November 14, 2023 will be the 10 year anniversary of the November 14, 2013 murder of my 8 month old infant son, at BugLight Lighthouse Art Studio of Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, Maine. If you have any information about who his killer is, please call FBI Agent Andy Drewer at 207-774-9322
My Son Was Murdered, The Killer Walks Free, Your Child Could Be Next!
FAQ: What are the most visited pages on this website and how many visits do they get?
Several years ago, I wrote an article on how to write different types of magic uses, or rather how I personally write various types of magic users within the context of my Quaraun books. Today that page is one of my top ten most visited articles. It gets 50 to 500 views/reads/hits/visits per day depending on the time of the years and has had over 200k visits total since it was published.
Amphibious Aliens: Debunking The Atwater Family's Alien Abduction Hoax with more then 30MILLION reads since 2007 and The GoldenEagle: Debunking Stephen King's World's Most Haunted Car Hoax with over tenMILLION reads since 2007 still rank as the two most visited articles on my website, but, neither of those are writing related.
Writing Medieval Servants is my most visited writing related article with over 7MILLION reads.
This website was started in 1996 and has 1 to 3 new articles (all written by me, I am the only writer on this site) published almost daily. In 2017 we crossed ten thousand articles published. As of 2023, EACH article gets MINIMUM 10 to 70 reads PER DAY, with the high traffic articles getting 500+ reads per day.
And since December 2019, my website now gets three hundred thousand to 7 million reads per month - well over ONE HUNDRED MILLION PAGE READS PER YEAR, making it not only the single most trafficked site in the State of Maine, but also one of the most visited websites in ALL OF NEW ENGLAND!
{{{HUGS}}} Thank you to all my readers for making this possible!
Quaraun and The Wandering Turtle City (first draft; inspired by PortCon 2023 Pillars of Worldbuilding panel)
This is a "free sample" first draft of a story from the Quaraun series. These are made available as teaching tools and are not intended for normal "casual reading". I teach workshops where I show how my work is edited, how my editing process takes it from the first draft to the finished product, so that students can see what sorts of errors exist in the first draft, what things are added or removed before the final draft, etc.
What you are reading is one of these unedited first drafts and so it will contain errors in spelling, grammar, consistency, and plot, as it has not yet gone through editing. As I am an underwriter at the first draft stage, this is likely only a 1/3 or less the size of the finished product. Often these first drafts do not yet have dialogue, and frequently paragraphs are in a simple "quick narrative" telling format, instead of "showing" the scene.
These "free to read first draft samples" exist to help teach students how to edit their own work, by them using these first drafts and comparing them to the published product.
If the finished version has already been published you will find it on Amazon and/or on GumRoad .
Title: Quaraun and The Wandering Turtle City
Genre: Flintlock Fantasy
Location of the city: A giant turtle swimming in the ocean; the city is built up on it's back. The city is believed to be a myth. No one believes a turtle this big exists. It has just been sighted off the coast. GhoulSpawn can see it from the telescope at the top of the lighthouse. in addition to the pirates who live there, merfolk also live on the turtle swimming along side the turtle during the day and sleeping in the moss on it's back at night; herds of regular normal sized sea turtles swim along side the giant turtle
Cimite: raining and humid, very muggy
Primary food the Turtle City folk eat: octopus; turtle soup made without turtle meat - it is actually a seaweed soup but it is served in ancient ritually carved turtle shells; corn fish (a thing in the Quaraun series - they are zombie ears of corn that mutated into fish like creatures); seagull eggs; living plants that walk around the island at night attacking people
Economy: isolated island that rarely has contact with the rest of the world; trade is difficult but happens; Quaraun being a silk merchant would likely set up trade routs with them; Quaraun would sell them silk, blown glass bottles, and BoomFuzzy's food; because they are so isolated the turtle island people are pirates, they raid any islands or coastal villages or ships their turtle island swims past; the people of the island are turtle worshiping religious fanatics and raid turtle artifacts from other islands
Government: theocracy that worships the giant turtle - a great prophet claims to speak to the turtle, claims it speaks to him (the turtle does not speak, and the prophet is a scam artist); only the best (richest) pirates are allowed to speak to the prophet; an elected pirate counsel makes the laws... the best thief always is selected as this season's leader; the pirates try to become better thieves between elections, and whomever is voted the best thief becomes the leader for the next quarter;
Religion: Turtle cult lead by derange con artist fanatic prophet; at the center of the turtle shell is a temple, inside of which is the last giant turtle egg; the cultists worship and protect the egg waiting for it to hatch and give them a new turtle, so they can grow it to a new island and be saved from sinking
Problem: the island has started to sink (most likely the population and it's buildings and trees are getting too heavy for the turtle); Every time the turtle falls asleep, it sinks quite far below the water, flooding the island city on it's shell; the people play load reggae music to try to keep the turtle awake
Solution: the pirates have been building "iron clad" turtle clad ships from the forest growing on the turtle's back, and armored with the turtles scales; they have been sailing those along side the turtle to get the weight off it so it will stop sinking; they do not have a source for cloth and need cloth for sails on their ships
Quaraun being a silk weaver can make them pink Thullid silk sails for their ships.
