Writing Discussion

[The Rich Port]

Playing Rome: Total Realism, I've been inspired to write an ancient road novel.

The protagonist is an Iberian philosopher, an outcast in his own homeland, despite his long years of service as both diplomat and spy. When the Iberian people are threatened by a new world power, the Romans, after having been weakened by a long campaign to drive out Carthaginian colonists, "The Pretending Greek" is sent on an envoy mission with a caravan of goods as a gift of alliance with the Romans. Rumors of a war with Gaul loom in his mind.

Bitter with his homeland and shocked at the vicious and expansionistic Romans, the Iberian decides to flee to Greece to pursue his dream of being a famous poet. Before he can leave, he is assaulted by a drunken slave driver in the city of Ariminum. In the scuffle, the slave driver is killed, the Iberian is forced to take a band of slaves, and is forced to abandon a large portion of said slaves leaving the city.

The Iberian is now a fugitive of Roman law, along with the slaves he accidentally freed: an Illyrian huntress, a Macedonian fop, a Sarmatian princess, a Gaulic housewife, a Carthaginian mercenary, and a Thracian prostitute. "Hijinks ensue" as they make pilgrimage to the city of Athens, seeking refuge from a band of 800 Romans hunting them.

The plot is still a bit muddy; I can't think of any concrete conflict or friction to drive the story. While I'm concerned about historical accuracy, this isn't going to be an epic, and location and historical battles are the least of my worries at the moment.

[Nationstatelandsville]

Playing Rome: Total Realism, I've been inspired to write an ancient road novel.

The protagonist is an Iberian philosopher, an outcast in his own homeland, despite his long years of service as both diplomat and spy. When the Iberian people are threatened by a new world power, the Romans, after having been weakened by a long campaign to drive out Carthaginian colonists, "The Pretending Greek" is sent on an envoy mission with a caravan of goods as a gift of alliance with the Romans. Rumors of a war with Gaul loom in his mind.

Bitter with his homeland and shocked at the vicious and expansionistic Romans, the Iberian decides to flee to Greece to pursue his dream of being a famous poet. Before he can leave, he is assaulted by a drunken slave driver in the city of Ariminum. In the scuffle, the slave driver is killed, the Iberian is forced to take a band of slaves, and is forced to abandon a large portion of said slaves leaving the city.

The Iberian is now a fugitive of Roman law, along with the slaves he accidentally freed: an Illyrian huntress, a Macedonian fop, a Sarmatian princess, a Gaulic housewife, a Carthaginian mercenary, and a Thracian prostitute. "Hijinks ensue" as they make pilgrimage to the city of Athens, seeking refuge from a band of 800 Romans hunting them.

The plot is still a bit muddy; I can't think of any concrete conflict or friction to drive the story. While I'm concerned about historical accuracy, this isn't going to be an epic, and location and historical battles are the least of my worries at the moment.

Sounds a bit Robin Hood to me.

That's actually a good thing.

[Astrolinium]

Playing Rome: Total Realism, I've been inspired to write an ancient road novel.

The protagonist is an Iberian philosopher, an outcast in his own homeland, despite his long years of service as both diplomat and spy. When the Iberian people are threatened by a new world power, the Romans, after having been weakened by a long campaign to drive out Carthaginian colonists, "The Pretending Greek" is sent on an envoy mission with a caravan of goods as a gift of alliance with the Romans. Rumors of a war with Gaul loom in his mind.

Bitter with his homeland and shocked at the vicious and expansionistic Romans, the Iberian decides to flee to Greece to pursue his dream of being a famous poet. Before he can leave, he is assaulted by a drunken slave driver in the city of Ariminum. In the scuffle, the slave driver is killed, the Iberian is forced to take a band of slaves, and is forced to abandon a large portion of said slaves leaving the city.

The Iberian is now a fugitive of Roman law, along with the slaves he accidentally freed: an Illyrian huntress, a Macedonian fop, a Sarmatian princess, a Gaulic housewife, a Carthaginian mercenary, and a Thracian prostitute. "Hijinks ensue" as they make pilgrimage to the city of Athens, seeking refuge from a band of 800 Romans hunting them.

The plot is still a bit muddy; I can't think of any concrete conflict or friction to drive the story. While I'm concerned about historical accuracy, this isn't going to be an epic, and location and historical battles are the least of my worries at the moment.

I'd read it.

