28 June 2007
Steps to the Dragon: 100,041/899,959. Today: 10,120. Average: 8,337.
The teacher. I thought at first that the teacher would be all about math, physics, and history; but I'm thinking the instruction medium is music. I think this because Stn needs something to occupy himself on the road, and to help him with his pace. He should have uphill songs, downhill songs, evening and morning songs, and perhaps songs for other occasions that will help him on his journey. The songs should be instructional, containing the math, physics, and history that he will need as he travels.
This brings us to the point of an instrument for Stn. He should have something besides his voice. I think. But what kind of instrument? If he has to blow it, that cuts down his pace because it takes air. He's not likely to do it under any strenuous effort. Strings are nice, but take two hands. A drum would be all right, but perhaps monotonous.
So, maybe I need to invent an instrument that can be played with just the fingers of one hand, while holding it in the same hand. some pentatonic instrument. Hmmm. The description of that could be interesting.
The teacher. I thought at first that the teacher would be all about math, physics, and history; but I'm thinking the instruction medium is music. I think this because Stn needs something to occupy himself on the road, and to help him with his pace. He should have uphill songs, downhill songs, evening and morning songs, and perhaps songs for other occasions that will help him on his journey. The songs should be instructional, containing the math, physics, and history that he will need as he travels.
This brings us to the point of an instrument for Stn. He should have something besides his voice. I think. But what kind of instrument? If he has to blow it, that cuts down his pace because it takes air. He's not likely to do it under any strenuous effort. Strings are nice, but take two hands. A drum would be all right, but perhaps monotonous.
So, maybe I need to invent an instrument that can be played with just the fingers of one hand, while holding it in the same hand. some pentatonic instrument. Hmmm. The description of that could be interesting.
27 June 2007
Steps to the Dragon: 89,921/910,079. Today: 6,497. Average: 8,175
Mayor/Elder is manipulating things. He uses the whole idea of raising a dragon-slayer to unite the village in a common cause as a way to divert their attention away from real issues at home. Not enough food? It's the dragon's fault. Plague? The dragon's fault. Lost sheep? The dragon took it. If we could just get rid of the dragon, our problems would be solved.
Mother is a single mom. There may be several aspects about that. She may be hiding the elder's rape under some threat. The declaration may be that the dragon-slayer will be a man without a father. When Stn asks who his father is she answers only that he is the child of the Sun (and moon?). He says other children have fathers, she answers that he is not like other children. Everything is programmed to make stn feel different and set apart.
Mayor/Elder is manipulating things. He uses the whole idea of raising a dragon-slayer to unite the village in a common cause as a way to divert their attention away from real issues at home. Not enough food? It's the dragon's fault. Plague? The dragon's fault. Lost sheep? The dragon took it. If we could just get rid of the dragon, our problems would be solved.
Mother is a single mom. There may be several aspects about that. She may be hiding the elder's rape under some threat. The declaration may be that the dragon-slayer will be a man without a father. When Stn asks who his father is she answers only that he is the child of the Sun (and moon?). He says other children have fathers, she answers that he is not like other children. Everything is programmed to make stn feel different and set apart.
26 June 2007
Steps to the Dragon: 83,424/916,576. Today: 6,129. Average: 8,342
I need to determine the weight of Stn's pack and a weight for everything that goes in it. Then I'll hold a poll on LJ and ask people what stays in and what goes. I'll cut off what he takes when the weight limit is reached. Then we'll take another crack at evaluating the items he is taking with a poll asking what you would leave behind in order to take something else and to justify it.
I need to determine the weight of Stn's pack and a weight for everything that goes in it. Then I'll hold a poll on LJ and ask people what stays in and what goes. I'll cut off what he takes when the weight limit is reached. Then we'll take another crack at evaluating the items he is taking with a poll asking what you would leave behind in order to take something else and to justify it.
21 June 2007
Steps to the dragon: 38,455/961,545. Today: 12,188. Average: 7,691.
Good walking day. I've done a lot of thinking about the story and am about ready to write my first take on the mother.
This evening I went to a workshop on pitching your novel. I've been working on putting the pitch together for Security & Exchange. It is harder than writing the book. I did not make the finalist list for the literary competition, but will probably do a full rev of the book before the conference on July 24 when I'll get to pitch to two lit agents. It will be a great learning experience if nothing else.
Good walking day. I've done a lot of thinking about the story and am about ready to write my first take on the mother.
This evening I went to a workshop on pitching your novel. I've been working on putting the pitch together for Security & Exchange. It is harder than writing the book. I did not make the finalist list for the literary competition, but will probably do a full rev of the book before the conference on July 24 when I'll get to pitch to two lit agents. It will be a great learning experience if nothing else.
20 June 2007
Steps to the Dragon: 26,267/973,733. Today: 9,501
I'm considering writing out significantly detailed outlines of each traveler's story before November so that the actual writing is only slightly more than transcribing the story. Sort of like doing an interview, then writing the story from the notes.
I'm considering doing this all longhand so that I can spend time really crafting the sequence, tone, and phrasing of the story. For example, the opening words should carry the fact that "the longest journey begins with a single step" so that Steven starts counting from his doorstep. The first paragraph should set the theme and direction for the whole book. It should be clear that no matter who is telling the story, the book is about Steven.
Within two paragraphs we should have established that Steven walks with a measured step at a specific pace. To walk slower would be to drag his feet and appear reluctant. Faster would appear reckless and lack seriousness. It would also prevent the townspeople from having the opportunity to appreciate his departure.
It should also introduce the fact that the journey began long before Steven's birth when a traveler spun a tale for the gullible villagers about a dragon that lived for a thousand years and would descend upon villages to devour their young or their livestock. Every sensible village would be prepared to train up a dragon-slayer. The village would know when the time was right by some sign.
Then we transition to the ______'s Tale. What is he called? Is he a wizard? Is he a minstrel? Does he tell the story out of malevalence, as ajoke on the bumpkins, or as a real evangelist? Perhaps he is an evangelist or a missionary. Perhaps the dragon is a promised punishment for those who do not believe his story. Perhaps the whole reason the village decides to train a dragon-slayer is because they have decided to run the missionary out of town, but fear the consequences.
