Foresters Miniseries - The Bottle Episode

"Just tell us how you came to be in possession of all that money” Goddard tried. 
“Go fuck yourself”  Rank Cynrid’s witty rejoinder. 
 She could see that this line of questioning wasn't going anywhere and tried a different tactic: 
“Be reasonable; tell us where you got the money Cynrid” Goddard asked in as diplomatic a tone as she could manage, “you cunt”. 
That ruined it.

So here's another episode of my nasty, irreverent, stupid medieval cop-show: 'Foresters'
It continues to follow three Lawmen as they go running after scum in Norman-Era Nottingham. 

I've always wanted to write a 'bottle episode' - you know; where the characters are stuck in one location, they can't leave and tempers are running high. It happens often enough in real policing; just ask any custody Sgt.

I hope you'll find it as big and brash and dumb as the previous one, and it may feature at least one of the characters getting chewed out by their superior: the Reeve of Nottingham.

Oh, and for the record; I've never just found a finger in a custody suite.

Episode 1 can be found in 'Sample Scribbles' over on the right.

Click here for episode 2 and enjoy, share, comment.

 -Tom

photo by Roy Smallpage

Foresters Miniseries - Pilot episode

"Goddard leapt the ale barrels without breaking stride, vaulted the first table, dodged a chair in her path and slammed a drunk out of her way. 
‘Foresters’ she shouted, as if the mail and the harness didn’t give it away. She received a growl from the assembled, but no one blocked her. They knew better, spilt beer or no. She was the fucking law"

You'll recall that I was kicking off a new project - a bit of fun I'm calling 'Foresters'.
It's an episodic miniseries featuring a grubby trio of Nottingham lawmen, working one of England's most dangerous beats in 1191AD.

The Extract is the slightly longer-than-usual pilot episode to introduce a few recurrent characters.
It's big and brash and stupid but hopefully you'll agree that it's also a lot of fun.

It's a lot more 'police' than my Novel about Robin Hood, and this makes it a little more fantasy, a little less history, but think 'medieval cop-show' and you've nailed it.

As before, I feel the sudden need to mention that it is in no way a thinly veiled ramble through some of my own police experiences, seen through a flimsy historical filter (no, wait, that's exactly what it is).

Click here for Extract and enjoy, share, comment.
-Tom

photo by Roy Smallpage

A Nasty way to Start the Show

'Cutthroat' is my take on the Robin Hood legends. 
Its a grim low-fantasy reworking of the medieval ballads, drawing experiences and language from my time as a UK police officer and medieval reenactor.

I wanted to get the first three chapters up here to share with you, while I go through the process that everyone has to: trying to navigate the world of conventionally publishing it.
 As for the action: It covers the opening frame of the novel and  the drawing of William Scathlock into banditry and crime. It's a nasty look at how easy it is to step off the path and be lost in Norman England, and a good window into a world that wasn't all Disney and Costner and Merry Men

No golden arrows, no fights with giants, no heroes... just Cutthroats.

-Tom

photo by Roy Smallpage

No Truce in Old Age

I've uploaded an old backstory piece to the blog and thrown it into the 'Sample Scribblings' section (over on the right).

'No Truce in Old Age' was written for a group of Norse Historical Roleplayers who wanted a quick and dirty backstory to provide a shared history for the group.
The woman who leads them is fierce, wild and more than a little bit like Aude the Deep Minded (who I mentioned in an earlier post).
They wanted a grim little tale of shieldwalls and viking-era violence. Nothing complicated or clever, just a violent scrum, scribbled by a guy who knows what it's like to stand in one

Take a look in 'Sample Scribblings' on the right, and share it if you like it.
-Tom

photo by Roy Smallpage

it doesn't just filter robots...

While posting up a few blogs by people that I've found helpful or inspiring I just had to include a link to the incredibly talented Lars Brownworth.

I've enjoyed his blog; Finding History, and his podcasts on the Norman Era for a long time.
I went there looking for inspiration for Norse reenactment a couple of years back, and I'll say that even if your thing is historical fiction or fantasy, over say, an actual history book, you can't fail to be entertained.
'Sea Wolves' is a great look at some of the better - and lesser - known characters from the era, and features one my favourites, Aude the deep minded, who ranks as one of the most interesting women of the age.
After her husband (who happened to be the viking king of Dublin) went back to the mud (to borrow from Abercrombie) she gave the concept of re-marriage the finger, led an army of terrifying Vikings and went off to put half of Scotland to the sword. So fierce was she, Brownworth writes that she was given a full viking ship funeral, the only women ever recorded as being honoured with one.

Funny thing: I meant to leave a comment on Lars' website today, and prepared to fill in the contact form.
I braced myself for the usual captcha form to filter out the robots, only to find that it doesn't just filter robots.
Instead I got five cryptic thumbnails and the instruction
'click on the Mosaic of Justinian to submit'
Well played sir, well played.

So do take a look.
The blog is in the sidebar, or at http://larsbrownworth.com/blog/