[The Rich Port]

Playing Rome: Total Realism, I've been inspired to write an ancient road novel.

The protagonist is an Iberian philosopher, an outcast in his own homeland, despite his long years of service as both diplomat and spy. When the Iberian people are threatened by a new world power, the Romans, after having been weakened by a long campaign to drive out Carthaginian colonists, "The Pretending Greek" is sent on an envoy mission with a caravan of goods as a gift of alliance with the Romans. Rumors of a war with Gaul loom in his mind.

Bitter with his homeland and shocked at the vicious and expansionistic Romans, the Iberian decides to flee to Greece to pursue his dream of being a famous poet. Before he can leave, he is assaulted by a drunken slave driver in the city of Ariminum. In the scuffle, the slave driver is killed, the Iberian is forced to take a band of slaves, and is forced to abandon a large portion of said slaves leaving the city.

The Iberian is now a fugitive of Roman law, along with the slaves he accidentally freed: an Illyrian huntress, a Macedonian fop, a Sarmatian princess, a Gaulic housewife, a Carthaginian mercenary, and a Thracian prostitute. "Hijinks ensue" as they make pilgrimage to the city of Athens, seeking refuge from a band of 800 Romans hunting them.

The plot is still a bit muddy; I can't think of any concrete conflict or friction to drive the story. While I'm concerned about historical accuracy, this isn't going to be an epic, and location and historical battles are the least of my worries at the moment.

Sounds a bit Robin Hood to me.

That's actually a good thing.

I would have also accepted Scooby Doo and The Canterbury Tales.

[Nationstatelandsville]

Speaking of which, I've been tempted to start an epic. A lampshade-filled epic satirizing them, but you know, whatever.

I should probably read one first.

[Nationstatelandsville]

Sounds a bit Robin Hood to me.

That's actually a good thing.

I would have also accepted Scooby Doo and The Canterbury Tales.

Now I will definitely read it.

[Astrolinium]

Speaking of which, I've been tempted to start an epic. A lampshade-filled epic satirizing them, but you know, whatever.

I should probably read one first.

I'd recommend The Odyssey and that fanfiction Vergil wrote called The Aeneid.

[Nationstatelandsville]

Speaking of which, I've been tempted to start an epic. A lampshade-filled epic satirizing them, but you know, whatever.

I should probably read one first.

I'd recommend The Odyssey and that fanfiction Vergil wrote called The Aeneid.

I started the Illiad. Bit dry.

[Nude East Ireland]

Playing Rome: Total Realism, I've been inspired to write an ancient road novel.

The protagonist is an Iberian philosopher, an outcast in his own homeland, despite his long years of service as both diplomat and spy. When the Iberian people are threatened by a new world power, the Romans, after having been weakened by a long campaign to drive out Carthaginian colonists, "The Pretending Greek" is sent on an envoy mission with a caravan of goods as a gift of alliance with the Romans. Rumors of a war with Gaul loom in his mind.

Bitter with his homeland and shocked at the vicious and expansionistic Romans, the Iberian decides to flee to Greece to pursue his dream of being a famous poet. Before he can leave, he is assaulted by a drunken slave driver in the city of Ariminum. In the scuffle, the slave driver is killed, the Iberian is forced to take a band of slaves, and is forced to abandon a large portion of said slaves leaving the city.

The Iberian is now a fugitive of Roman law, along with the slaves he accidentally freed: an Illyrian huntress, a Macedonian fop, a Sarmatian princess, a Gaulic housewife, a Carthaginian mercenary, and a Thracian prostitute. "Hijinks ensue" as they make pilgrimage to the city of Athens, seeking refuge from a band of 800 Romans hunting them.

The plot is still a bit muddy; I can't think of any concrete conflict or friction to drive the story. While I'm concerned about historical accuracy, this isn't going to be an epic, and location and historical battles are the least of my worries at the moment.

You said that the Iberians had a campaign to fight Carthaginians. Perhaps you could have a conflict between the Carthaginian mercenary and the Iberian, because the mercenary was captured by Romans trying to deliver some military information to Carthage or something.

[Astrolinium]

I'd recommend The Odyssey and that fanfiction Vergil wrote called The Aeneid.

I started the Illiad. Bit dry.

Just don't watch the movie of The Odyssey.
Seriously, if you see Armand Assante, just start running.

[Nationstatelandsville]

Playing Rome: Total Realism, I've been inspired to write an ancient road novel.