What does the term "dragon" mean? A dragon could refer to a ythical beast, to a ruler, to a punishment, to a person. A dragon-lady could be a powerful or sexual woman. A lizard. Dragon-breath would be so foul it burns. Others?
Is there a sollusion that is going on? Was a sheep killed by a wolf and themayor uses it to bolster his campaign saying that surely the dragon must have done it--we need to unite in this time of national crisis and send out the dragon-slayer?
Have people alsays lived in fear of the dragon--kids, be good or the dragon will eat you--and now they have decided to break the chains of fear and send out the dragon-slayer. Perhaps they have always left a sacrifice for the dragon and now they are in open revolt and want to break the bonds of fear.
Someplace along the line in the first chapter, Steven needs to ponder whether he was fated to be the dragon-slayer, was elected, volunteered, was drafted, or what. Do we resolve how he was determined to be the dragon-slayer? Does he have reasons to doubt that he is really the dragon-slayer? What if I'm not the right one?
So, in summary,--Interupted. Don't remember the summary.
From Richard: About Faith/Belief. Adler talks about courage (heart). Can be transferred. If I believe in you, it gives you faith in yourself.
I'm considering writing out significantly detailed outlines of each traveler's story before November so that the actual writing is only slightly more than transcribing the story. Sort of like doing an interview, then writing the story from the notes.
I'm considering doing this all longhand so that I can spend time really crafting the sequence, tone, and phrasing of the story. For example, the opening words should carry the fact that "the longest journey begins with a single step" so that Steven starts counting from his doorstep. The first paragraph should set the theme and direction for the whole book. It should be clear that no matter who is telling the story, the book is about Steven.
Within two paragraphs we should have established that Steven walks with a measured step at a specific pace. To walk slower would be to drag his feet and appear reluctant. Faster would appear reckless and lack seriousness. It would also prevent the townspeople from having the opportunity to appreciate his departure.
It should also introduce the fact that the journey began long before Steven's birth when a traveler spun a tale for the gullible villagers about a dragon that lived for a thousand years and would descend upon villages to devour their young or their livestock. Every sensible village would be prepared to train up a dragon-slayer. The village would know when the time was right by some sign.
Then we transition to the ______'s Tale. What is he called? Is he a wizard? Is he a minstrel? Does he tell the story out of malevalence, as ajoke on the bumpkins, or as a real evangelist? Perhaps he is an evangelist or a missionary. Perhaps the dragon is a promised punishment for those who do not believe his story. Perhaps the whole reason the village decides to train a dragon-slayer is because they have decided to run the missionary out of town, but fear the consequences.
What does the term "dragon" mean? A dragon could refer to a ythical beast, to a ruler, to a punishment, to a person. A dragon-lady could be a powerful or sexual woman. A lizard. Dragon-breath would be so foul it burns. Others?
Is there a sollusion that is going on? Was a sheep killed by a wolf and themayor uses it to bolster his campaign saying that surely the dragon must have done it--we need to unite in this time of national crisis and send out the dragon-slayer?
Have people alsays lived in fear of the dragon--kids, be good or the dragon will eat you--and now they have decided to break the chains of fear and send out the dragon-slayer. Perhaps they have always left a sacrifice for the dragon and now they are in open revolt and want to break the bonds of fear.
Someplace along the line in the first chapter, Steven needs to ponder whether he was fated to be the dragon-slayer, was elected, volunteered, was drafted, or what. Do we resolve how he was determined to be the dragon-slayer? Does he have reasons to doubt that he is really the dragon-slayer? What if I'm not the right one?
So, in summary,--Interupted. Don't remember the summary.
From Richard: About Faith/Belief. Adler talks about courage (heart). Can be transferred. If I believe in you, it gives you faith in yourself.
19 June 2007
Steps to the Dragon: 16,766/983,234. Today: 5,293
Terrain: Steven passes through a variety of terrain, including forest, mountain, desert, and urban. His instinct is to go around rather than through. This is one of the things that make his journey so arduous and long. He comes to a lake, he goes around it. A desert--he goes around it. Mountain? He has to determine if he really has to go over it. The key element is that he avoids conflict and the very things that would harden him for battle. That is also the path his companions have chosen, so when his path steadily becomes more difficult, they continue on their easier paths, making it inevitable that when it comes to the really hard parts, he is alone.
This will also bring him back closer to home than he has traveled. If he had taken the more difficult route, he would have gotten ther in fewer footsteps, though it might not have taken less time. Certainly if he visits his village again, he will find the village much closer than he imagined.
The dragon: If the dragon is able to manifest himself in different forms, he might be one or more of the traveling companions. He might also be the loremaster who originally incites the village into drafting a dragon-slayer.
The travelers: I'm thinking there is an element of the Canterbury Tales in all this. As Steven meets the various travelers, each has a story to tell. This makes it possible also to meet people who don't join him for the trip, but who have a story to tell--like Ranihaha: "Bridges are a great hindrance to commerce." The story is told by someone he encounters, not by someone who travels with him.
Terrain: Steven passes through a variety of terrain, including forest, mountain, desert, and urban. His instinct is to go around rather than through. This is one of the things that make his journey so arduous and long. He comes to a lake, he goes around it. A desert--he goes around it. Mountain? He has to determine if he really has to go over it. The key element is that he avoids conflict and the very things that would harden him for battle. That is also the path his companions have chosen, so when his path steadily becomes more difficult, they continue on their easier paths, making it inevitable that when it comes to the really hard parts, he is alone.
This will also bring him back closer to home than he has traveled. If he had taken the more difficult route, he would have gotten ther in fewer footsteps, though it might not have taken less time. Certainly if he visits his village again, he will find the village much closer than he imagined.
The dragon: If the dragon is able to manifest himself in different forms, he might be one or more of the traveling companions. He might also be the loremaster who originally incites the village into drafting a dragon-slayer.
The travelers: I'm thinking there is an element of the Canterbury Tales in all this. As Steven meets the various travelers, each has a story to tell. This makes it possible also to meet people who don't join him for the trip, but who have a story to tell--like Ranihaha: "Bridges are a great hindrance to commerce." The story is told by someone he encounters, not by someone who travels with him.
