Thursday, September 14, 2006

I am the nerdiest nerd that ever did nerd.

Hello deliberate friends and accidental visitors, "Well betide you", as is often said in the Hc. Thank you to those who have offered well-wishes at my nuptials. Sure am a lot calmer since that sweet, strange day... so much so people are commenting. Enough of that.

Had a great session with Dyan (my wonderful, pain-in-the-posterior, insightful slave-driving publisher at Omnibus here is South Terra Australis - which is a tautology, actually) a few days ago, feeling uber güt about Book 2 - certainly more happening now Rossamünd is at Winstermill. Hope people dig it when done.

A friend of mine, Andre, asked me by email, "maybe it's answered in the last couple of chapters, but what is the importance of wearing a hat for travellers? maybe I missed it..." Good question, I say, and here is an answer:
Hats are worn a) for protection as most have at least a proofed headband in them, and b) because it's the done thing for polite people to do, see as bad manners to not to have a hat upon your pate when out of doors. No other significance. (at this stage...)

As to the football 'league' of the Hc (madbomber) : it is actually more like soccer or Gaelic football - more European, and a fully fledge 'league' does not exist in Rossamünd's time, but is an advent of later centuries, though there are smaller, privately organised competions hereabouts. The whole idea is not fully formed yet - beyond team names (need to dust this stuff off and revisit, one of the MANY loose threads that await more fiddle-faddling.) As for black-&-red (sable and rouge = "shrewdness & eagerness") mottle for the best team, well of course - though rouge and leuc ("justice & integrity") might have something to say about that... Hmm, project!
(Get your orders in now for team names and colours, while idea is still coagulating in my soul!)

Kaollaku asks: "If MBT grows in popularity, like to where it is a well know book with a large fan base, will you consider a movie?"
Well, truth is, it is currently under consideration for an opption but it is very early days - so breath holding is unadvised. Still, I'm excited. Will keep you posted on this'un.

Two questions from random missfit:
1/ "I was just wondering, does Hc have its own number system?"
I am sure there were (may still even are) cultures surrounding the Hc that have unique or unusual methods of counting (my favourite is prime numbers 1 2 3 5 7 11 13 17 19 23...), but the standard number system in the Hc itself as of the time of Rossamünd is as our own, perhaps with a little more use of what we call 'Roman' numerals (or capital-numbers in Hc)
2/ "if the Hc was on earth what sort of time is it set in?? (or the main type of weapons used)"
I always hesitate to answer what time on earth questions, simply because I am keen for things to be about the Hc in and of itself - making corollaries with our own world surely ruins a little of the charm. Yes? No? Let's just say that, for reasons of plausability, I use 1815 in our world history as a technology cut off for my ideation - to check if certain mechanisms or systems are 'allowable'. But don't be going "oh so it's 1815 our time, cause you would be off there, that's just my "no greater than" mark... Am I making any sense??? As to main weapons - well, read on. If it is not clear already after book 1, I hope the sense of most used anything will become more apparent over subsequent volumes.

Which dovetails rather nicely into the next and most commonly asked question.
"When can we expect the next instalment of Monster Blood Tattoo?" Inez
"How long till the next one! i dont think i can wait! :(" Andre
"Does anyone have any word on when the sequel to Foundling is coming out? My crew keep hounding me, and I can't find any word online." Jessy Griffith from yslsa-bk
In answer to this, I'll do my majic revealing trick right here, right now (and you were there to see it happen!):

May 2007 MBT Book 2 - ANZ/ US with other regions to follow
(indeed, I strain away at this very work even now... poor little Rossamünd...)
May 2008 MBT Book 3 - ANZ/US with other regions to follow

*blare of trumpets*
*crash of drums*
There y'are.

For breakfast today I had Granola [TM] with this wierd maple syryp flavouring - hmm, a journey into the culinarily bizarre.

And now: Half-Continent synonyms for real-world terms #005
Just one today, only one person stepped up to the challenge since the last post.

honeymoon = well for a start, this is not a common event in much of Hc culture; marriage certainly happens, just not 'honeymoons'. When they do they are typically called congigoes or nuptial-rests.

... and no problems Mr Missfit for any misspelling - I'm an unspecified age above mid-twenties and I still can't spell to save myself.

Here is a challenge for those who want to take it on: give me a word and I'll attempt to render it into Half-continent speak.

NOTE: MBT = Monster Blood Tattoo, Hc = Half-Continent, ANZ = Australia/New Zealand

9 comments:

Femina said...

Oh bleh. I just clicked on your Wikipedia entry and discovered you were born in 1972. I thought you were younger than me but now I feel ooooold!! It's only two years, but still... I'm at this advanced age and I've never been interviewed by David Reyne ;-)

No suggestions for a football team name, unless you want to mix your mythologies and name one after my lovely hero Hector (Iliad, of course).

Swelly

markus said...

Good to have you back, D.M, hope you enjoyed your break.

And here's a word for you: "rainbow"

D.M. Cornish said...

Thanks for heads up about lame spamming attempts here, Swelly. Hope you are recovering from the age revelation crisis.

And big thank you for the Latin translating.

Anonymous said...

hey again,
i have a questioun*
the names rossumund and fouraces aren't our world names, so do you think you could translate names for us?
word: revolution (as in the french revolution)

*i dont think i spelt that right

Anonymous said...

as to my pevious questioun*
i've already finished the book, and i know that the hc people use guns but what about swords and pikes? stuff like that, do they use them anymore????

Anonymous said...

* i can't get the hang off that word "questioun" and i'm to lazy to get a dictionary.

madbomber said...

Gday mate, I'm liking the way you are developing the footy idea. But hey I'm into all things sports, so if there are sports included into a fantasy story, I'll be hooked.

It worked for J.K Rowling too. ;)

My word for this time is University.

I have a question, what games do people play in HC? I'm thinking particularly in Taverns, when they want to gamble with one another. Dice or cards, or something else?

Winter said...

While in a book store a week or so ago I was stopped dead by the cover of your book. I picked it up, read the inside synopsis, and promptly trotted over to the local library to request a copy. Upon recieving the book I sat down and read it all in one go, save the Explicarium.

I wanted to express my sincere appreciation of your work. The depth and background of the Half-Continent is incredible. It's refreshing to read a fantasy story set in such an original setting.

So, I'm recomending your book to my friends and eagerly anticipating the next edition.
Thanks and good luck.

D.M. Cornish said...

Thank you so much, Winter, your comments are ecceptionally encouraging, because such "depth and background" and your relishing of them are exactly what I am working for.

Btw, I look you up next time I'm needing someone who is "totally deadly with a harmless laser gun".