The protagonist is an Iberian philosopher, an outcast in his own homeland, despite his long years of service as both diplomat and spy. When the Iberian people are threatened by a new world power, the Romans, after having been weakened by a long campaign to drive out Carthaginian colonists, "The Pretending Greek" is sent on an envoy mission with a caravan of goods as a gift of alliance with the Romans. Rumors of a war with Gaul loom in his mind.

Bitter with his homeland and shocked at the vicious and expansionistic Romans, the Iberian decides to flee to Greece to pursue his dream of being a famous poet. Before he can leave, he is assaulted by a drunken slave driver in the city of Ariminum. In the scuffle, the slave driver is killed, the Iberian is forced to take a band of slaves, and is forced to abandon a large portion of said slaves leaving the city.

The Iberian is now a fugitive of Roman law, along with the slaves he accidentally freed: an Illyrian huntress, a Macedonian fop, a Sarmatian princess, a Gaulic housewife, a Carthaginian mercenary, and a Thracian prostitute. "Hijinks ensue" as they make pilgrimage to the city of Athens, seeking refuge from a band of 800 Romans hunting them.

The plot is still a bit muddy; I can't think of any concrete conflict or friction to drive the story. While I'm concerned about historical accuracy, this isn't going to be an epic, and location and historical battles are the least of my worries at the moment.

You said that the Iberians had a campaign to fight Carthaginians. Perhaps you could have a conflict between the Carthaginian mercenary and the Iberian, because the mercenary was captured by Romans trying to deliver some military information to Carthage or something.

And the Carthaginian is also a time traveling minotaur sent back to kill the Iberian before he fathers the Antichrist?

I started the Illiad. Bit dry.

Just don't watch the movie of The Odyssey.
Seriously, if you see Armand Assante, just start running.

I have the Illiad and Odyssey on my Kindle, which is... somewhere.

[Nude East Ireland]

You said that the Iberians had a campaign to fight Carthaginians. Perhaps you could have a conflict between the Carthaginian mercenary and the Iberian, because the mercenary was captured by Romans trying to deliver some military information to Carthage or something.

And the Carthaginian is also a time traveling minotaur sent back to kill the Iberian before he fathers the Antichrist?

No.

[Nationstatelandsville]

And the Carthaginian is also a time traveling minotaur sent back to kill the Iberian before he fathers the Antichrist?

No.

Damn. You used to fun, man. But now you've changed.

Clearly you got a haircut or something.

[The Rich Port]

Speaking of which, I've been tempted to start an epic. A lampshade-filled epic satirizing them, but you know, whatever.

I should probably read one first.

Be careful not to turn into Tolkien. DX

You said that the Iberians had a campaign to fight Carthaginians. Perhaps you could have a conflict between the Carthaginian mercenary and the Iberian, because the mercenary was captured by Romans trying to deliver some military information to Carthage or something.

The Iberians won, but the campaign has left their military in shambles. Really, ethnic squabbles are petty in the face of getting your head chopped off and getting your neck fucked by a bunch of rabid Italian plumbers, but tension between all of the characters is to be expected.

I know that I will include an ambush on the part of the protagonists on the Romans eventually, but it takes them almost a year to reach Athens, and that's not their final stop. Need to fill that in, dontchaknow.

[Nude East Ireland]

No.

Damn. You used to fun, man. But now you've changed.

Clearly you got a haircut or something.

Just not in a fun mood right now.

[Alexlantis]

Playing Rome: Total Realism, I've been inspired to write an ancient road novel.

The protagonist is an Iberian philosopher, an outcast in his own homeland, despite his long years of service as both diplomat and spy. When the Iberian people are threatened by a new world power, the Romans, after having been weakened by a long campaign to drive out Carthaginian colonists, "The Pretending Greek" is sent on an envoy mission with a caravan of goods as a gift of alliance with the Romans. Rumors of a war with Gaul loom in his mind.

Bitter with his homeland and shocked at the vicious and expansionistic Romans, the Iberian decides to flee to Greece to pursue his dream of being a famous poet. Before he can leave, he is assaulted by a drunken slave driver in the city of Ariminum. In the scuffle, the slave driver is killed, the Iberian is forced to take a band of slaves, and is forced to abandon a large portion of said slaves leaving the city.

