An extract from Rijako

Was today noteworthy in the slightest? For me, it wasn't. Today's post will have to take a completely new approach; no detached diary entry, oh no - today, enjoy the opening of my book. Brace yourself for...

Rijako Chapter 1: Zyla and the Duck

 Space travel is a tricky business. There’s a lot to get used to. Zyla Moph had about ten minutes to get used to it.
 The Nasisian capsule crashed on Camalah – or Anti-Nasisia as the female inside it might call it. By no fault of their own, the people of Nasisia are very touchy about their planetary identity. In fact, it's a crime to express a desire to leave the planet. Originally, this heinous crime carried the penalty of death, but after a meeting between the three Nasisian world leaders – who by an amazing coincidence are all called 'Cake' – capital punishment was considered not severe enough, and a law was passed that anyone who wishes to leave Nasisia must be sentenced to a fate worse than death: exile. Naturally, many philosophers, professors and primary school pupils argued that this would reward those who want to leave. Cake, Cake and Cake decided that kind of talk sounded like the philosophers, professors and primary school pupils wanted to leave, and so fired up the cannon, launched their best scholars towards Anti-Nasisia and then looked for some more patriotic philosophers and professors.
 As Zyla Moph stepped out onto the Camalan landscape, she realised just how wrong the three Cakes were. Nasisia, she mused, is hellish. Ahead of her stood miles of beaches, illuminated by azure sky and bordered by tranquil seas. Behind her towered a city skyline, and behind that the rolling mountains littered the idyllic planet, half of which bathed in Alpha Capricornus' sunlight, whilst the other watched the stars in the sky. This was every bit the Anti-Nasisia she was looking for.

Yeah, it's not great by anyone's standards, but I wrote the first chapter - these and a further 1200 words - as a piece of coursework for AS English Language, got an A, and wrote a further 4 chapters. I may finish it one day.

A note on the name "Nasisia": I originally named the planet "Lebb", but an English teacher/Mr. Bean lookalike noted the similarity between "Lebbian" and "Lesbian". As for "Nasisia", a google search turns up with nothing of note, and I like the sound of it. Another note: "Rijako" is my initials dispersed with vowels. A final note: "Camalah" - by starting with ~"camel" and ending with "ah" - has a certain desert-like quality, hence fitting the beach planet. And there you have it, a sort of save-the-best-'til-last approach to revealing my mad choice of proper nouns. Don't even ask about "Zyla Moph" - I really have no idea.