17 June 2007
Steps to the Dragon: 5,700/994,300. Today: 5,700
Bought a pedometer that counts my footsteps. In measurement tests, my step is just under 32". So my walking today of 5,700 steps is just under three miles. My estimates say that Steven George will have to travel 1,000,000 steps to get from the village to the dragon (about 500 miles) I'm planning to see if I can get there before he does. It's going to be a summer of heavy walking. I'm thinking that as I progress and get the list closer to what I think it will be, I'm going to try walking with a pack of approximately the weight that Steven will start out carrying. I'd like to see how that affects his stride and ability to travel. It should be very interesting.
quitereasonable:
I think that beating Steven George on his run is a great idea.
If you come to a point where you really need to slow George down, a thick rainforest is a great idea, esp. if you have it rain during the journey. A rain during a journey can flood the area and in an attempt to esp the torrent, it can really throw you off course. The coming of the new river sounds just like cars driving overhead. A 3 mile point-to-point hike that I went on in Panama with a hiking expert and a bunch of other healthy high school students took us eight hours.
xjenavivex:
Thanks for telling us about the pedometer. I love when you dig in.
cloister27:
Ok, I have to loan you my brother-in-law's book. Yes, he was running instead of walking, and yes, most days he could get to a town to sleep in, but just the same I guarantee you'll get a lot of insight into Steven's journey from reading at least some of it. I'll try to remember to bring it in tomorrow.
Bought a pedometer that counts my footsteps. In measurement tests, my step is just under 32". So my walking today of 5,700 steps is just under three miles. My estimates say that Steven George will have to travel 1,000,000 steps to get from the village to the dragon (about 500 miles) I'm planning to see if I can get there before he does. It's going to be a summer of heavy walking. I'm thinking that as I progress and get the list closer to what I think it will be, I'm going to try walking with a pack of approximately the weight that Steven will start out carrying. I'd like to see how that affects his stride and ability to travel. It should be very interesting.
quitereasonable:
I think that beating Steven George on his run is a great idea.
If you come to a point where you really need to slow George down, a thick rainforest is a great idea, esp. if you have it rain during the journey. A rain during a journey can flood the area and in an attempt to esp the torrent, it can really throw you off course. The coming of the new river sounds just like cars driving overhead. A 3 mile point-to-point hike that I went on in Panama with a hiking expert and a bunch of other healthy high school students took us eight hours.
xjenavivex:
Thanks for telling us about the pedometer. I love when you dig in.
cloister27:
Ok, I have to loan you my brother-in-law's book. Yes, he was running instead of walking, and yes, most days he could get to a town to sleep in, but just the same I guarantee you'll get a lot of insight into Steven's journey from reading at least some of it. I'll try to remember to bring it in tomorrow.
16 June 2007
Some more questions about Stn. George
For some period (Steven is ageless in my mind) he has lived in an isolated village with a dragon mythology. No one in the village has ever actually seen a dragon. No one in the village actually knows how to kill one. But the entire village feels it is incumbent upon them to train up their dragon-slayer and to give him what he needs for his task. I anticipate stories of encounters with his mother, his lover, his teacher, his priest, and his mayor/elder.
I really love hearing your responses, and although I'm likely to change many of them to suit the story as it develops, I add all suggestions to my log of writing ammunition. Thanks in advance for helping out.
andersenmom
In response to question 2:
They have a dragon mythology: presumably they have some sort of lore of what is effective against a dragon (whether true or false). I'd go into that: a weapon from the blacksmith, a charm from a "hedgewizard" or even from his lover - certainly a memento from the lover, whether effective or not.
Hope that helps a little.
wayzgoose
Thank you! I don't know yet what it will be, but this has definitely gone into my list of possibilities. Appreciate you taking the time to respond. If you'd like to keep participating, I don't always post the questions on the nanowrimo community, but my HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/"wayzgoose journal is open.
travelintheways
I've caught a couple of your posts about your story idea here, but I have to admit I don't remember much. So I hope this helps!
I don't know if this fits into your story, but... what about someone who *claims* to have seen/fought a dragon? He or she doesn't have to be telling the truth (I don't remember the exact premise of your story), but I think it might make a neat episode if he ran into someone who has claimed to have seen/fought dragons, and he's probably gonna be skeptical. I dunno, I just like borderline crazy characters.
1. Depending on his experiences in the village, it might be memorable for him to run into someone/someones who have some significantly different customs from his village folk. Also memorable is someone who would treat him badly OR very well (again, depending on his worldview).
2. I know this is probably obvious, but I think items representative of a person's personality and relationship to Steven are best. So a protective relation (father, mother, uncle, whatever) could give him a protective charm or piece of clothing, while a younger, rash sort of friend might give him a fearsome-looking spear. Someone more sentimental might give him a memento, so he can remember home when he's far away from home and feeling lonely. A learned person might give him a potion or whatever from ancient lore, probably very complicated.
3. Eek, I'm not as good on this stuff. It's sorta cliche, but if he has any sort of skill that could earn him money/food/board on the way, it would be VERY helpful for him. The most common example of this is music, obviously - a little flute or whatever could maybe earn him a few free nights at an inn. Or something at least that he likes to do in his free time - a small illustrated book or scroll he can read in the evenings, a musical instrument (again), a needle-and-thread if he can mend his own clothes, a... I don't know, one of those cup and ball things. Or a packet of spices if he's a decent cook. Stuff like food and water is obvious, and I don't know what the best stuff for long-term travel is.
wayzgoose
Thank you! I like the idea of encountering an extreme person in his travels. Perhaps someone who takes advantage of him and "steals" the one thing he thinks will be most valuable in his fight against the dragon. Good suggestion.
Appreciate you taking the time to respond. If you'd like to keep participating, I don't always post the questions on the nanowrimo community, but my HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/"wayzgoose journal is open.
travelintheways
Glad to help! Brainstorming ideas is good fun. I'm about to friend you!
cloister27
> No one in the village has ever actually seen a dragon. No one in the village actually knows how to kill one. But the entire village feels it is incumbent upon them to train up their dragon-slayer and to give him what he needs for his task.
Ah, dogma. :) But a nice aspect to the story none the less, and a jumping-off point for including some type of parable message in the story if you're into that sort of thing, along the lines of being skeptical of dogma or always validating your data or what-have-you.
Also, I like travelintheways' suggestion of Steven getting bad advice from an itinerant blowhard. Someone who is charismatic and persuasive, and the second he learns that the village is training a dragon slayer, starts making shit up in order to curry free food, lodgings, and feminine favor from the villagers.
