Tags: [[production journal]], [[dusk and dawn]] Date:

My Attempt to Walk in Linn Carter’s Shadow #

Dear Apprentice,

In the days of your, forever ago and anon, and so on and so forth, a legendary writer and editor named Linn Carter released two sword and sorcery tales, “People of the Dragon” and “Pillars of Hell”.

The idea behind these stories was that each tale would follow the next generation in a pre-historic tribe. Unfortunately, Carter never finished the tale.

Lee Patton introduced me to these stories when he was helping me polish my short fiction “Seed of the Gods” last year. Since then, I’ve decided to finish what Linn Carter did not, a series of five stories following the generational history of a pre-historic tribe.

Today, I’m going to begin work on the second story, following the son of Seed’s antagonist as he wrangles with his conflicting views of masculinity.

Check back here often, I’ll be updating the journal as I go along.

Word Counts #

First Draft Journal — January 2026 #

Week Zero #

Friday — 1/2 #

Since I’ve finished my last novel rotation early (go me!), I’m beginning some work on this small idea I’ve had for some time. Let’s dive into it.

Generation One: Consisted of the conflict between Utzi the Pathfinder, a rebellious figure and Hano the Slayer, the new chieftain and discoverer of the Great Cave, who represents the orthodox future of the people.

Utzi perished, and Dorma carried his legacy. She would have given birth to his daughter, though this would have happened outside the narrative.

Hano the Slayer has always felt undermined, he made a great discovery that saved his people in times of need. But he refuses to let go of the cave.

Generation Two: Gora Younger is Hano the Slayer’s son. Gora is hungry for glory and to take up his aging father’s mantle. The seed is corrupted and Hano has wasted his life trying to find out why, and to what extent it was cursed. As a result, the Great Cave’s people dwindles as more and more flock to Dorma Farseer’s village where once they all lived in harmony. Dorma is likely over one hundred years old, making her far older than Utzi ever was. Hano is beginning to die of old age before 50, just as Gora Elder had.

Gora courts with Eshil, whom he falls in love with, but she never fully requites. She leaves him for the surface, and in Gora’s rage, he curses her.

Years later, as Gora prepares to claim his chiefhood, a scout troupe returns telling tales of statues deeper in the cave, who all resemble people missing for years. The elders agree that Gora should descend into the cave to find the source of the treachery.

Below, a Medusa (Gorgon) dwells, which turns out to be Eshil, transformed by Gora’s curse. A conflict. Perhaps Gora let’s her live?

Generation Three: Shama is Gora’s daughter. When her brother takes the chiefhood and exiles her for her shamanic practice, she seeks Dorma’s village and finds it largely abandoned.

Something has happened—a geomancer sorcerer has taken up residence in a stone fortress and has subjegated the people. Shama must delve into a living fortress that shifts with the will of its master to save Dorma, who has learned the Great Cave will run right into hell.

Saturday — 1/3 #

Made some good progress of The Evil Eye today. I’m excited for how these stories are shaping up. After the deep intrigue and emotional empathy needed for What Lies Below, it’s refreshing to write a simple adventure with mostly external factors.

I am planning to begin the scenes where they enter a strange layer of Pandemonium, which is similar in my head to Skyrim’s Blackreach and one of Bloodbourne’s Chalice Dungeons. I picture it luminescent but firmly appearing overground at night, with sprawling landbridges to imply the underground setting and mushroom trees like Morrowind.

Week Zero Word Counts #

Week One #

Saturday — 1/10 #

Given that it is a rest week for me, I chose not to do much writing, instead focusing on leisure and YouTube/Marketing stuff. Today, I have the itch, so I’m going to try to approach it again. I have structure for the third story, and I’m definitely excited to approach it. All that’s left is finishing up this second story, which I have a clear vision for.

Sunday — 1/11 #

Going to break my convention a bit and include the following Sunday in this week. It’s just a weird time since it was a rest week. The main thing to discuss was yesterday’s session. One of those windups where I wasn’t really feeling it, but I hit my 1,000 words.

Today, I did a lot of revision and finished The Evil Eyes, which has clocked in at my longest short story to date. I’m also very proud of it.

My original version of the fight with the stone men (which I wrote yesterday) was not doing it for me. I slept on it, warmed up with revision, and finished strong with a reimagined fight scene.

I also got stuck for awhile trying to achieve my peaceful end with Eshil. There was no non-violent solution, so I decided to strike write in the middle.

This one will be shelved for a bit, since it’s now time to move on to SOIL.

Week One Word Counts #

Week Two #

Feedback Notes #

I’ve received feedback from two trusted cohorts. What was useful is they independently shared the same frustration which tells me that it needs to be fixed.

• Ending where Gora thinks to call after Eshil, but Joan stops him.
  • Fix, let Gora pursue her and attempt to start the bridge. Conflict, then Joan follows and her presence leads to Gora making the decision to letting her leave on his own.
• Ending fight needs a bit more OOMPH.
• Joan’s motivations, why is she there and what is her connection to the People of the Great Cave?

Sunday — 2/8 #

Submitted The Evil Eye to Clarkesworld for first rejection. Still awaiting word from Savage Realms. It’s been 7 or 8 months.

Week Two Word Counts #

Week Three #

Monday — 2/8 #

Taking a break from SOIL to work on the third installment of this series. Working title for this story is “Our Family Bones” or “Bones in the Wall”. I think the first is more evocative, while the second fits more with S&S.

Adapted notes from pocket book:

• Bid Bag -> Necromancer
  • Norn, son of Gora the Savior and Joan of Thakra.
  • Finds a broch, the walls cemented with bonemeal of the servants who once tended the land. He can control the structure
• Protag -> Mystic
  • Ori, prophesied daughter of Dorma the Long Eye and Utzi the Pathfinder.
  • Born 50 years or so after Utzi’s death, it is said Dorma has held her in the womb until the time was right. Working Synopsis: The tale begins with the prophesied birth of two great sorcerers, Ori and Norn. They are born of the same day of strange circumstances—Ori was born of a father who’d lain dead for 50 years, and Norn was an unexpected runty twin.

Ori is training to replace Dorma as the Long Eye. She is struggling with her powers, but Dorma’s lifeforce is waning. To complete her training, she must locate an ancestral artifact that was stolen by settlers in a ruin (the broch where Norn is held up). Perhaps Ori can commune with Utzi’s spirit?

Norn has long been the black sheep of the Great Cave, despite his father’s careful counsel. Being the Second Son of the Chieftain, he has little hope of finding a future. After communing with the bones of the giant, he learns the secret of of bonecraft and leaves the Great Cave to make his name as a necromancer. He finds the broch, and attempts to Thwart Ori’s intrusion.

Dorma’s Age: If Dorma was 39 when Utzi left, and Hano was 25—Gora is 24 by the time he is named Chieftain, and Hano is nearing old age of death around 55.

Gora is 27 when his sons are born.

Dorma is seventy-two

Week Three Word Counts #

Week Four #

Wednesday — 2/25 #

Revised the opening of Ancestral Bones based on Lee Patton’s advice. Won’t get into the specifics yet, just wanted to note that I revised. On to more writing.

Friday — 2/27 #

Slowly but surely making progress through Ancestral Bones. It’s some trudgery and I’m thinking it might end up being about 15,000 words. A much broader tale than the other two, which were quite narrow.