In the realm of Noodle Beach, where mystical wonders intertwined with everyday life, a tale unfolded like no other. It began with a sighting—a legendary giant turtle, rumored to carry a city upon its back, navigating the vast ocean depths. The notion of such a colossal creature seemed fantastical, dismissed as nothing more than a myth by the skeptical masses. But GhoulSpawn, perched atop the lighthouse, his keen eye trained through the telescope, caught a glimpse of the unimaginable—a city adorning the shell of the wandering turtle.
News of the Wandering Turtle City spread through Silent Moor, a land drenched in rain and humidity, shrouded in mystery and intrigue. The turtle's journey coincided with strange occurrences—an abundance of octopus, eerie walking plants, and the bizarre corn fish, remnants of an arcane experiment gone awry. Merfolk accompanied the giant turtle during the day, gracefully swimming alongside it, only to rest upon the moss-covered shell at night. The ocean teemed with life, both extraordinary and mundane.
Economically isolated, the denizens of Turtle City relied on their own resourcefulness. Trade routes were rare and treacherous, but Quaraun, a skilled silk merchant, recognized an opportunity to establish connections with this enigmatic civilization. He envisioned a thriving exchange of goods—his exquisite silk, delicate blown glass bottles, and the delectable creations from BoomFuzzy's food truck. The isolated nature of the Turtle City had nurtured a society of pirates, raiding coastal villages, islands, and passing ships. They claimed turtle artifacts, which they fervently believed were sacred, their obsession with the giant turtle spiraling into a religion, a theocracy.
This theocracy was led by a deranged con artist who posed as a prophet, asserting a direct line of communication with the great turtle. The prophet, a scam artist in reality, manipulated the faith of the masses, proclaiming the imminent birth of a new turtle from the sacred egg housed within the central temple. It was said that this turtle would bring salvation, lifting the sinking island from the depths. A pirate council, elected through a contest of thievery, governed the city's affairs. The leader for each quarter was chosen based on their exceptional thieving skills, ensuring their proficiency in acquiring resources for the survival of the city.
Yet, the paradise built upon the turtle's back faced a dire threat—the island was sinking. Each time the turtle slumbered, it descended deeper into the depths, causing the island city to flood. Desperate to avert catastrophe, the resourceful pirates fashioned ironclad ships from the forest that thrived on the turtle's shell. These ships, armed with the turtle's scales and powered by the pirates' indomitable spirit, sailed alongside the giant creature, alleviating its burden.
However, a crucial element was missing—the sails. The pirates lacked the necessary cloth to propel their ironclads, leaving them adrift in their quest to save their beloved city. This is where Quaraun's expertise came into play. As a skilled silk weaver, he possessed the ability to create sails that could withstand the ocean's tumultuous winds. The pirates turned to him, their hopes riding on the ethereal beauty of pink Thullid silk, woven with precision and imbued with the strength to carry their dreams.
Quaraun, intrigued by the challenge and moved by the plight of the Turtle City, readily accepted the task. He embarked on a perilous journey, accompanied by his steadfast companions, BoomFuzzy and GhoulSpawn. Together, they navigated treacherous waters, braving the unknown, and facing mythical sea creatures that lurked beneath the surface. With unwavering determination, they unraveled the secrets of the deep, working tirelessly to fulfill their mission.
Throughout their odyssey, the bonds of friendship tightened, their spirits unwavering in the face of adversity. The pastel hues of the Thullid silk unfurled proudly, catching the wind's embrace. The ironclad ships surged forward, guided by the unity of purpose and the shared belief that even the most extraordinary wonders could be safeguarded through acts of camaraderie.
And so, dear reader, in the enchanting chronicle of Quaraun and The Wandering Turtle City, we bear witness to the power of unity, resourcefulness, and the unwavering determination to protect the extraordinary. As their sails billow in the wind, propelling them toward their shared destiny, their tale becomes etched in the annals of Noodle Beach—a testament to the indomitable spirit that resides within the hearts of those who dare to dream.
First Draft ~ June 29, 2023
This is just the rough first draft.
It will be expanded longer, into a full novella or novel over the next few weeks, and will appear on Amazon and/or on GumRoad once completed.
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You can find out more about GhoulSpawn HERE.
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The Space Dock 13 WebRing
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What do you want to become?
What did you do today to step closer to that goal?
Whatever you do, be your best at it!
And remember to have yourself a great and wonderfully glorious day!
~EK
EelKat.com
pinterest.com/eelkat/
Evil men go out of their way to try to drive a person to suicide.
Are you an evil man?
Are you sure you're not?
How many people have YOUR hate filled words killed?
Next time you go to do a mean thing to a fellow human, stop and really think about the consequences of your actions.
Did you ever notice how every one has a story to tell about me, yet not one of them ever speaks the truth?
What lies has YOUR gossiping tongue spread about me?
Did you know...
October 16, 2006, bomb blew up my house because of YOUR lies.
August 8, 2013, the house which replaced the one the bomb blew up, was driven over by a backhoe.
November 14, 2013, my 8 month old infant son was murdered because of your lies.
November 14, 2013, I was beaten up, paralized for 5 months, spent 18 weeks relearning to walk, I'm now crippled for the rest of my life, because of YOUR lies.
Are you proud of what you have done?
Enjoy your eternity in Hell. You earned it. You've certainly worked hard for it.
~EelKat
If you have any information about any of these events, please call FBI Agent Andy Drewer at 207-774-9322
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