The Background of the Sicilian Knight

I first discovered the Novel Site when it was called "The 60 Second Novelist."  I began posting my poetry in the poetry board attached to the Cafe.  I began corresponding with another poet that used wonderful imagery in her poems, and we talked in IMs occasionally.

One day she IMd me and asked if I'd be interesting the Writing Contests as a co-writer with her.  It was on the Story Board (there was only one then ... limit 250 words).  There had been a challenge issued for a group writing effort called "Masquerade."  There was an entire storyline of the medieval kingdom of Sikstea (60), and fifteen or twenty writers were participating.

I had never written fictional prose before, so I wavered a bit ... but I was truly enticed.  These people all knew each other, but I was unknown to any of them but her.  The mystery would drive them nuts! (it did).

My stories took off with a vengeance ... quite a following developed, and several female characters began to flirt with me in their responses.

I was a Sicilian Knight, the bodyguard of Lady Wolf.  I played the part of a man secretly infatuated with his Lady, yet never allowed to voice it out loud.  I did, however, to round out the plot, post some poetry in the screen name of SiciliKnt.  This one in particular:


LadyWolf Song

Dawn awakens with your smile,
sunrise comes tinged with fire;
and my heart is breaking while
my flesh is burning with desire.
How I fear this drives me mad:
torn between my heart and mind;
and the torture, exquisite, sad,
is driven by the fates unkind.
Cry out, my soul, it does no good;
duty calls a bit too late --
for I join the brotherhood
of those who want, but hesitate.
Oh, M'Lady, my desire
is but to faithfully abide;
trying to stem the secret fire
that seems swelling like the tide.
My ships touch a thousand shores,
bringing riches back to me;
but my passion cries for more --
it cries, my LadyWolf, for thee!

Sicilian

DWD 96

People went crazy trying to identify me, and it was great fun -- for awhile.  I forwarded my responses to LadyWolf, so she could see how things were working for us.  The responses were great!

Suddenly, a woman began to attack my character in her stories (one of the flirts).  She took the liberty of endowing my character with a malice that was not there -- in him or me.  It continued for a week or more.  I was lost for a reason ... and flustered.

One day she IMd me out of the blue, and asked if I knew why she was attacking me.  I had no idea!  She told me I was forwarding her responses to her boyfriend, and that he was mad at her for her flirting.  I told her I shared the responses with my writing partner, and no one else.

Later that evening, one of the originators of the storyline IMd me, and told me that they didn't want "my kind" writing with them, if I was going to be so nasty.  I tried to sort out the reasons for these new tactics, then she asked, "Do you even know what's going on?"

That was the last straw.  I told her, "Hell no, I don't know what's going on.  I'm just trying to write, and now all of a sudden people are attacking me.  I don't give a damn what the reason is -- I'm outta here!"  I shut down my computer and went to bed.

I was an emotional basket-case by that time ... I tossed and turned, while images and words shredded my somnolence.  I finally got up at 3:30 AM to write the Jester.  It was to be my "Goodbye" to the whole scenario.  I was killing off my character, and dropping out of their storyline.

The Jester

Come saith the Jester, and
write with us a spell,
we'll spin a merry yarn;
yea, we'll do it well.
with a wink 'e said,
"twill be good for you
to play the loyal knight, and
be romantic, too."
Well, I chose to do the thing,
for I was enamored, then:
I donned my shining armor, and
grasped my trusty pen;
I'd be a pure gentleman,
in honor, strong and true ;
I'd doff my hat to ladies, and
wink my eyes of blue.
Well, I played the part so well,
and loved it, yesiree --
then the beast raised his head, and
ripped my heart from me.
"You're no gentleman!" they cried,
in absolute disdain,
"you have no honor here,
all you give is pain!"
I bathed my soul in tears
in Sikstea realm, tonight; and
to think that when I came,
I only wanted to write.
Now attacked at ev'ry turn,
for mercy oft I pled;
but the beast just raked 'is claws
till my character was dead.
I pled to the Jester,
"This jealousy doth rule?"
"Aye!"  saith the Jester,
"Methinks ye are a fool!"
See the poor Sicilian,
came fresh in his desire --
here lies poor Sicilian:
killed by "friendly fire."

Sicilian

DWD 96

Just before I'd signed off, I told my friend what had happened, and that I was going to bed.  She said nothing, but was shocked and hurt ... she'd been sending my responses on to HER boyfriend (One of the NOVLs), just to prove that there was nothing going on between her and me.

In the meantime, these women all met ... they found out that the guy was "boyfriend" to ten women ... all of them involved in the story.  They also found out that I was completely new, and had no idea who ANY of them were.

When I went online to post the Jester, in the morning, there was a long, tearful letter from the founder of the storyline, telling me what had happened.  The NOVL was immediately fired, since all ten women wrote in, complaining about him.

I was too much in love with the storyline to quit, so I never posted The Jester.  I began writing a second character to interact with my Sicilian Knight, an Indian Chief named Goldeagle.  These two characters were followed favorably by most of the people in the "Realm," and I had many opportunities to collaborate with other writers (Some of whom are still friends today).

In the ten years of my participation in the site, I was hired as a Contest Judge, then as a Board Manager, then the Interview Manager, and finally as the Area Manager.  Unfortunately, the site no longer exists.  It disappeared along with many other interactive sites that AOL closed in their reformation.

Dallas D'Angelo-Gary