Graeme Rodaughan's Blog: Writing The Metaframe War Series, page 11
June 26, 2016
False Flagging the Boss
(As opposed to Fragging the Boss - which is another topic entirely).
Wiki provide a good overview of False Flags at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_flag
The essence of course is "covert operations that are designed to deceive in such a way that the operations appear as though they are being carried out by entities, groups, or nations other than those who actually planned and executed them."
I have a character who wants to surplant their boss, by conducting a palace coup; but a lot has to happen before they will be in position to execute the end game of their plan.
In the mean time they have to convince their intelligent, sophisticated and experienced boss that they are loyal, capable, and essential to their boss' agenda.
All in the face of a nasty multi-front defeat that the character was in charge of.
The challenge for the character is presenting the evidence of what happened during that defeat in the right light to absolve themselves of responsibility, shift blame to others and make themselves the lead for the response.
These are the difficult scenes to write, the ones where intelligent characters scheme against each other while maintaining the sympathy and belief of the reader in the events as they unfold.
When I'm reading, or watching a movie and a character gets into trouble because they are stupid - I lose sympathy for them and cease to care what happens to them - which is fatal for emotional engagement with the story.
Contrawise, I strive to make sure that my intelligent characters, plan, prepare, cover all the angles, and think carefully about what is happening; so that when the SHTF the reader is left with the opportunity (if not the necessity) of remaining engaged with the characters.
Returning back to our original premise - the character has to literally false flag their boss, and I will say this now - there is a lot of work that has to go into crafting a well constructed lie told by a character.
The lie will be subtle, it will be wrapped in truth upon truth to hide it from investigation and interrogation. The lie will be small, specific and crucially important, but always at some non-zero risk of discovery with terrible consequence.
No one can expect to survive false flagging their own boss.
Wiki provide a good overview of False Flags at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_flag
The essence of course is "covert operations that are designed to deceive in such a way that the operations appear as though they are being carried out by entities, groups, or nations other than those who actually planned and executed them."
I have a character who wants to surplant their boss, by conducting a palace coup; but a lot has to happen before they will be in position to execute the end game of their plan.
In the mean time they have to convince their intelligent, sophisticated and experienced boss that they are loyal, capable, and essential to their boss' agenda.
All in the face of a nasty multi-front defeat that the character was in charge of.
The challenge for the character is presenting the evidence of what happened during that defeat in the right light to absolve themselves of responsibility, shift blame to others and make themselves the lead for the response.
These are the difficult scenes to write, the ones where intelligent characters scheme against each other while maintaining the sympathy and belief of the reader in the events as they unfold.
When I'm reading, or watching a movie and a character gets into trouble because they are stupid - I lose sympathy for them and cease to care what happens to them - which is fatal for emotional engagement with the story.
Contrawise, I strive to make sure that my intelligent characters, plan, prepare, cover all the angles, and think carefully about what is happening; so that when the SHTF the reader is left with the opportunity (if not the necessity) of remaining engaged with the characters.
Returning back to our original premise - the character has to literally false flag their boss, and I will say this now - there is a lot of work that has to go into crafting a well constructed lie told by a character.
The lie will be subtle, it will be wrapped in truth upon truth to hide it from investigation and interrogation. The lie will be small, specific and crucially important, but always at some non-zero risk of discovery with terrible consequence.
No one can expect to survive false flagging their own boss.
June 21, 2016
Clarity & Immersion
I strive to make my writing a plate glass window so that the reader can forget that they are looking through it at the action of the story.
Communicating an emotionally rich, immersive reading experience is my writing and storytelling goal.
Communicating an emotionally rich, immersive reading experience is my writing and storytelling goal.
A Traitor's War Status #1
I've begun writing Book #2, "A Traitor's War", which is the 2nd book in The Metaframe War series.
I expect to finish between December 2016 and March 2017. The book will be in the 100K to 110K word range.
I've just knocked out first drafts of the Prologue and the first 2 scenes of Chapter 1.
I like to use the Prologue to fill in events from the backstory, I would like to say more, but do not want to give away any of the plot.
