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Hello all!

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Michael S. Boyd

Michael S. Boyd

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Joined
Aug 23, 2017
Location
Horsham, UK
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Hi folks!

I've recently finished my first novel, Monk Saga, an epic fantasy which has been through five iterations over the last Godde-knows how many years. I'm currently submitting to agents. Perseverance has been the watchword here, and I'm doing my best to marry more enjoyment with that!

I chair the Horsham Writers Circle for the third year and enjoy martial arts and drinking green tea in my hammock (at the same time -- I'm skilled like that).

While other creative projects often present new ideas, dialogue and scenes, which of course I'm recording, I'm not writing so much at present, wanting to give Monk Saga (and a professional writing career) the best start I can. Get it out there, then dive back into the disciplined sit-down-and-make-words-happen creation.

I anticipate meeting you!

Michael S. Boyd
 
Richard Sutton said:
Hey Michael, therre's a new vodka that's flavored with green tea. Have you tried that one yet? Probably not good for razor sharp reflexes though...
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Hey Richard, sounds like fun! Memorable nights (and mornings) with the old bisongrass vodka, which is worth a taste if you've not tried it. However, I'd steer you clear of the similarly-coloured fejoa vodka (which I've only found in the Southern hemisphere and suggest that it stays there. Sometimes these combos don't work so well). And no, booze and martial arts rarely synergise, unless you're one of those rare drunken master stylists, but that's relying more on softness, expansiveness and fluidity than lightning reflexes and accuracy...
 
Wait: how many people joined up in the last few days?! My addled brain is losing the plot and I must have missed one. Apologies!

Welcome aboard!
 
James Marinero said:
Hi Michael. Hints of the East - Buddhism or Shinto - are you a secret Samurai in Horsham? ;-) Good luck with submission!
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Sssh, don't tell anyone! Funnily enough I taught English in Japan for a year and had ample opportunity to explore my youthful fascination with that warrior archetype. While there is much to romanticise about the samurai, it is noteworthy that they MUST have a master, for whom they are willing to die and to whom they devote unswerving, unquestioning loyalty. Not my style: while I may at times have longed for a master/mentor, throughout my travels I have not found any worthy of the role (though I do not rule out the possibility!). Also, the idea of conferring personal authority and responsibility onto another is anathema to my sense of innate personal sovereignty and self-determination. So Secret Swordsman, yes, and appreciator and practitioner of Japanese (and many other) warrior arts, yes, but I shall have to, with a smile, decline that specific sobriquet :)
 
Michael S. Boyd said:
Also, the idea of conferring personal authority and responsibility onto another is anathema to my sense of innate personal sovereignty and self-determination. So Secret Swordsman, yes, and appreciator and practitioner of Japanese (and many other) warrior arts, yes, but I shall have to, with a smile, decline that specific sobriquet :)
Click to expand...

Yes, in spades!
 
Sea-shore said:
Welcome Michael. Monk Saga sounds intriguing. :)
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Monk Saga (tagline: “What if everything you have been taught to believe in turned out to be the worst kind of lie?”) is the epic fantasy novel - 174k words - of one young man who never fitted into the culture in which he was born. Escaping his cloistered existence, he unlocks innate powers that will assist him in uncovering a grand deception which enslaves his society and imperils the fate of the entire world. His journey of discovery throughout the diverse Myristate grants him a maturity and mastery that will allow him to trust in his experiences, abilities and allies, transcending the distorted teachings of his childhood. Only he will be able to comprehend and confront the potent forces hidden in full view, bringing hope for the future of the Myristate and personal empowerment for those who would be all that they are.


Anyone who has ever felt out of place or pressured to be other than themselves may identify with and be inspired by the monk’s saga, a story set in a well-realised world and served with healthy portions of humour and food for thought. In similar fashion to Tolkien, Rowling and Pratchett, Monk Saga can reach readers across a range of ages, from young adult onwards, and has the heft and depth to carry them for a long, satisfying while.

Thanks Anne. There's a little more to wet your whistle. x
 
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