Fiction and Fantasy

Origins of The Victor’s Blade – Part 1 of 4

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

I mentioned yesterday how a friend of mine played a pivotal role in starting The Victor’s Blade.

Ready for story time?

As children are wont to do, my writing buddy/best friend and I tried to go over to each others’ houses as often as possible. We’d play pretend or video games or action figures–whatever suited our fancy.

As we got older, another activity we added to the itinerary was writing. We had both been writing as soon as we could read (a little later for me–I was a reading late-bloomer at the age of six or so), and since we both loved a good story, it was only natural we’d collaborate on one of our own.

I still wish I could remember the exact date. I believe it was 2000, when both of us were ten years old, on the cusp of turning eleven later in the year. My friend and I sat in front of my family computer, its large monitor enshrined in my parents’ spacious (for a ten-year-old) master bedroom.

I wasn’t feeling particularly inspired today, so I sat and watched as he set to work.

The story he wrote, completely off the top of his head, was titled “The Golden Sword.” In it, a man from a small village received a book of riddles from a village elder, a woman who had cared for him when he was a child. She explained that the book would lead him to a great weapon, the Golden Sword. It was a precious book, and the weapon was dangerous, so he could never let the book fall into enemy hands. After packing the book and his few other belongings in a sack, the man set out on his adventure.

Perhaps it was the archetypes present even in the story of a ten-year-old. Perhaps it was hero-worship of the writer and friend who could, on the spot, come up with a story that piqued my interest. But something about his story drew me in, made me wish there was more to read.

But writing time was done. Either he ran out of inspiration or we got bored. We moved on to other activities. And “The Golden Sword” sat, saved in a Word Document on my family computer.

Waiting to be rediscovered.


For Him, to Him

Comments

  1. It's amazing how long an idea can last before it becomes re-contextualized into something greater. Some of my story concepts have been in my head since I was little and some of them are being realized.

  2. I'm really glad I kept posts like this so I can go back someday and remember how TVB formed. Even in each of my revisions I've done, so much of it has changed. Characters altered or removed, plots refined or nixed or saved for future stories. It's going to be so interesting to look back and see how it changed over the years–how it was "recontextualized," as you put it.

    What was one of the oldest ideas you had that you're working into a story right now?

  3. Of course. It's also been good looking at these archived posts. You can really see how much you've progressed.

    Good question, I have some characters here and there that have been on my mind. I know Shamakani has been in my head since I was a teenager and some story concepts have been in my mind since I was little albeit with several changes.

  4. I forgot that Shamakani was such an old character concept. That's so cool! I'm glad we writers can put things to life we imagined when we were younger. 🙂

  5. Yup. It all started when I took some random personality quiz on what my African name is and I got that one. HAHAHAHA!

  6. Wow, did I know that? If I did, I totally forgot! How crazy that's how Shamakani got started!

  7. I forgot if I mentioned it or not. What I do know is that I told you that it's Swahili for "Leader of the place". What I didn't expect is for that character eventually being used as a deconstructed archetype of princes in that canon.

  8. He's so perfect for that deconstruction!

  9. Thanks for the encouragement about that character. Haha! It has been great coming up with fully original characters that challenge and/or deconstruct various tropes used in that company's media.

  10. You make it look so easy!

  11. I try. Maybe it's just me wanting to see things in stories I personally haven't seen before.

  12. I'm sure that's a great motivator. 🙂 It's always fun to tinker with things not done often!

  13. I sure hope so. It is fun trying to do new things.

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