What's Next

[Mark Arbour]

Man in Motion has 27 chapters, all of which are written and in various stages of editing, so I'll be finished with it soon. I had planned to continue our family saga, but I've decided to take a detour and do something different first.

 

When I was a kid, I read CS Forester's "Beat to Quarters," a story about a Captain in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. It was one of a series of books in the "Hornblower" series. Those of you who haven't read the books have probably seen the A&E movie. Regardless, Forester is an amazing author, and I highly recommend his books. Anyway, his works were such an inspiration; I always wanted to write something similar. So I'm going to.

 

This series will be set in the late 1700s, so it will be a lot larger leap back in time for my readers than my past few stories. It will also be a lot more in tune with the history of the time. I'm a little nervous that it will be too different for you, and that you won't like it, but all I can do is give it a try. Expect to see the first chapter in the next two to three weeks.

 

And for those of you who like the CAP Series, I have the first chapter of a sequel penned out roughly, so I won't leave you hanging forever. In the mean time, take a minute to go vote in the latest poll:

 

Who Killed Neil?

[Mark M]

Awe!!!!!! But then again a late 1700s one could be really interesting...castles swords....knighthood...old old ships without the metal...scurvy...all the technical terms that your going to have to reseach or already know.....Ahh like a good ole writtin story of the PRIATES of the Carabbiean Tho i'm assuming it's still gona have a gay theme....so i'm not sure....don't even think being gay was really heard of much back then....surprizingly Alexander was gay...or so the movie says....so that's cool...he wasn't killed for it.

 

Anyway i'mEXCITED now!!

[Mark Arbour]

Awe!!!!!! But then again a late 1700s one could be really interesting...castles swords....knighthood...old old ships without the metal...scurvy...all the technical terms that your going to have to reseach or already know.....Ahh like a good ole writtin story of the PRIATES of the Carabbiean Tho i'm assuming it's still gona have a gay theme....so i'm not sure....don't even think being gay was really heard of much back then....surprizingly Alexander was gay...or so the movie says....so that's cool...he wasn't killed for it.

 

Anyway i'mEXCITED now!!

 

Being gay was heard of back then. If they caught you f**king around in the Royal Navy, the prescribed penalty was hanging. Sometimes the court was lenient and you'd only get 200-300 lashes with a cat-of-nine-tails. If you lived through that, your back would be disfigured forever.

 

Castles...not so much. Palaces.

Knighthood, a big reward for a fearless warrior.

Swords, the weapon of a gentleman

Wooden ships...for sure

Scurvy...probably not. It was known by the late 1700s that if you provided the crew with enough Vitamin C, you could avoid scurvy, so most ships carried lemons or limes and made juice for the sailors.

[Sir Galahad]

Knights? He isn't going back that far! lol. ITV here in the UK did a serialisation of the Hornblower books, were really well done. So I for one am looking forward to it.

[Mark M]

Ok ok hmmm ineed to brush up on some history.....alright i just did....i'm thinking Late 1500's and 1600's for the scurvy part(Samuel de Champlain).

 

As for knight hood, it can still be given.....they joked about Simon Cowel (probably most famous British guy next to a few others like Daniel radciff...who is apperantly the richest in england now???) be knighted....sad to sad i'd have to hurt the queen then

[Red_A]

 

When I was a kid, I read CS Forester's "Beat to Quarters," a story about a Captain in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. It was one of a series of books in the "Hornblower" series. Those of you who haven't read the books have probably seen the A&E movie. Regardless, Forester is an amazing author, and I highly recommend his books. Anyway, his works were such an inspiration; I always wanted to write something similar. So I'm going to.

 

 

C. S. Forester (Cecil Louis Troughton Smith) is my second favourite author. I have, I believe read all of the Hornblower series except Hornblower and the Crisis, and have read PAYMENT DEFERRED, DEATH TO THE FRENCH, THE GUN, THE AFRICAN QUEEN, THE SHIP and THE GOOD SHEPHERD. As well as the Hornblower books, he wrote other non-fiction books, researched and wrote history books, wrote quasi-documentary books and was a wrote filmscripts.

 

His books have influenced among others, Bernard Cornwell, Patrick O'Brian, Douglas Reeman(Alexanders Kent), Dudley Pope, Gene Roddenberry.

 

I am in two minds, I love to read your new stories, *but* you have a huge mountain to climb. C.S. Forester Hornblower books are the nearest to real life possible and retain that magical story element.

 

I wish you the best of luck, I will be waiting with a red pen, and hoping that I will not have to use it.

Edited March 27, 2009 by Red_A

[amBIguoustwo]

I'm with Red_A on this: If you can pull it off, it will be fantastic, but the bar is high indeed. I particularly love Bernard Cornwell and his character, Sharpe.

 

The Hornblower serialization was very good. And I can watch the scene with what's his name getting hosed off over and over.

[Mark Arbour]

Well, first of all, I'm not competing with them. No way. I'm just walking along in their genre. A rude interloper writing gay fiction. But they did inspire me.

 

As much as I loved the Hornblower series, to say they were the most real life is a stretch. I thought Forester did a much better job with his character than any of the others you mentioned, and that, combined with his storytelling and plot twists, is what makes it a good read. I think that O'Brian does a better job of portraying the "real life" aspects, what with the money issues and the livestock on board and the like. I don't like them as well, though. So much for historical accuracy.

[Mark Arbour]

So here's where we are:

 

The first chapter of "The Gunroom" should be posted within the next few days. This is the beginning of my Nautical story.

 

Probably close to the same time, the first chapter of the next story in our family saga should be up. It's called "A Summer Love."

 

Don't expect the same frenetic pace on these stories, unless Sharon pisses me off and I decide to try and work her to death.

 

More on both of them when they're posted.

[sat8997]

Don't expect the same frenetic pace on these stories, unless Sharon pisses me off...

 

Me?? Everyone knows I am the embodiment of sweetness and light. I could never piss anyone off.

 

 

...and I decide to try and work her to death.

 

Ha! Like you haven't tried that tactic before.