On continuing Sythyry's Journal

[sythyry]

I haven't managed to do anything with Sythyry's Journal for months now. I've mostly been working on Mating Flight, which I consider to be a Good Thing too, but is a different sort of project. I do want to get back to writing a World Tree serial of some form or other, when I'm done with the first draft of Mating Flight. I want to be able to get more readers, too.

Sythyry's Journal has gotten rather unwieldy, to put it nicely. I have trouble keeping track of half a dozen years' random ideas, interesting characters, odd restaurants, and whatnots. I can't imagine many new readers getting into it: there's about 400,000 words to read, assisted only by some rather outdated glossaries and summaries. And indeed, I've lost a number of readers in the last three years or so, I think, and gained very few.

So one idea, of several, is starting Sythyry's Journal Part II. Same lizard writing, same general style. A sufficiently different situation that makes it a whole new story. Yes, prior readers will have some clues about what's going on that new ones will have to learn. But Part II will be mostly self-contained: new readers will be able to start at the beginning of Part II and not have to catch up with the mountain of words and characters and backstory and stuff. I'd also try to have more of an organized plot, though I daresay the small blue cave lizard will surprise me now and then. (Well, constantly like usual.)

And of course there are various other ideas floating around too.

I promise to read the results of the following poll and do whatever seems best to me.

[Poll #1327492]

Comments

[shurhaian.livejournal.com]

I read the entirety of Sythyry's journal since getting the sourcebook just before Christmas, so it's certainly not COMPLETELY inaccessible!

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

True -- and I am delighted that you did! -- but some people have found it daunting.

[terrana.livejournal.com]

Not me. This journal's what persuaded me to buy the sourcebook in the first place. :)

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

That delights me too!

And I want to encourage it. Even people who are not as mighty as you!

[kobolds.livejournal.com]

I may not be as mighty as terr but I too have not found it daunting, in fact quite the opposite. An enthralling and entertaining read!

After a bad term and what was promising to be an even worse holiday I was glad to have investigated this weird little sythyry guy on Terrana's friends page. The story was immersive and entertaining to the point where I would happily proclaim it the best book I have read this year, had it been produced in paper format.

So yes, I'm new to it as of last week and have since finished it. I am now contemplating different methods of chaining you to a desk until you write more :P

I think I would be sad to see an end to Sythyry's journal, but would very much like to see more, even if it isn't from sythyry's point of view, or even from anywhere near his own part of the world tree.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! (And there's one book published if you want, and others that might get published someday that I will ask for a couple more readers for, soon.)

But Sythyry's Journal is pretty inert -- I haven't updated the story since October, and barely since early summer -- and I am trying to find ways to reincarnate it. Floooosh's player and I have some good ideas...

[terrana.livejournal.com]

Chaining to a desk? In an ironic twist, I seem to have indirectly inflicted The Doom on you.

And yes, I do occasionally shout "The Doom!" in actual conversation. Your fault.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

The mood!

Anyways, this whole conversation is about what I'm going to write when I chain myself to my desk.

[kobolds.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough the only reason I didn't order it back when I was first introduced to World Tree was because I was unsure of whether or not I would enjoy your writting style.

Sythyry's journal seems to have quelled these fears and I will be trying to find a copy once I get back to the UK.

[archadia.livejournal.com]

I agree with Terrana!

[rowyn]

Same here. :)