Boarders Writing A Novel: Volume 14 A Memory of Civility

[Andrew Gilfellon]

16 hours ago, Wrychard Wrycthen said:

I guess mercenary stuff is interesting. Most fantasy taking place in disordered, chaotic worlds pretty much requires the existence of mercenaries ...

 

Yeah, true.... My world is slightly more organised though. We're talking roads and early cars.

 

Also congratulations C.T.

 

And I would like to say. Isn't it great when you realise an idea doesn't work because you have to shoehorn it into the overall arc? Opens up many opportunities.

[Richard Writhen]

Well, there are still bounty hunters and mercenaries in our modern world too, but I think it's a bit less prevalent given the majority of legal codes boundaries ...

[Ebenstone]

On 1/22/2016 at 9:27 AM, Andrew Gilfellon said:

Question. Are mercenary groups still viable within fantasy? And then are mercenary groups with one of them being conflicted about his part in the group still viable?

What about, a former war hero, come, Private Investigator, come former Investigator tasked with bringing the City Watch into a cohesive police like force complete with added corruption. Much like Ashes to Ashes without the am I mad or in a coma.

Very viable. There are several private military companies that exist today and the Benghazi movie that just came out is about a group of them. The television show and book "The Expanse" has private police forces. 

[C.T. Phipps]

Honestly, I support mercenaries having less restrictions on their use and more support from the government because their current status of legal limbo is the worst of both worlds.

If the USA hires mercenaries, they should be treated as US soldiers but expected to follow the rules and behaviors of conduct accordingly.

OTOH, we have the crazy fact mercenary companies handle much of the world's prison system and security with one company being the second largest employer on EARTH.

[The Marquis de Leech]

Mercenaries are (obviously) unreliable in a war situation. Machiavelli warns against a government using them.

Therefore, think about the scenarios where governments would use mercenaries:

- No standing army, and limited ability to raise forces by other means. Here war really does mean mercenaries.

- The existing armed forces cannot be used, for some reason (perhaps logistical issues? perhaps a treaty? Perhaps it's something dodgy?).

- The government is corrupt and hell-bent on funnelling funds to mercenaries to line someone's pockets.

[C.T. Phipps]

Eh, while Machiavelli has a point, he's also bluntly living in a somewhat conflicted situation. Mercenaries in Italy realized they were the single most powerful force any nation-state could mount so they made the obvious point of setting themselves up as the reigning nobility of the country not controlled by the Pope. Hence why we got people like the Sforzas. While this is arguably a bad thing, plenty of people would argue the alternatives (Medici Bankers and the Clergy) weren't exactly any better. Nature abhors a vacuum after all.

In most cases, mercenaries had a value in the fact they were one of the very few sources of professional soldiers in a world which generally relied on peasant levies for longstanding periods of time. They also were very good at equaling the odds or improving them when you couldn't mount the kind of force capable of resisting the enemy. Yeah, they rarely fought to the last man but very few people did.

[Selysin]

Kristell Ink will be opening for submissions on 1 Feb should anyone be interested.  Angry Robot and Unsung Stories are still open as well but Angry Robot closes at the end of the month. 

[Ouroboros]

1 hour ago, Selysin said:

Kristell Ink will be opening for submissions on 1 Feb should anyone be interested.  Angry Robot and Unsung Stories are still open as well but Angry Robot closes at the end of the month. 

Very, and my book lines up with a lot of what they're looking for so here's hoping. Cheers for the heads up.

[Talleyrand]

On 28/01/2016 at 6:34 AM, Roose Boltons Pet Leech said:

Mercenaries are (obviously) unreliable in a war situation. Machiavelli warns against a government using them.

Therefore, think about the scenarios where governments would use mercenaries:

- No standing army, and limited ability to raise forces by other means. Here war really does mean mercenaries.

- The existing armed forces cannot be used, for some reason (perhaps logistical issues? perhaps a treaty? Perhaps it's something dodgy?).

- The government is corrupt and hell-bent on funnelling funds to mercenaries to line someone's pockets.

Not necessarily, mercenary bands were used extensively in the wars between France & England (100 Years War & the previous feudings) and off the top of my head at least I can't recall any large scale betrayals. Hell Meracadier was a mercenary and he was one of Richard the Lionheart's most stalwart supporters. 

[Magnar of Skagos]

Do real-world mercenary companies have ASOIAF-esque names? That would be badass. I'd become a mercenary if they called themselves the Golden Company or something. I'm pretty good at paintball, so, I'd fit in.

[Myrddin]

Some free companies had names. John Hawkwood band was called the White Company. In 1303, the Byzantines hired a Spanish merc band called the Catalan Company.

So, GRRM's naming convention is consistent with real history.

[Ouroboros]

Most mercenary companies in the Middle Ages were mostly ethnically homogeneous, so they were usually named for the region they were raised in. Occasionally you got a more eclectic mix, but not often.

[Magnar of Skagos]

2 hours ago, Myrddin said:

Some free companies had names. John Hawkwood band was called the White Company. In 1303, the Byzantines hired a Spanish merc band called the Catalan Company.

So, GRRM's naming convention is consistent with real history.

 

21 minutes ago, Ouroboros said:

Most mercenary companies in the Middle Ages were mostly ethnically homogeneous, so they were usually named for the region they were raised in. Occasionally you got a more eclectic mix, but not often.

That's pretty interesting, thanks! Never really read much into that side of history.

[Richard Writhen]

On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2016 at 0:29 PM, Myrddin said:

Looks like a good opportunity for people wanting to get some published credits under their belt. The rates are below professional level though, as defined by the sfwa, which shouldn't bother most people here. I just use their standard as a leveling gauge. Currently it's $ .06 a word for short stories.

EGM is offering a flat $100 for 4,000 - 7,000 words (plus additional if reprinted in an anthology, which is encouraging). 

This isn't to discourage anyone from submitting (or to start a debate) because some writing credits is better than none. Just putting it out there.

Yeah, I'm thinking of submitting there. Can't hurt.  

[Magnar of Skagos]

Dammit, I'm stuck in a bit of a rut again.

[C.T. Phipps]

4 hours ago, Hrokkan of Skagos said:

Dammit, I'm stuck in a bit of a rut again.

[Magnar of Skagos]

Truer words have never been spoken. Haha!

[Myrddin]

On 1/29/2016 at 5:28 PM, Wrychard Wrycthen said:

Yeah, I'm thinking of submitting there. Can't hurt.  

It absolutely can't hurt. Do it! :thumbs:   Let us know how it goes.

 

[Richard Writhen]

8 hours ago, Myrddin said:

It absolutely can't hurt. Do it! :thumbs:   Let us know how it goes.

 

Will do

[briantw]

Does anyone here use Scrivener?  I picked it up (it's not very expensive) at the suggestion of one of my old friends and former creative collaborators from high school who I still keep in touch with and it seems really useful.  I love the cork board style and the ability to create folders.  It's great for keeping track of settings, scenes/chapters, and characters.  I can definitely see this as being incredibly helpful when composing a story, especially in instances where I come up with a new idea or character name and can hop to the appropriate area, type it down, and then hop back to the document itself to keep doing whatever I was working on.