Thinking about these comments and about some earlier posts, I'm inclined to agree that Steven's girlfriend (P.S.: I somehow see Steven as still a virgin. Probably because that echoes his general greenhorn status with respect to dragons and all) would give him some sort of keepsake. If, during the climactic battle, you find the dragon needing Steven to kill him while Steven is for some reason reluctant to do so (perhaps he's already started to wonder whether his mission is right), then the dragon could goad him into doing it by catching sight of the keepsake and making a threat towards the girlfriend ("after I finish you off and fly to your village, she's the first one I'm going to eat!").
The other commenters pretty much said what I'd have said for #1 and #2, but with respect to his skills, I think Steven should leave the village confidently, with skills that he thinks he'll need, but which will turn out to be entirely inadequate to the reality of his situations. Have him go through some rough times while he adjusts to life on the road but is still close enough that the idea of going back to the village tempts him.
wayzgoose
I like the idea that the itinerant could come in two parts: first that there is someone who comes to the village (which has never really heard of dragons before) and tells them about the grave danger and how to go about preparing for it (i.e. train up a dragon-slayer). Second, that Steven meets someone along the road who "knows all about dragons," but in reality is making everything up. It has a good ring to it.
I think also that Steven is not "inexperienced." He has great depth of experience--as in is not a teenager plucked at random and thrust into a situation for which he has not been prepared--but his experience is in a very closed environment (his village). His village knows all about life, love, and happiness. It just doesn't know about the outside world.
dracolich_prgrm
For the other points, much the other people's opinion.. for supplies, some sort of bedroll, whether be a sleeping bag type blanket, something to protect him from the ground, some dried foods such as jerky, some bandages and probably a small sewing kit for mending any tears in his clothing. Rope and thread. Clothing appropriate for the journey, armour or a weapon, sturdy shoes, and various other odds and ends.
wayzgoose
Thank you! It's interesting that you mention food. I'm thinking that Steven may set out thinking that rations for a weeklong camp-out may be all he needs. He doesn't really know how far it is to the dragon. Then he's on the trail having to find food as well as make his way--which means he needs hunting (and fishing and gathering) skill in order to survive.
If you'd like to keep participating, I don't always post the questions on the nanowrimo community, but my HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/"wayzgoose journal is open.
ewrites
(Hi. I'm from the nanowrimo community.)
I don't know anything about your story, so use whatever you think's useful:
1. His friends. Is there anyone in the village who had doubts about dragons (whether they exist, whether they can be killed)? If Steven gets frustrated on the tough journey he might start to wonder whether it's pointless. Have people gone out to kill dragons before? Did they come back? Or do they remember the people who left and never returned?
3. An extra pair of boots and lots of socks. :)
wayzgoose
Thank you! I love the idea of having a skeptic in there somewhere. I was originally thinking that this might come in if Steven gets to a city on his journey. In the city they don't believe in dragons. Or perhaps "The Dragon" is a local pub.
If you'd like to keep participating, I don't always post the questions on the nanowrimo community, but my HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/"wayzgoose journal is open.
cloister27
Also, and this is a little thing but it keeps nagging at me so I'll mention it: every time I go to type his name in one of these comments, I want to type it as "Stephen". It somehow just feels off to use the more modern v-spelling of that name in the context of a pre-industrial setting with dragons. At least, this is what my head tells me; I don't actually know from any research or whatnot that Stephen is a more historic spelling than Steven, but there you go. Food for thought.
wayzgoose
That's definitely an open issue. I focused so much on the abbreviation Stn. that I didn't give a whole lot of thought to how the rest of the name was spelled. I'll give some thought and research to this. I actually thought that he might even be nick-named Sten after the Stn abbreviation.
alathewish:
(Also from the nanowrimo community)
I actually don't have much to contribute, but I think this is a fantastic idea and I'd be really interested to find how it turns out.
So this is just a banner of encouragement being waved. I'll try think of something more helpful later.
Yours Alla
wayzgoose:
Thank you for the interest and for stopping by. I'd love for you to participate as the story progresses. I expect to ask many more questions. I don't post all of them on "nanowrimo so please feel free to friend me at if you'd like to follow along.
For some period (Steven is ageless in my mind) he has lived in an isolated village with a dragon mythology. No one in the village has ever actually seen a dragon. No one in the village actually knows how to kill one. But the entire village feels it is incumbent upon them to train up their dragon-slayer and to give him what he needs for his task. I anticipate stories of encounters with his mother, his lover, his teacher, his priest, and his mayor/elder.
- Are there other significant people that he should remember encounters with either while leaving the village or after he is out on the open road? Who are they and what is their significance?
- Everyone wants to give Steven something to help him on his journey and with his battle with the dragon. What are some of the things (and from whom) that he is given for his journey?
- Steven is undertaking a journey of about 500 miles on foot to find and slay a dragon. What does he actually need to take? Does he have it with him when he leaves the village or does he acquire it on the road?
I really love hearing your responses, and although I'm likely to change many of them to suit the story as it develops, I add all suggestions to my log of writing ammunition. Thanks in advance for helping out.
andersenmom
In response to question 2:
They have a dragon mythology: presumably they have some sort of lore of what is effective against a dragon (whether true or false). I'd go into that: a weapon from the blacksmith, a charm from a "hedgewizard" or even from his lover - certainly a memento from the lover, whether effective or not.
Hope that helps a little.
wayzgoose
Thank you! I don't know yet what it will be, but this has definitely gone into my list of possibilities. Appreciate you taking the time to respond. If you'd like to keep participating, I don't always post the questions on the nanowrimo community, but my HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/"wayzgoose journal is open.
travelintheways
I've caught a couple of your posts about your story idea here, but I have to admit I don't remember much. So I hope this helps!
I don't know if this fits into your story, but... what about someone who *claims* to have seen/fought a dragon? He or she doesn't have to be telling the truth (I don't remember the exact premise of your story), but I think it might make a neat episode if he ran into someone who has claimed to have seen/fought dragons, and he's probably gonna be skeptical. I dunno, I just like borderline crazy characters.
1. Depending on his experiences in the village, it might be memorable for him to run into someone/someones who have some significantly different customs from his village folk. Also memorable is someone who would treat him badly OR very well (again, depending on his worldview).