I expect to finish between December 2016 and March 2017. The book will be in the 100K to 110K word range.
I've just knocked out first drafts of the Prologue and the first 2 scenes of Chapter 1.
I like to use the Prologue to fill in events from the backstory, I would like to say more, but do not want to give away any of the plot.
June 17, 2016
The Panopticon
The Panopticon is a system that integrates information across the world, and is used by the Shadowstone organisation to assist with the management of the secrecy of the Vampire Dominion.
It is a metaphor of the Surveillance State.
It is a metaphor of the Surveillance State.
June 16, 2016
Shadowstone
The Shadowstone organisation is the daylight arm of the Vampire Dominion.
Composed of humans that have been recruited from intelligence and special forces around the world, they are carefully kept ignorant of who they truly serve.
A secret intelligence gathering, paramilitary force that is seemlessly inserted into existing intelligence, military and police organisations around the world.
The are Cornelius Crane's method to enhance management of the secret of vampire existence.
Cornelius Crane has a plan to progress the Shadowstone organisation to it's logical conclusion.
To find out what that plan is - you will need to read "A Subtle Agency", which can be previewed on Goodreads at
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Composed of humans that have been recruited from intelligence and special forces around the world, they are carefully kept ignorant of who they truly serve.
A secret intelligence gathering, paramilitary force that is seemlessly inserted into existing intelligence, military and police organisations around the world.
The are Cornelius Crane's method to enhance management of the secret of vampire existence.
Cornelius Crane has a plan to progress the Shadowstone organisation to it's logical conclusion.
To find out what that plan is - you will need to read "A Subtle Agency", which can be previewed on Goodreads at
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
The Vampire Dominion
Out of the chaos of vampire war rose the Vampire Dominion, ruled by King Cornelius Crane and his five generals.
The Vampire Dominion regulates the vampire community and ensures that the secret of the existence of vampires is rigorously kept.
Cornelius Crane relies on his generals to enforce his will, and his force of Praetorians, vampire warriors, to fight his enemies.
The Vampire Dominion is opposed by three groups.
1. The Order of Thoth
2. The Red Empire
And a third group, even more secretive than the rest, who will be revealed in future books within The Metaframe War series.
The Vampire Dominion regulates the vampire community and ensures that the secret of the existence of vampires is rigorously kept.
Cornelius Crane relies on his generals to enforce his will, and his force of Praetorians, vampire warriors, to fight his enemies.
The Vampire Dominion is opposed by three groups.
1. The Order of Thoth
2. The Red Empire
And a third group, even more secretive than the rest, who will be revealed in future books within The Metaframe War series.
The Ramp
The Ramp relies on an epigentic phenomenon.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigene...
The premise is that there is a combination of genes present in the human genome that if switched on in the right order produce physiological changes in the body that greatly enhance combat abilities.
It also enables acceleration of the mind, such that time appears to slow down.
End result, a Ramp Master is a formidable fighting machine that can match it with a vampire.
Caveats are, even with Ramp mastery
1. Vampires are still stronger.
2. Vampires still have better senses.
3. Vampires still heal much faster and can survive wounds that will kill a Ramp Master.
The act of Ramping is not without costs.
As to why these abilities are in the human genome in the first place - you will have to wait for future books in The Metaframe War series to find that out.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigene...
The premise is that there is a combination of genes present in the human genome that if switched on in the right order produce physiological changes in the body that greatly enhance combat abilities.
It also enables acceleration of the mind, such that time appears to slow down.
End result, a Ramp Master is a formidable fighting machine that can match it with a vampire.
Caveats are, even with Ramp mastery
1. Vampires are still stronger.
2. Vampires still have better senses.
3. Vampires still heal much faster and can survive wounds that will kill a Ramp Master.
The act of Ramping is not without costs.
As to why these abilities are in the human genome in the first place - you will have to wait for future books in The Metaframe War series to find that out.
The Red Empire
The Red Empire originated in the 4th century BC as a seperate faction of the Order of Thoth.
They despise the Order of Thoth almost as much as they hate vampires.
The assassins of the Red Empire are equal to the warriors of the Order of Thoth in mastery of the Ramp.
