History DarthWiki / Achava

** The solution in the 2011 versions was to translate expressions literally. For example, the normal English version: ten to ten. The Polish translation: ''za dziesiec dziesiata''. The English version used by the author: "It's ten before [the] tenth [hour].

The writing of the first trilogy meant that the first 2011 draft was essentially abandoned. The second 2011-begun draft will incorporate much of what already exists, but will make an attempt to add some of the original story. Most notably, and immediately, Michal's dream sequence has been reinstated from the 2005 book, since the decision to play up the magical elements of the setting was instrumental in writing Seymour as a magician rather than just an extremely naughty boy. Some parts were cut (notably several artefacts); others were added from the 2005 version and after the conclusion of DarthWiki/GoingHome the beginning situation also changed slightly. Since for the moment the general plot remains the same in both 2011 drafts, this blog will not make too much of a distinction except where the two drafts differ. The style of the writing was changed to fit the pacing of the previous trilogies. The consequences of DarthWiki/BrotherWolf had to be added. As you can see from the tropes below, there is/was a strong animal theme naming convention running through the book, which had to be unpicked slightly and then worked into the stories in places where it might suit the plot for, e.g., a man named Kozlowski (Goat) to be under scrutiny by the authorities and his friends. [[spoiler:Lipka also had to be a lot more shocked when Jan told him his real name and occupation. A ''lot'' more shocked. Verging almost on shallow grave territory.]]

The writing of the first trilogy meant that the first 2011 draft was essentially abandoned. The second 2011-begun draft will incorporate much of what already exists, but will make an attempt to add some of the original story. Most notably, and immediately, Michal's dream sequence has been reinstated from the 2005 book, since the decision to play up the magical elements of the setting was reconsidered in writing Seymour as a magician rather than just an extremely naughty boy. Since for the moment the general plot remains the same in both 2011 drafts, this blog will not make too much of a distinction except where the two drafts differ.

Update: the two halves of the story have now been split off to avoid the plot of the second half being a spoiler for the next few books and to avoid SynchronousEpisodes in an otherwise fairly linear series. ''{{DarthWiki/Achava}}'' is now solely the story of Jan Jach, Michal's struggle with the church, his difficult EpiphanyTherapy regarding what he assumes is his destiny, and meeting with his new employer. We are also introduced to the backstory of a character who we have already met and his agency behind the scenes to pin down Simon Seymour, his crime(s), and his whereabouts. The part of the story concerning Biruta, Domaszewicz, and Wlodzimierz Ciesla, although they all still appear in the story, will be written up as another story, a bit like ''DarthWiki/GoingHome'', mainly to prevent the book becoming the Dickensian ''LordOfTheRings''.

Eleven years ago, Jan Jach, an Achava censor, was divorced by his wife and ruined by a penurious divorce settlement. In the hope that the case might be reviewed, he has begun to improve his income illegally and fantasises about retrieving the girl who brought him to his knees.

Update: the two halves of the story have now been split off to avoid the plot of the second half being a spoiler for the next few books and to avoid SynchronousEpisodes in an otherwise fairly linear series. ''{{DarthWiki/Achava}}'' is now solely the story of Jan Jach, Michal's struggle with the church, his difficult EpiphanyTherapy regarding what he assumes is his destiny, and meeting with his new employer. We are also introduced to the backstory of a character who we have already met and his agency behind the scenes to pin down Simon Seymour, his crime(s), and his whereabouts. The part of the story concerning Biruta, Domaszewicz, and Wladyslaw Ciesla, although they all still appear in the story, will be written up as another story, a bit like ''DarthWiki/GoingHome'', mainly to prevent the book becoming the Dickensian ''LordOfTheRings''.

Update: the two halves of the story have now been split off to avoid the plot of the second half being a spoiler for the next few books and to avoid SynchronousEpisodes in an otherwise fairly linear series. ''{{DarthWiki/Achava}}'' is now solely the story of Jan Jach and Michal's struggle with the church, his difficult EpiphanyTherapy regarding what he assumes is his destiny, and meeting with his new employer. We are also introduced to the backstory of a character who we have already met and his agency behind the scenes to pin down Simon Seymour, his crime(s), and his whereabouts. The part of the story concerning Biruta, Domaszewicz, and Wladyslaw Ciesla, although they all still appear in the story, will be written up as another story, a bit like ''DarthWiki/GoingHome'', mainly to prevent the book becoming the Dickensian ''LordOfTheRings''.

Update: the two halves of the story have now been split off to avoid the plot of the second half being a spoiler for the next few books and to avoid SynchronousEpisodes in an otherwise fairly linear series. ''{{DarthWiki/Achava}}'' is now solely the story of Jan Jach and Michal's struggle with the church, his difficult EpiphanyTherapy regarding what he assumes is his destiny, and meeting with his new employer. We are also introduced to the backstory of a character who we have already met and his agency behind the scenes to pin down Simon Seymour, his crime(s), and his whereabouts. The part of the story concerning Biruta, Domaszewicz, and Wladyslaw Ciesla, although they all still appear in the story, will be written up as another story, a bit like DarthWiki/GoingHome, mainly to prevent the book becoming the Dickensian LordOfTheRings.