2. I know this is probably obvious, but I think items representative of a person's personality and relationship to Steven are best. So a protective relation (father, mother, uncle, whatever) could give him a protective charm or piece of clothing, while a younger, rash sort of friend might give him a fearsome-looking spear. Someone more sentimental might give him a memento, so he can remember home when he's far away from home and feeling lonely. A learned person might give him a potion or whatever from ancient lore, probably very complicated.
3. Eek, I'm not as good on this stuff. It's sorta cliche, but if he has any sort of skill that could earn him money/food/board on the way, it would be VERY helpful for him. The most common example of this is music, obviously - a little flute or whatever could maybe earn him a few free nights at an inn. Or something at least that he likes to do in his free time - a small illustrated book or scroll he can read in the evenings, a musical instrument (again), a needle-and-thread if he can mend his own clothes, a... I don't know, one of those cup and ball things. Or a packet of spices if he's a decent cook. Stuff like food and water is obvious, and I don't know what the best stuff for long-term travel is.
wayzgoose
Thank you! I like the idea of encountering an extreme person in his travels. Perhaps someone who takes advantage of him and "steals" the one thing he thinks will be most valuable in his fight against the dragon. Good suggestion.
Appreciate you taking the time to respond. If you'd like to keep participating, I don't always post the questions on the nanowrimo community, but my HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/"wayzgoose journal is open.
travelintheways
Glad to help! Brainstorming ideas is good fun. I'm about to friend you!
cloister27
> No one in the village has ever actually seen a dragon. No one in the village actually knows how to kill one. But the entire village feels it is incumbent upon them to train up their dragon-slayer and to give him what he needs for his task.
Ah, dogma. :) But a nice aspect to the story none the less, and a jumping-off point for including some type of parable message in the story if you're into that sort of thing, along the lines of being skeptical of dogma or always validating your data or what-have-you.
Also, I like travelintheways' suggestion of Steven getting bad advice from an itinerant blowhard. Someone who is charismatic and persuasive, and the second he learns that the village is training a dragon slayer, starts making shit up in order to curry free food, lodgings, and feminine favor from the villagers.
Thinking about these comments and about some earlier posts, I'm inclined to agree that Steven's girlfriend (P.S.: I somehow see Steven as still a virgin. Probably because that echoes his general greenhorn status with respect to dragons and all) would give him some sort of keepsake. If, during the climactic battle, you find the dragon needing Steven to kill him while Steven is for some reason reluctant to do so (perhaps he's already started to wonder whether his mission is right), then the dragon could goad him into doing it by catching sight of the keepsake and making a threat towards the girlfriend ("after I finish you off and fly to your village, she's the first one I'm going to eat!").
The other commenters pretty much said what I'd have said for #1 and #2, but with respect to his skills, I think Steven should leave the village confidently, with skills that he thinks he'll need, but which will turn out to be entirely inadequate to the reality of his situations. Have him go through some rough times while he adjusts to life on the road but is still close enough that the idea of going back to the village tempts him.
wayzgoose
I like the idea that the itinerant could come in two parts: first that there is someone who comes to the village (which has never really heard of dragons before) and tells them about the grave danger and how to go about preparing for it (i.e. train up a dragon-slayer). Second, that Steven meets someone along the road who "knows all about dragons," but in reality is making everything up. It has a good ring to it.
I think also that Steven is not "inexperienced." He has great depth of experience--as in is not a teenager plucked at random and thrust into a situation for which he has not been prepared--but his experience is in a very closed environment (his village). His village knows all about life, love, and happiness. It just doesn't know about the outside world.
dracolich_prgrm
For the other points, much the other people's opinion.. for supplies, some sort of bedroll, whether be a sleeping bag type blanket, something to protect him from the ground, some dried foods such as jerky, some bandages and probably a small sewing kit for mending any tears in his clothing. Rope and thread. Clothing appropriate for the journey, armour or a weapon, sturdy shoes, and various other odds and ends.
wayzgoose
Thank you! It's interesting that you mention food. I'm thinking that Steven may set out thinking that rations for a weeklong camp-out may be all he needs. He doesn't really know how far it is to the dragon. Then he's on the trail having to find food as well as make his way--which means he needs hunting (and fishing and gathering) skill in order to survive.
If you'd like to keep participating, I don't always post the questions on the nanowrimo community, but my HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/"wayzgoose journal is open.
ewrites
(Hi. I'm from the nanowrimo community.)
I don't know anything about your story, so use whatever you think's useful:
1. His friends. Is there anyone in the village who had doubts about dragons (whether they exist, whether they can be killed)? If Steven gets frustrated on the tough journey he might start to wonder whether it's pointless. Have people gone out to kill dragons before? Did they come back? Or do they remember the people who left and never returned?
3. An extra pair of boots and lots of socks. :)
wayzgoose
Thank you! I love the idea of having a skeptic in there somewhere. I was originally thinking that this might come in if Steven gets to a city on his journey. In the city they don't believe in dragons. Or perhaps "The Dragon" is a local pub.
If you'd like to keep participating, I don't always post the questions on the nanowrimo community, but my HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/profile"HYPERLINK "http://wayzgoose.livejournal.com/"wayzgoose journal is open.
cloister27
Also, and this is a little thing but it keeps nagging at me so I'll mention it: every time I go to type his name in one of these comments, I want to type it as "Stephen". It somehow just feels off to use the more modern v-spelling of that name in the context of a pre-industrial setting with dragons. At least, this is what my head tells me; I don't actually know from any research or whatnot that Stephen is a more historic spelling than Steven, but there you go. Food for thought.
wayzgoose
That's definitely an open issue. I focused so much on the abbreviation Stn. that I didn't give a whole lot of thought to how the rest of the name was spelled. I'll give some thought and research to this. I actually thought that he might even be nick-named Sten after the Stn abbreviation.
alathewish:
(Also from the nanowrimo community)
I actually don't have much to contribute, but I think this is a fantastic idea and I'd be really interested to find how it turns out.
So this is just a banner of encouragement being waved. I'll try think of something more helpful later.
Yours Alla
wayzgoose:
Thank you for the interest and for stopping by. I'd love for you to participate as the story progresses. I expect to ask many more questions. I don't post all of them on "nanowrimo so please feel free to friend me at
13 June 2007
Thinking about the journey on the road and the terrain:
It should be varied terrain. Uphil/flat, lush, forest, desert.
