenkins Sr: It’s a fish, Reverend.
Jenkins Jr: It’s a whale!
Mosers: It’s a Leviathan!
Jenkins Jr: Cast off on the beach this Thursday. It’s already stinky, and the belly is bloated.
Mosers: ‘In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword, his fierce, great and powerful sword, Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea.’
page 3
A voice: Amen!
Jenkins Jr: Da-ad. Seems like the darn whale is fit to burst.
[it does burst]
Voice: Look!
Voice: Still breathes, I guess.
Voice: ’s a wonder we still breathe.
Voice: He’s quite a kid.
Voice: …but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah.
Voice: Why, ain’t that a Wild Bill Donnovan’s customer? Someone should send him a line, methinks.
page 4
Caption: first, the music…
Caption: then…
The ‘Bad’ interrogator: How long are we here?
‘Bad’: A week, dammit! A friggin week, and not a word from you, not a single one!
‘Bad’: Not a bloody word.
That’s it for now. Four pages was a minimum for the festival. There’s definitely more underway.
2007 primary project
I was ready to decide it anyway, so Steve Pavlina’s article was just about right on time. And the primary project is a novel that I’m contemplating for five? seven? eight years?
There’s probabely more writing to be done this year, but the novel is the must.
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