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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Feb 2011 : 00:36:12
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Each of the sixteen chapters (and the Epilogue) of Sandstorm opens with an epigraph, usually a quote from some tome or another important in the history of Calimshan. I thought I would share those with my fellow scribes here at Candlekeep--one every couple of days--in the weeks leading up to the novel's release. This post actually has the first two, since Chapter One's was already revealed in the sample chapter.
Chapter One
In the name of the most holy Great Scrivener, I declare my tales to be true.
--Mualak yn Dulah yn Abbas
Scribe to Qysar Amahl Shoon IV
Chapter Two
"Yes, my arms are thin. It's my wits I'll use to best you!"
--"Clever Janna and the Fire Giant"
The Founding Stories of Calimshan
Printed and Bound at Calimport
The Year of the Broken Blade (1260 DR)
Cheers,
Christopher
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My Realms novel, Sandstorm, is now available for ordering. |
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Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3287 Posts |
Posted - 02 Feb 2011 : 12:56:10
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Very nice!
Christopher, are you gonna be the 4E Calimshan and area lorelord? |
"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
Posted - 02 Feb 2011 : 15:48:20
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quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone
Christopher, are you gonna be the 4E Calimshan and area lorelord?
I don't know about that. I did try to collect and read every thing that's been published (and a fair amount of stuff that hasn't been) on the area before I started the book.
Cheers,
Christopher
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Tyrant
Senior Scribe
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - 02 Feb 2011 : 19:54:25
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I've always liked these types of chapter headings in the other Realms books I have seen them in so I look forward to these.
I do have a couple questions Christopher, if you don't mind. For something like this, does an author present the idea to the editor or is it the other way around? Do you as the author come up with these or is that up to someone else in the chain? |
Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.
-The Sith Code
Teenage Sith zombies, Tulkh thought-how in the moons of Bogden had it all started? Every so often, the universe must just get bored and decide to really cut loose. -Star Wars: Red Harvest |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
Posted - 02 Feb 2011 : 20:39:19
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Hey Tyrant, always happy to answer questions.
I can only speak to my own experience, of course, but in my case I knew I wanted to use epigraphical chapter headings and I knew I wanted them to be quotes from "in Realms" sources as much as possible. I ran the idea by my editor as a means of stage-setting or illuminating some thematic element of the action that followed in the chapter, and she said go for it. I created almost all of the quotations myself.
"Almost" I say, because in the earliest drafts of the book, I had divided it into four sections and in addition to the chapter headings I had section epigraphs. For those, I combed published materials to do with Calimshan and the south, seeking out quotes from famous Realms characters. This idea didn't survive subsequent drafts, but I did wind up using two quotes from Steven Schend's Empires of the Shining Sea boxed set originally set for section headings as the headings for Chapter One and for the Epilogue.
Cheers,
Christopher
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Tyrant
Senior Scribe
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - 02 Feb 2011 : 21:07:35
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| Interesting insight. I assumed that Ed just made them up himself (and then attributed them to an appropriate source) but I wasn't sure what other author's approach to that would be. I was a little surprised that these would show up in another book since there weren't any in Elminster Must Die and in the past most (or maybe all, I ahven't read them all) of Ed's books have had these. I like them so hopefully this is the start of a trend. |
Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.
-The Sith Code
Teenage Sith zombies, Tulkh thought-how in the moons of Bogden had it all started? Every so often, the universe must just get bored and decide to really cut loose. -Star Wars: Red Harvest |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 02 Feb 2011 : 23:22:13
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Tymora's Luck also did this. Each chapter heading was an amusing snippet from a different author about a common theme. I was hoping then that these would become common fare, but oh well.
Of greater value still are "journal entry" headers which indicate dates or even places. These make correlation of isolated stories, characters, and events across a unified timeline so very much easier than exhaustive scanning through the text, lol. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 03 Feb 2011 : 00:36:30
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Ed's novels always have them. I often find them interesting, and at times funny. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 03 Feb 2011 : 14:11:46
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Are there elves in your book? |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
Posted - 03 Feb 2011 : 14:14:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
Are there elves in your book?