It seems odd that there should be a vast, long road with no habitation or other landmark on it. They must come to another village or to a city somewhere along the line. If it were a big place (city), then when he tells people that he is going to slay the dragon, there would be a very different reaction (laughter) than there is in his village.
I can see him telling the people of another village that he is the dragon-slayer and being told that they had a dragon-slayer once. He never came back.
I might take a look at a slice of an area that I know as a start/end of the journey. I have to decide how far it is reasonable to have him walk on this journey.
Assuming that he travels an average of three miles an hour over ten hours each day, that would be thirty miles. It would be less going through rough terrain than on a smooth flat surface. Maybe he should only average 2 miles per hour, or 20 mile per day.
What is a reasonable, arduous journey? Three months? Six months? Five years?
Remember it is an allegory, not a dice-roll fantasy game. No fantastical creatures other than the dragon. No fairies, no dwarves, etc.
quitereasonable:
I like the idea of an arduous and momentous journey being nine months, but that could be because I'm pregnant.
An average of 20-30 miles seems reasonable, but shouldn't there be stuff happening to him to delay him?
I don't really have suggestions on the terrain, but were I writing it I might bone up on travel writings like Bryson's "Walk in the Woods", but for various areas, to see what I might like to throw at my unsuspecting victim, uh, protaganist.
cloister27
> It should be varied terrain. Uphil/flat, lush, forest, desert.
Agreed. You'll need descriptional (if I may coin a word) ways to indicate the passage of time and distance without constantly resorting to "and then on day 37..."
If it's a trade road it could easily a) exist, b) be uninhabited for vast stretches. Your setting (village) implies a long bygone era, when basically all settlements existed on rivers, sizeable streams, or shorelines. Setting the Dragon's lair in a mountain cave where the ridge of the mountain divides the space between two drainage systems, then there could easily be hundreds of miles of uninhabited trade road going, say, from a major town on one side to a major town on the other side.
To me, a "reasonable, arduous journey" for an epic type story would have to be one year, which also allows you to go through all four seasons during the journey. Seems like the sort of thing that legendary stories tend to do. On the other hand, that's pretty long, particularly if this dragon is supposed to be an essentially local figure to the village; i.e. he's _this_ village's problem. Other villages have their own damn dragons to deal with. In that case, I'd go with 28 days: maybe he has to start and end the journey on a full moon for some reason of prophesy or other.
20 miles a day, while certainly possible, is HARD going. For example: in 1988 my brother in law, who is not nearly as insane as you might suspect, RAN from Cape Henlopen, DE, to Point Reyes, CA, along the American Discovery Trail. Distance: 4800 miles. Time: 236 days. Average speed: 20.33 miles per day. And he was running. 3 mi/hr for 10 hr/day may sound good on paper, but it neglects time for finding food, pitching and un-making camp, etc. For Steven to consistently make 10 miles would probably be hard enough.
Terrain: something that mirrors his emotional/psychological journey. In the beginning, the going should be easy and smooth, and the land hospitable with plenty of streams to get water at and obligingly suicidal rabbits for him to catch, etc. But the farther he goes, the harder it should get until the final few miles to the dragon's lair are totally hellish (over craggy mountains in the dead of winter or something).
If the journey itself is hard enough, then it would be reasonable for Steven to arrive in some state of delirium, where from lack of food, water, and sleep he's not all together in his right mind. That would give you an interesting segue into his conversations with the dragon, and would make all the more believable any suppositions by Steven that the dragon's voice isn't real.
xjenevivex:
I loved the way the historian covered this terrain. it may be more modern than your story needs, but it came through fabulously.
It should be varied terrain. Uphil/flat, lush, forest, desert.
It seems odd that there should be a vast, long road with no habitation or other landmark on it. They must come to another village or to a city somewhere along the line. If it were a big place (city), then when he tells people that he is going to slay the dragon, there would be a very different reaction (laughter) than there is in his village.
I can see him telling the people of another village that he is the dragon-slayer and being told that they had a dragon-slayer once. He never came back.
I might take a look at a slice of an area that I know as a start/end of the journey. I have to decide how far it is reasonable to have him walk on this journey.
Assuming that he travels an average of three miles an hour over ten hours each day, that would be thirty miles. It would be less going through rough terrain than on a smooth flat surface. Maybe he should only average 2 miles per hour, or 20 mile per day.
What is a reasonable, arduous journey? Three months? Six months? Five years?
Remember it is an allegory, not a dice-roll fantasy game. No fantastical creatures other than the dragon. No fairies, no dwarves, etc.
quitereasonable:
I like the idea of an arduous and momentous journey being nine months, but that could be because I'm pregnant.
An average of 20-30 miles seems reasonable, but shouldn't there be stuff happening to him to delay him?
I don't really have suggestions on the terrain, but were I writing it I might bone up on travel writings like Bryson's "Walk in the Woods", but for various areas, to see what I might like to throw at my unsuspecting victim, uh, protaganist.
cloister27
> It should be varied terrain. Uphil/flat, lush, forest, desert.
Agreed. You'll need descriptional (if I may coin a word) ways to indicate the passage of time and distance without constantly resorting to "and then on day 37..."
If it's a trade road it could easily a) exist, b) be uninhabited for vast stretches. Your setting (village) implies a long bygone era, when basically all settlements existed on rivers, sizeable streams, or shorelines. Setting the Dragon's lair in a mountain cave where the ridge of the mountain divides the space between two drainage systems, then there could easily be hundreds of miles of uninhabited trade road going, say, from a major town on one side to a major town on the other side.
To me, a "reasonable, arduous journey" for an epic type story would have to be one year, which also allows you to go through all four seasons during the journey. Seems like the sort of thing that legendary stories tend to do. On the other hand, that's pretty long, particularly if this dragon is supposed to be an essentially local figure to the village; i.e. he's _this_ village's problem. Other villages have their own damn dragons to deal with. In that case, I'd go with 28 days: maybe he has to start and end the journey on a full moon for some reason of prophesy or other.
