Excerpt of Titan Quest fan-fiction story published at Gobblers by Masticadores

On By Mike U.In Stories

Hey, friends. This piece is a bit different from all of my other pieces published on my blog or at Masticadores. Manuela Timofte, the estimable Editor of Gobblers by Masticadores, was kind enough to publish an excerpt of an untitled, unfinished piece of fan-fiction I wrote a few years ago when I was a moderator at a leading website for the PC game Titan Quest. We had a Stories section on the forum where players would post their stories about the game or any other topic. I began this tale and ended up with more than 7,800 words before finally hitting the wall and was unable to finish. I had a novel in mind; this is just a short excerpt from the beginning. So, it’s a glimpse into my style of prose-writing for those of you who may be interested in checking it out.

Excerpt from Untitled, Unfiished Titan Quest Fan-fiction Story
(c) 2011 by Michael L Utley

“The blade slipped quietly from the man’s sweaty grasp, taking soundless ages to hit the earth with a thud so faint not even the carrion birds took notice. It lay in the dust, stained with crimson and gore, like some ancient and eldritch dragon’s tooth, testament to the day’s labors…to his life’s labors. The westering sun turned the blade to fire for a time and then took refuge behind a scud of clouds, dimming the world and all in it…”

You can read the rest of this story exerpt here:

Short Fiction Excerpt: Titan Quest Fan-fiction

.Also, don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Gobblers by Masticadores, where you’ll find some wonderful writing and plenty of food for thought.

30 thoughts on “Excerpt of Titan Quest fan-fiction story published at Gobblers by Masticadores”

    1. Thank you kindly, Joanne, and no worries–I have difficulty concentrating due to depression and find longer works difficult to read. It’s frustrating as I used to devour books when I was younger. It’s the main reason I don’t write fiction and prose much anymore. I just can’t concentrate well enough to focus.

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      1. I use to be able to read 3 books at the same time, the one I had in the car, the one I carried in my handbag and the one I had in the house. I switched to audiobooks in 2021 but most of this year I haven’t had any interest in reading, I am hoping next year will be different

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    1. Kindest thanks. Oh, the plans I had for this story! I had notes galore, maps, character backgrounds, the works. It would have been at least 300 pages if I’d been able to complete it. It simply grew too huge in my head and I sort of panicked and that was that. This is just a small snippet of what I’d written of this tale. This character was based in part on myself, as far as being haunted by the past is concerned. I’ve never wiped out any enemy encampments with a sword, mind you, but rather the self-doubt, self-hatred, tons of regrets, depression and despair this character carries around with him. I hope I can return to this story sometime and finish it. I don’t think it’ll happen, but I’d really like to see what becomes of this guy, you know? Will he find redemption in the end? Will I? I don’t know.

      I appreciate your take on this excerpt. I always loved prose that has a lyrical feel to it. Some of my favorite authors are those whose prose reads almost like poetry at times.

      I’m behind on blogging stuff and I’m looking forward to dropping by your blog to read your latest posts!

      All the best this holiday season, my friend! 😊

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      1. That would be way cool if it was completed – although, sometimes, unwritten means all the possibilities are still out there.

        It’s amazing what brings out writing, and what writing brings out. Thanks for sharing Mike 😊 and a very Merry Christmas and New Year!

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    1. Thanks, Jeff. I never posted this on the old website since I never finished it, although I did let a couple of other writers on the forum read what I’d come up with and they really liked it. We actually had a rather robust writing group there during my moderating tenure. Most of it was younger writers just starting out (a lot of hit-and-miss stuff, some pretty awful, some quite good), but there were a few older gamers there (older than me) who were accomplished writers even as hobbyists. I served as editor for several of the writers there, going over each chapter of their serials, editing and explaining the corrections so they could learn. Many of the players there were from Europe and for whom English was a second language, so they really appreciated the help. A couple of the writers who asked for help rejected everything I corrected so I just focused on those who were interested in improving their craft. The forum closed its doors in 2017 as its parent company, iEntry, wasn’t interested in maintaining it, which was sad. We had a good core group of folks from all over the globe and I made some wonderful friend there. The full version of this unfinished story runs at just over 7,800 words. Not sure if I’ll ever post the whole thing here on my blog but if anyone was interested in reading it, I’m sure I could do something to oblige. 😊

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  5. This sounds amazing I am going in to read the rest, Mike. Congratulations on the publication. Thank you so much, Manuela Timofte, for publishing Mike’s work. It is always such a wonderful treat to read anything he writes. Mike, I will leave a comment on the magazine. ❤️

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    1. Thanks, Michelle. I’ve toyed with the thought of trying flash-fiction. I’ve never written tiny stories (I can’t seem to write anything short) as I tend to ramble and go into minute detail (with way too many parenthetical asides 😄). Never say never, though, right? Perhaps I could give it a go. This particular excerpt is only a tiny chunk of the 7,800 word unfinished story which I’d planned on stretching to novel length. It just grew too huge in my mind and I abandoned it.

      Hope the holidays are treating you generously, my friend. 😊

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  11. “The westering sun turned the blade to fire for a time and then took refuge behind a scud of clouds, dimming the world and all in it…” My favorite, especially the word “scud” and the description “the world and all in it.” Thanks for sharing:)

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    1. Thanks, Peggy. I used to write prose exclusively many years ago, but just can’t concentrate well enough to do it anymore, which is why this one was abandoned. Old brains lose their focus easily, I suppose…um…what was I talking about? 😂😊

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