Submitted by SirPiecemaker t3_yfzw5f in WritingPrompts

Well, this is... unexpected.

I started writing some 10 months ago when I found WritingPrompts. I never wrote before that, never had any interest in it. But when I started, I couldn't stop. Scouring the sub for prompts, writing at home and at work, thinking about stories, it was intoxicating.

And now I have a book - Pieces from a Scriptorium

Like, an actual book. With pages and stuff! Even a picture on the front. And soon in paperback! A lovely little collection of some of my favourite stories I have written.

I never would have guessed that this is something I'd ever accomplish - I certainly wouldn't have if I didn't get the support you have provided me with. Every kind word, every single comment, I read them all, and they mean more than you can imagine. It helped me a lot, helped with the depression, gave a nice little boost of self-esteem when people genuinely liked what I made, just these random little scratchings that somehow improved people's days. So, with all of that said...

Thank you. For everything.

And now for a sample! Some of the stories in the book have already gotten a good bit of attention (I mean, good lord!), so allow me to pick one that I feel was not read by that many but is nevertheless one of my absolute favourites.

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Elizabeth Brown's Masterpiece

To own a ship fixed or upgraded by Elizabeth Brown was the mark of a skilled pilot, as nothing less would suffice for the works of art she produced. The demand for her services was immense and the Admiralty prized her greatly despite her many eccentricities - the expensive, archaic blueprints she sought after were hers; the remarkably old instruments and gears, far outdated, were at her fingertips. The Admiralty was more than happy to pay for it all.

For she was not just a mechanic. She was an artist. The many apprentices who watched her work and enjoyed her tutelage swore there was something otherwordly in the way she approached the ships - as if she could feel them, talk to them. She knew exactly where to look, what to do, how to save space or get that extra bit of power from a system. What was perhaps more interesting, the apprentices went on to say, is that despite her renown and fame, she was just as humble and amicable as they were.

When Elizabeth announced she'd be unveiling what she deemed to be her "masterpiece", it came as no surprise that everyone with any interest in spacecraft craved to be there, to see it. But, as things are, it was reserved for the top dogs, the influential politicians, the generals though a small contingent of lowly mechanics was there at Elizabeth's behest.

The day came. The ship was ready. Elizabeth came in, sharply dressed in a surprisingly clean vest and trousers. She wore no makeup, she never did, so the lines around her eyes and the grey streaks in her hair betrayed her age, much to the surprise of those who'd never seen her before. But none could deny the elegance - if not downright magnificence - with which she carried herself.

The moment came. A grand curtain was uncovered. And the audience was shocked.

The ship was positively ugly.

The confusion caused a murmur, but Elizabeth did not let up and soon, the muttering turned to amazement. It was function and efficiency made manifest. The fighter-sized ship had 4 thrusters on each corner allowing for unparalleled manoeuvring. A never-before-seen interface allowed pilots to fire the twin-linked cannons with perfect accuracy and no delay at all. The pilot seat was warmed and had a gravitationally stabilized coffee holder. The number of support sub-systems was deemed impossible for a ship that size - there was simply no way she could fit so much in, the wiring alone... and yet, there it was.

The presentation was abruptly cut short when Elizabeth fainted near the end of the grand unveiling. She was immediately ushered to the medical wing where the best doctors at hand examined her and were shocked by the large surgical scar on her chest. Further inspections revealed something ghastly.

Her heart... it was missing. In its place was a sophisticated cybernetic one - available to only the most affluent. But her records showed no surgeries, puzzling everyone as to when this happened.

Elizabeth spent some time in the ICU but soon made a full recovery. Naturally, as soon as she was cleared, investigations began, but Elizabeth showed no distress or surprise. She merely smiled gracefully and took the investigators to the ship - her ship. Her masterpiece.

"I understand that you are confused by everything that has transpired," she said warmly, meeting the confused looks of the men and women she led.

"But you must understand that I poured everything into this ship. My ideas. My soul. And even..." she continued as she carefully removed a small panel near the cockpit.

"...my heart."

Gasps filled the ship as all realized the accuracy of her statement. In the small opening was a reinforced, cybernetically enhanced organ jar hooked to a number of revolutionary man-machine interfaces, all linked to a human heart. The heart of Elizabeth Brown.

The ship was unconditionally practical, impossibly advanced, and downright ugly.

And it was magnificent.

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If this is something you enjoyed then please, by all means - check the book out, but do not feel obliged in any way. I just wanted to share it and express my gratitude.

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Comments

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rainbow--penguin t1_iu65apu wrote

Congrats! A great achievement and I hope you're really happy with what you've produced and continue to enjoy writing as much as you clearly have been!

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its6amsomewhere t1_iu6w85y wrote

Question, I have Amazon Kindle unlimited, do you get a cut of that?

Otherwise I'll wait for the paper back!

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Knuckles316 t1_iu6z1i1 wrote

Once the paperback is available let us know, I'll happily pick one up! Congrats!

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Lynora t1_iu7c348 wrote

Congrats !! 🎉

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Lysander_Blackmoney t1_iu8n8u3 wrote

I just read the first story and I loved it! Was the story, by any chance, inspired by Skyrim? Because there's a random encounter in Skyrim with an Orc standing beside two dead lions. And if you engage him in a conversation he says he is looking for a good death. And then you have the dialogue options to either fight him or just ignore him. Anyways, I really loved how you characterized Gorr. Good job!

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Awkward_Psychic t1_iu8o9dj wrote

That’s fantastic!! I’ll definitely look into it :) congratulations 🎉

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Later_358 t1_iu8w2zl wrote

You’ve reached peak dream.

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SirPiecemaker OP t1_iu8wjft wrote

Can't say it was Skyrim, no. I think more than anything it was the general concept of slayers from Warhammer Fantasy; dwarves who have been dishonoured and seek a glorious death in combat.

Fun story - there is one particular dwarf that is a slayer and wishes to die in combat but is so good at fighting that he straight up can't do it, instead becoming an absolute legend.

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acornwbusinesssocks t1_iu91yl3 wrote

Added to my reading list!! I love WP, so am very excited to see your success.

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LeGoupil7 t1_iu9uh2a wrote

Nice! How does it feel on your end?

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educationlinks t1_iufd7wh wrote

Congrats! I love the cover. How long did it take for you to edit?

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SirPiecemaker OP t1_iufos7r wrote

Thank you!

As for the edits, several days, but it's really hard to say since I procrastinated a ton and basically did it in short bursts over the span of several weeks. I did the final stretch when I got the cover from the artist, it motivated me a lot. Love how the cover turned out.

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