20 miles a day, while certainly possible, is HARD going. For example: in 1988 my brother in law, who is not nearly as insane as you might suspect, RAN from Cape Henlopen, DE, to Point Reyes, CA, along the American Discovery Trail. Distance: 4800 miles. Time: 236 days. Average speed: 20.33 miles per day. And he was running. 3 mi/hr for 10 hr/day may sound good on paper, but it neglects time for finding food, pitching and un-making camp, etc. For Steven to consistently make 10 miles would probably be hard enough.
Terrain: something that mirrors his emotional/psychological journey. In the beginning, the going should be easy and smooth, and the land hospitable with plenty of streams to get water at and obligingly suicidal rabbits for him to catch, etc. But the farther he goes, the harder it should get until the final few miles to the dragon's lair are totally hellish (over craggy mountains in the dead of winter or something).
If the journey itself is hard enough, then it would be reasonable for Steven to arrive in some state of delirium, where from lack of food, water, and sleep he's not all together in his right mind. That would give you an interesting segue into his conversations with the dragon, and would make all the more believable any suppositions by Steven that the dragon's voice isn't real.
xjenevivex:
I loved the way the historian covered this terrain. it may be more modern than your story needs, but it came through fabulously.
12 June 2007
Jason suggests that if Stn is OCD about counting his footsteps, what kind of turmoil is he tossed into when he inevitably loses track? Does he need to start over? Does he need to re-trace to the place where he was when he lost track? Does he need to reconcile himself to starting the count from where he is now? Does he give up the count?
11 June 2007
Why does Steven tan the hide of the dragon?
I think that in the dying conversation the dragon actually instructs Steven on tanning his hide and preserving his meat (it's already smoked!)
That leads me to believe that the dragon might keep talking to him after it is dead.
The influences and the travelers are almost parallel.
Mother-Tinker = Responsibility to home
Lover - gypsy = Responsibility to love
Teacher -
Priest - Pilgrim = Responsibility to god/spirit
Mayor - Soldier = Responsibility to homeland/society
Are they also spiritual/ physical/emotional/mental?
I think that in the dying conversation the dragon actually instructs Steven on tanning his hide and preserving his meat (it's already smoked!)
That leads me to believe that the dragon might keep talking to him after it is dead.
The influences and the travelers are almost parallel.
Mother-Tinker = Responsibility to home
Lover - gypsy = Responsibility to love
Teacher -
Priest - Pilgrim = Responsibility to god/spirit
Mayor - Soldier = Responsibility to homeland/society
Are they also spiritual/ physical/emotional/mental?
09 June 2007
Notes on Stn George
Is the dragon his father and the next dragon-slayer his son? Seems a little cliche. I'm your father Luke. Oedipean.
Richard suggests that it is about making the transitions. What do you do after you have achieved your goals?
Steven should be ageless. The experience of an older man, but the naivete of a youth. Rich experience within a limited framework. His experience is of his townor village. No one there really knows much of the world. So when he meets strangers on the road he doesn't know about Tinkers and Pilgrims, Gypsies soldiers. The dragon is able to tempt him with things he has never seen. Aside from it being so hard to write, it would be good if he was sexless. Anyone should be able to identify with him.
There should be a fairly even division in the influences that he encounters in terms of sex.
Mother, Lover, Teacher, Gypsy
Priest, Mayor, Tinker, Soldier, Pilgrim
Also in and out of village.
Walking
Stately & Dignified = 80 steps/minute
Hiking long distance= 100 steps/minute
Liesurely or dragging = 60 steps/minute
Rushing = 140 steps/minute
Step length is 30" (2.5 feet)
Feet in a mile = 5280 (inches =63360)
Steps in a mile = 2112 (symetrical)
Speed in town = 26.4 minutes per mile or 2.3 miles/hour
Speed on the road = 21.1 min/mile or 2.9 mi/hr
Speed at a rush = 15 min/mile or 4 mi/hr.
Is the dragon his father and the next dragon-slayer his son? Seems a little cliche. I'm your father Luke. Oedipean.
Richard suggests that it is about making the transitions. What do you do after you have achieved your goals?
Steven should be ageless. The experience of an older man, but the naivete of a youth. Rich experience within a limited framework. His experience is of his townor village. No one there really knows much of the world. So when he meets strangers on the road he doesn't know about Tinkers and Pilgrims, Gypsies soldiers. The dragon is able to tempt him with things he has never seen. Aside from it being so hard to write, it would be good if he was sexless. Anyone should be able to identify with him.
There should be a fairly even division in the influences that he encounters in terms of sex.
Mother, Lover, Teacher, Gypsy
Priest, Mayor, Tinker, Soldier, Pilgrim
Also in and out of village.
Walking
Stately & Dignified = 80 steps/minute
Hiking long distance= 100 steps/minute
Liesurely or dragging = 60 steps/minute
Rushing = 140 steps/minute
Step length is 30" (2.5 feet)
Feet in a mile = 5280 (inches =63360)
Steps in a mile = 2112 (symetrical)
Speed in town = 26.4 minutes per mile or 2.3 miles/hour
Speed on the road = 21.1 min/mile or 2.9 mi/hr
Speed at a rush = 15 min/mile or 4 mi/hr.
08 June 2007
I have decided to scale back my novel ambitions for November and deal with something that doesn't feel like three years research and an insane month. So instead of the Letters from the Revolution, I am thinking in terms of an allegory called St. George and the Dragon, in which St stands for Steven, not Saint. Here is the synopsis as it currently stands.
Steven George has always known that he is the one who would slay the dragon. He doesn't remember if he volunteered, was drafted, elected, or inherited the task. He has spent his life being respected and cared for by the people of his village because of what he would one day do.
The story opens on the day that Steven is leaving the village to find the dragon. As he leaves, he reviews the five significant people in his live who have prepared him for this day--Mother, Lover, Teacher, Priest, and Mayor/Elder.
After he leaves the village, Steven meets four people, each of whom he first suspects of being the dragon, revealing that he really doesn't know what the dragon is. The fellow-travelers are Tinker, Gypsy, Pilgrim, and Soldier. They travel together giving him advice and swearing they will back him up until they reach the signpost. Then each of the four friends follow their own roads and leave Steven to follow the sign pointing to the dragon.
Steven finds the dragon and carries on a dialogue with it in which the dragon tries first to scare him away, then to bargain, then to tempt Steven. Each of these efforts fail and at last, Steven rises to fight the dragon.