The Iberian is now a fugitive of Roman law, along with the slaves he accidentally freed: an Illyrian huntress, a Macedonian fop, a Sarmatian princess, a Gaulic housewife, a Carthaginian mercenary, and a Thracian prostitute. "Hijinks ensue" as they make pilgrimage to the city of Athens, seeking refuge from a band of 800 Romans hunting them.

The plot is still a bit muddy; I can't think of any concrete conflict or friction to drive the story. While I'm concerned about historical accuracy, this isn't going to be an epic, and location and historical battles are the least of my worries at the moment.

I'm not really into Rome, but I'd still read it.

[The Rich Port]

I'm not really into Rome, but I'd still read it.

Seeing as how none of the main characters so far are Roman, I don't understand where you're coming from.

[Alexlantis]

I'm not really into Rome, but I'd still read it.

Seeing as how none of the main characters so far are Roman, I don't understand where you're coming from.

Well, Rome, Greece, you get my point. I'm not really a fan of Greco-Roman stuff, is what I was trying to say.

[The Rich Port]

Seeing as how none of the main characters so far are Roman, I don't understand where you're coming from.

Well, Rome, Greece, you get my point. I'm not really a fan of Greco-Roman stuff, is what I was trying to say.

Funny nobody ever mentions or remembers the "Barbarians".

God knows how many lives the Romans turned ass up in their pursuit of... Whatever the hell the Romans wanted with becoming a world empire.

[Alexlantis]

Well, Rome, Greece, you get my point. I'm not really a fan of Greco-Roman stuff, is what I was trying to say.

Funny nobody ever mentions or remembers the "Barbarians".

God knows how many lives the Romans turned ass up in their pursuit of... Whatever the hell the Romans wanted with becoming a world empire.

The Scots and Germans really kicked some Roman ass. I like the "Barbarians" a lot better than I do the Romans.

[The Rich Port]

Funny nobody ever mentions or remembers the "Barbarians".

God knows how many lives the Romans turned ass up in their pursuit of... Whatever the hell the Romans wanted with becoming a world empire.

The Scots and Germans really kicked some Roman ass. I like the "Barbarians" a lot better than I do the Romans.

... There were Scots during the time of the Romans?

Do you know anything about the other peoples? I'm familiar with the semi-civilized Iberians, but all I know about the Thracians and Illyrians is that the former have cannibalistic horses and the latter stole Phalangite tactics from their Greek neighbours.

[Alexlantis]

The Scots and Germans really kicked some Roman ass. I like the "Barbarians" a lot better than I do the Romans.

... There were Scots during the time of the Romans?

Do you know anything about the other peoples? I'm familiar with the semi-civilized Iberians, but all I know about the Thracians and Illyrians is that the former have cannibalistic horses and the latter stole Phalangite tactics from their Greek neighbours.

Nothing off the top of my head.

Yeah, there were. Rome got through England, but they couldn't conquer Scotland cuz it had too many hardassed barbarians so they said "fuck it" and just built a wall to keep the Scots from taking their cows.

[The Rich Port]

... There were Scots during the time of the Romans?

Do you know anything about the other peoples? I'm familiar with the semi-civilized Iberians, but all I know about the Thracians and Illyrians is that the former have cannibalistic horses and the latter stole Phalangite tactics from their Greek neighbours.

Nothing off the top of my head.

Yeah, there were. Rome got through England, but they couldn't conquer Scotland cuz it had too many hardassed barbarians so they said "fuck it" and just built a wall to keep the Scots from taking their cows.

I thought those were the Celts, or the Britons, or the Saxons.

[Conserative Morality]

Funny nobody ever mentions or remembers the "Barbarians".

God knows how many lives the Romans turned ass up in their pursuit of... Whatever the hell the Romans wanted with becoming a world empire.

Power.

I thought those were the Celts, or the Britons, or the Saxons.

Picts.

The Scots and Germans really kicked some Roman ass. I like the "Barbarians" a lot better than I do the Romans.

Bloody barbarian.

[The Rich Port]

Funny nobody ever mentions or remembers the "Barbarians".

God knows how many lives the Romans turned ass up in their pursuit of... Whatever the hell the Romans wanted with becoming a world empire.

Power.

I thought those were the Celts, or the Britons, or the Saxons.

Picts.

Ptooey. I'm killing that Centurion. After the Thracian confronts her daddy issues with his sorry help, though.

Picts or it didn't happen.