Just passing mentions that they exist, but no, no elves as characters.
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 03 Feb 2011 : 14:20:55
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I'm glad. I usually avoid them. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 05 Feb 2011 : 18:07:24
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quote:
Dennis — Are there elves in your book?
This was genuinely funny. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 05 Feb 2011 : 22:22:48
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Not to me. I loathe them. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
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Tyrant
Senior Scribe
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2011 : 04:39:40
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I like these, particularly chapters 4 and 9.
You mentioned trying to gather existing lore for this novel. I was wondering what other sources of inspiration were used? For instance on the D&D front, did the 3.5 book Sandstorm serve any type of inspiration? Or anything from Dark Sun for examples of desert world flavor? |
Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.
-The Sith Code
Teenage Sith zombies, Tulkh thought-how in the moons of Bogden had it all started? Every so often, the universe must just get bored and decide to really cut loose. -Star Wars: Red Harvest |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2011 : 16:11:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Tyrant
I like these, particularly chapters 4 and 9.
You mentioned trying to gather existing lore for this novel. I was wondering what other sources of inspiration were used? For instance on the D&D front, did the 3.5 book Sandstorm serve any type of inspiration? Or anything from Dark Sun for examples of desert world flavor?
Thanks!
Do you know, I only recently became aware of the existence of the 3.5 book Sandstorm? So no on that one.
Other than Forgotten Realms material, which formed the vast bulk of my material, I looked at some Al-Qadim stuff and a lot of real world material about the 1,001 Nights stories, about gladiators, and about slavery.
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My Realms novel, Sandstorm, is now available for ordering. |
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Tyrant
Senior Scribe
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2011 : 19:04:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe
quote:
Originally posted by Tyrant
I like these, particularly chapters 4 and 9.
You mentioned trying to gather existing lore for this novel. I was wondering what other sources of inspiration were used? For instance on the D&D front, did the 3.5 book Sandstorm serve any type of inspiration? Or anything from Dark Sun for examples of desert world flavor?
Thanks!
Do you know, I only recently became aware of the existence of the 3.5 book Sandstorm? So no on that one.
Other than Forgotten Realms material, which formed the vast bulk of my material, I looked at some Al-Qadim stuff and a lot of real world material about the 1,001 Nights stories, about gladiators, and about slavery.
I remembered that there was a desert centric 3.5 book but it wasn't until I pulled it off the shelf and saw the title that I realized it had the same title as your book. |
Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.
-The Sith Code
Teenage Sith zombies, Tulkh thought-how in the moons of Bogden had it all started? Every so often, the universe must just get bored and decide to really cut loose. -Star Wars: Red Harvest |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
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Tyrant
Senior Scribe
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - 23 Feb 2011 : 19:53:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe
Chapter Twelve
The Spider That Waits has eight thousand eyes,
The Spider That Waits sees through Janna's disguise,
The Spider That Waits spins a web out lies,
Janna gets caught there, and there Janna dies.
—Calishite children’s song
Collected at Volothamp
The Year of the Blazing Brand (1334 DR)
Is this Janna the clever Janna mentioned in some of the other chapter headings? |
Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.
-The Sith Code
Teenage Sith zombies, Tulkh thought-how in the moons of Bogden had it all started? Every so often, the universe must just get bored and decide to really cut loose. -Star Wars: Red Harvest |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
Posted - 23 Feb 2011 : 20:02:46
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| Janna's kind of a recurring figure in the Book of Founding Stories as I've envisioned it, so she's part of the cultural apparatus of Calimshan in general. I guess the short answer is yes, but it's more complicated than that. Steven Schend invented her with his work on the Founding Stories in the Empires of the Shining Sea boxed set. |
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Christopher_Rowe
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
879 Posts |
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Sandstorm chapter headings