During the battle, each of the opponents land heavy blows, some physical and some psychological. Steven refers to the dragon as a dumb beast, the dragon to Steven as an ignorant bumpkin. At last, Steven deals a fatal blow to the dragon whose agony washes over Steven so that he understands at last that he has killed an intelligent and valuable creature.
In the aftermath of the battle, Steven, through the dragon, discovers that the dragon was a part of him and gave him purpose which he has now lost. After the dragon is dead, Steven stays at the dragon's lair and rebuilds, ultimately wearing the dragon's skin to keep him warm. As time passes, he becomes the dragon and upon going down from his lair to the village where he had grown up, he finds a child being raised to become the dragon slayer.
I have a rough storyline and enough knowledge of what the story will be to start asking a ton of questions. So I'll keep this updated with the progress as I head toward November.
Okay, just the first few questions on my mind. There will be more. (Many, many more!)
From Jason:
> Then each of the four friends follow their own roads and leave Steven to follow the sign pointing to the dragon.
This had better be a long enough journey that a) it's a meaningful commitment for them to say they'll go that far with him, but b) Steven can't really blame them for not going the whole way when they bail out.
It just occurred to me that the reason Steven would preserve the hide right after the battle would be because at that moment he still _expected_ to go back to the village, and needed proof. But the village being a long ways away and all, he figured he'd better preserve the hide before setting out. After all, it would be a shame if it rotted along the way, and besides, who wants to carry a big smelly uncured hide for that long? I would imagine, too, that before the remorse sets in that Steven would probably indulge in some fantasies about the hide hanging up in the big palace that the villagers would surely build for him, or maybe as a big floor covering in front of his throne.
Regardless (and on a related subject), IMHO there just has to be a psychological component to him finally putting on the dragon skin. I mean, how can there _not_ be a psych aspect to wearing the skin of your enemy. He's got to do it for some reason that's not so, well, mundaine as "Brr, sure is chilly today. Guess I'll wear this old dragon skin I've got lying around..."
Steven George has always known that he is the one who would slay the dragon. He doesn't remember if he volunteered, was drafted, elected, or inherited the task. He has spent his life being respected and cared for by the people of his village because of what he would one day do.
The story opens on the day that Steven is leaving the village to find the dragon. As he leaves, he reviews the five significant people in his live who have prepared him for this day--Mother, Lover, Teacher, Priest, and Mayor/Elder.
After he leaves the village, Steven meets four people, each of whom he first suspects of being the dragon, revealing that he really doesn't know what the dragon is. The fellow-travelers are Tinker, Gypsy, Pilgrim, and Soldier. They travel together giving him advice and swearing they will back him up until they reach the signpost. Then each of the four friends follow their own roads and leave Steven to follow the sign pointing to the dragon.
Steven finds the dragon and carries on a dialogue with it in which the dragon tries first to scare him away, then to bargain, then to tempt Steven. Each of these efforts fail and at last, Steven rises to fight the dragon.
During the battle, each of the opponents land heavy blows, some physical and some psychological. Steven refers to the dragon as a dumb beast, the dragon to Steven as an ignorant bumpkin. At last, Steven deals a fatal blow to the dragon whose agony washes over Steven so that he understands at last that he has killed an intelligent and valuable creature.
In the aftermath of the battle, Steven, through the dragon, discovers that the dragon was a part of him and gave him purpose which he has now lost. After the dragon is dead, Steven stays at the dragon's lair and rebuilds, ultimately wearing the dragon's skin to keep him warm. As time passes, he becomes the dragon and upon going down from his lair to the village where he had grown up, he finds a child being raised to become the dragon slayer.
I have a rough storyline and enough knowledge of what the story will be to start asking a ton of questions. So I'll keep this updated with the progress as I head toward November.
- When Steven George first actually sees the dragon, why doesn't he go straight to work killing it instead of sitting down to engage in dialogue?
- Is the dragon really Steven's father (father-image)?
- Does Steven attempt to go back to the village after the dragon is dead and tell them that the dragon wasn't bad after all?
Okay, just the first few questions on my mind. There will be more. (Many, many more!)
From Jason:
> Then each of the four friends follow their own roads and leave Steven to follow the sign pointing to the dragon.
This had better be a long enough journey that a) it's a meaningful commitment for them to say they'll go that far with him, but b) Steven can't really blame them for not going the whole way when they bail out.
- The dragon starts the conversation by saying something so surprising or profound that Steven is convinced to wait a while and learn more before fighting.
- No. Too cliche. Cue sound of Darth Vader breathing.
- I don't think so. If I were Steven, I'd feel completely betrayed by anyone in the village who ever contributed to his feeling that he had to do this thing--which, as you make it sound, is everybody. I wouldn't want anything to do with them. At a loss for what to do next, I'd probably stay at the lair since the now-dead dragon is the being I'd feel the most empathy with, but I'd be telling myself that this was just until I figured out what to do with the rest of my life. But of course, I'd get habituated to it and the more I stayed there the more I'd empathize with this dragon I'd slain. It could get to be an obsession, with me first affecting the dragon's speech patterns, then maybe some of his physical mannerisms, then only finally putting on the dragon's skin (maybe I'd preserved the hide immediately after the battle before the remorse had set in) as a culmination of this process by which I'd psychologically transformed into the dragon. Something about the skin would cause it to fuse with me, turning me physically into the dragon as well. But no, I don't think I'd go back to the village. Not until after I was dragonized.
It just occurred to me that the reason Steven would preserve the hide right after the battle would be because at that moment he still _expected_ to go back to the village, and needed proof. But the village being a long ways away and all, he figured he'd better preserve the hide before setting out. After all, it would be a shame if it rotted along the way, and besides, who wants to carry a big smelly uncured hide for that long? I would imagine, too, that before the remorse sets in that Steven would probably indulge in some fantasies about the hide hanging up in the big palace that the villagers would surely build for him, or maybe as a big floor covering in front of his throne.
Regardless (and on a related subject), IMHO there just has to be a psychological component to him finally putting on the dragon skin. I mean, how can there _not_ be a psych aspect to wearing the skin of your enemy. He's got to do it for some reason that's not so, well, mundaine as "Brr, sure is chilly today. Guess I'll wear this old dragon skin I've got lying around..."
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