The Red Empire are ruled by the "Red Ghost", and have no compunctions about killing the innocent if vampires can be slain at the same time.
They despise the Order of Thoth almost as much as they hate vampires.
The assassins of the Red Empire are equal to the warriors of the Order of Thoth in mastery of the Ramp.
The Red Empire are ruled by the "Red Ghost", and have no compunctions about killing the innocent if vampires can be slain at the same time.
The Order of Thoth
Thoth as in the Egyptian God.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth
Concerned with, amongst other things, the arts of magic, the system of writing and the development of science.
In essence, the Order of Thoth brought together in a loose association the cultural leaders of the ancient world to assist with the progress of human civilisation.
The first two members of the Order of Thoth that we meet are the brothers, Ahknaton and Hakron, who are described in the prologue of A Subtle Agency which can be previewed at
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
The Order of Thoth becomes one of three secret organisations that are implacably opposed to the vampires.
The Order of Thoth originates the training systems that unleash the abilities of the "Ramp" which enable humans to match vampires in one on one combat.
The Order of Thoth hold innocent life as sacrosanct and manage any action against vampires to avoid killing the innocent - i.e. collateral damage is unacceptable.
Order of Thoth = Vampire Hunters.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth
Concerned with, amongst other things, the arts of magic, the system of writing and the development of science.
In essence, the Order of Thoth brought together in a loose association the cultural leaders of the ancient world to assist with the progress of human civilisation.
The first two members of the Order of Thoth that we meet are the brothers, Ahknaton and Hakron, who are described in the prologue of A Subtle Agency which can be previewed at
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
The Order of Thoth becomes one of three secret organisations that are implacably opposed to the vampires.
The Order of Thoth originates the training systems that unleash the abilities of the "Ramp" which enable humans to match vampires in one on one combat.
The Order of Thoth hold innocent life as sacrosanct and manage any action against vampires to avoid killing the innocent - i.e. collateral damage is unacceptable.
Order of Thoth = Vampire Hunters.
Vampires - Genesis & Nature
The genesis of the vampires is detailed in the prologue of A Subtle Agency and can be read at the Goodreads preview at
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
The characteristics of the vampires in the world of the Metaframe.
1. Immortal - no aging.
2. Sole nutrition source is human blood - no substitutes.
3. Super strength, speed, senses.
4. Killed by sunlight - rapid less than 5 seconds.
5. Paralysed by silver - instant paralysis, muscle lock, also massive slowdown in metabolism, but consciousness remains.
6. Able to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, cigars, etc with alcohol/nicotine effects.
7. Personality retains primary human characteristics.
8. Made through sharing of blood from a vampire to human.
9. Killed through massive body damage, beheading, brain stem injury or starvation*
10. Super regeneration/healing ability - further accelerated if fresh blood is available.
11. Retractable Canines - I.e. Easily hide vampire nature - however, canines descend into attack position if the vampire has died. Dead vampires tell tales.
*Starvation does not occur if paralysed by silver.
The implications of the above are explored in The Metaframe War series.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
The characteristics of the vampires in the world of the Metaframe.
1. Immortal - no aging.
2. Sole nutrition source is human blood - no substitutes.
3. Super strength, speed, senses.
4. Killed by sunlight - rapid less than 5 seconds.
5. Paralysed by silver - instant paralysis, muscle lock, also massive slowdown in metabolism, but consciousness remains.
6. Able to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, cigars, etc with alcohol/nicotine effects.
7. Personality retains primary human characteristics.
8. Made through sharing of blood from a vampire to human.
9. Killed through massive body damage, beheading, brain stem injury or starvation*
10. Super regeneration/healing ability - further accelerated if fresh blood is available.
11. Retractable Canines - I.e. Easily hide vampire nature - however, canines descend into attack position if the vampire has died. Dead vampires tell tales.
*Starvation does not occur if paralysed by silver.
The implications of the above are explored in The Metaframe War series.
Writing The Metaframe War Series
A blog on all things to do with The Metaframe War Series of books by Graeme Rodaughan + assorted topics and book reviews.
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