I completed the second draft of my NANOWRIMO 2020 novel, which is a Girl’s Adventure version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. This got me to thinking about RLS stories and other Boy’s Adventure tales that might be adapted to a female protagonist. So I looked up RLS novels and was inspired by specific plot elements from 2-3 of the books. Having the main character kidnapped or join a band of outlaws to rescue his beloved is interesting, but there has to be much more to a story than that.
So I considered settings and situations I’ve used in abandoned novels with a thought to resurrecting them and taking advantage of the research I’ve already done. This took me to my NANOWRIMO 2018 novel that I haven’t touched since then. I believe the center of conflict in that effort is unusual so I collected the first draft and background materials to review them.
The Interpreter is about 15-year-old Kennis who travels a region of colonized space with her independent merchant-trader grandfather Ordahl, and the small crew of the An LIng. Kennis is a whiz with languages and has acquired a working knowledge if not fluency in numerous tongues spoken by the colonials with whom they trade. She uses this skill to help Ordahl make the best deals with their routine customers. Although Kennis has made friends all over the region, she longs to remain more than just a few days at any one colony or space port.
A powerful league of merchants comprised of individual mega companies and commodity unions rules trade in colonized space. Ordahl avoids conflict with the league by dealing in unique goods with small markets that are of little interest to the huge corporations or league. However, an encounter with smugglers and rescue by the leader of a benevolent tong entangles Kennis and the crew of the An Ling in a conflict with the league.
The novel was obviously written in a hurry (duh!). It moves quickly, but is often confusing because of the strange locations and numerous characters. I knew what I meant when I wrote it, but on rereading it after a couple of years I was often tripped up until I sorted out who was who or what was meant.
But the story itself has potential and may be worth the effort to add character development and clarity.
In addition, the powerful league of merchants and valuable commodities traded could form the basis for conflict in a new story in a different setting.
It really seems like Christmas in July when I find a completed story with good bones to build on and perhaps provide the spark for a new RLS-inspired adventure tale!
Mary S. Potter 