* DreamWeaver - Mietek Kebicz [[spoiler:returned in a future story, during the war, to help Michal on a VisionQuest to find his animal totem, the raven]]. While that theme was played with later on - and influenced the modern story significantly - and while the author has plans to reintroduce Mietek later on, the whole idea seems a bit alien to the European setting and maybe needs to be rethought.

Update: the two halves of the story have now been split off. ''{{DarthWiki/Achava}}'' is now solely the story of Jan Jach and Michal's struggle with the church, his difficult EpiphanyTherapy regarding what he assumes is his destiny, and meeting with his new employer. We are also introduced to the backstory of a character who we have already met and his agency behind the scenes to pin down Simon Seymour, his crime(s), and his whereabouts. The part of the story concerning Biruta, Domaszewicz, and Wladyslaw Ciesla, although they all still appear in the story, will be written up as another story, mainly to prevent the book becoming the Dickensian LordOfTheRings.

* DreamWeaver - Mietek Kebicz [[spoiler:returned in a future story, during the war, to help Michal on a VisionQuest to find his animal totem, the raven]]. While that theme was played with later on - and influenced the modern story significantly - and while the author has plans to reintroduce Mietek later on, the whole idea seems a bit alien to the European setting and maybe needs to be rethought.]]

[[folder:{{2003-05 version}}]]

* DropInCharacter – Kosinski, Mieczarek.

[[folder:{{2011 version}}]]

The writing of the first trilogy meant that the first 2011 draft was essentially abandoned. The second 2011-begun draft will incorporate much of what already exists, but will make an attempt to add some of the original story. Most notably, and immediately, Michal's dream sequence has been reinstated from the 2005 book, since the decision to play up the magical elements of the setting was reconsidered in writing Seymour as a magician rather than just an extremely naughty boy. Since for the moment the general plot remains the same in both 2011 drafts, this blog will not make too much of a distinction except where the two drafts differ.

Eleven years ago, Jan Jach, an Achava censor, was divorced by his wife and ruined by a penurious divorce settlement. In the hope that the case might be reviewed, he has begun to improve his income illegally and fantasises about retrieving the girl who brought him to his knees. Meanwhile, Michal Piech returns to his homeland after seven years away, and becomes embroiled in the politics of the local ghetto when he is discovered to be not quite who he says he is.

The second part takes place seven years later, when Piech returns to the city during the communist revolution and finds the ghetto intrigue has reached fever pitch. Jan’s estranged wife is arrested by the communists seeking her second husband, Graf Slawomir Gryczewski, who has escaped to join the Imperialist rebels. And Biruta Berzina, the ghetto's wise-woman priestess, was murdered by the security services just before the revolution erupted. Who informed on her?

** Moreland, established by one scene in the opening chapter. [[spoiler:Briefly: he was in Michal's situation at more or less the same age.]]

** Moreland, established by one scene in the opening chapter. [[spoiler:briefly: he was in Michal's situation at more or less the same age.]]

* TroubledBackstoryFlashback - Moreland. [[spoiler:He was in Michal's situation at a similar age when his family were ruined and his father's debts ate up his income while studying in Achawa. He was only in the ''dipsek'' for a matter of months until Gerald rescued him, whereupon he started the business mentioned in ''DarthWiki/BrotherWolf'', but it informs a lot of his role in the first part of the book, and gives some insight into his hardline opinions.]]

* JackAttack - the John variant for Jan.

* AnimalThemeNaming - happens largely by accident, but numerous characters have ended up with animal names which are either referenced as part of the story or occur as accidental happenstance. ''After the events of Brother Wolf, anyone with an animal name is in trouble. However, that can be seen as an extensive exercise in FridgeHorror for most of these characters. Particularly because Jan has deliberately chosen to name himself Mr Fox.''

* AnimalThemeNaming - happens largely by accident, but numerous characters have ended up with animal names which are either referenced as part of the story or occur as accidental happenstance.

Went through several incarnations – started out as a basic outline in a GraphicNovel written in 2000, then was written as a experimental novel (half in Polish, half in English; with short chapters consisting of nothing but dialogue interspersed with more orthodox prose; and with some very bizarre dream sequences based on the characters seeing themselves in corresponding roles in the real world) in 2002-2003, with some gratuitous satire added in 2005 after the author's side lost the 2005 British general election. As of 2011 the novel has been extensively rewritten and refocused. Some of the more bizarre plot elements, such as [[BearTrapBed Jan's magic bed]], have been saved for other stories in- and out of universe.

* AllJustADream - the sequences in our world. Michal and Jan have experiences in communist Poland, 21st century London, Tsarist Russia and the Holocaust (natch). An old Deutsch soldier dreams of an incident from World War Two, putting him in a position that he was in in the First War and caused him to go on the tramp. Tadeusz dreams of the First World War, and Gosha dreams of Stalinist deportations of Poles to Siberia and Kazakhstan. Some of the individual experiences occur when they actually sleep in the bed that is Jan's during the story. The climax of the story is when the bed spreads its magic through the house when Jan dies and breaks under the pressure. It got cut because it was the biggest load of history wank the author has ever indulged in.