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Monthly Archives: February 2009
Monthly Archives: February 2009
I’m working on Dindi Book 2, Section 1. It looks like it will be about 20,000 words, which is fine. I hope to finish it this weekend.
I’m trying to decide whether to have a Darth Vader moment. I have a character who is looking for his dad in Book 3 (of Dindi). I have another character, who showed up in a completely different context in Book 1. Should they be related?
Disadvantages:
* My original idea was the dad would be from a particular tribe (not the same as the existing character)
* He also dances the wrong Chroma – I would have to either change his Chroma or change something else, to make it consistent
* Too many coincidences might seem hokey
* Dad was supposed to be real jerk, and this character is moderately heroic
Advantages:
* Tightens the story by connecting previously disconnected story threads.
* Reduces the number of characters
* A character who is sometimes a jerk and sometimes moderately heroic is more interesting
I think the last point is swaying me toward doing it. I’d probably want to end up redeeming the dad anyway — I’m just a softy that way — so why not save myself the trouble of agonizing over it and go in from the start with the knowledge this is a flawed rather than evil character?
I found out about a delicious contest on the blog of Miss Snark’s First Victim.
The idea is so delightful, I couldn’t resist entering. Fifty (raised to sixty for reasons explained on the blog) aspiring authors submit the first 250 words of their completed novels. A agent, about whom we know nothing except what genres he/she represents, reads them. At the end of the contest, the Secret Agent unmasks herself/himseslf and picks “prizes” for the winners like a read of a partial or a full. Pretty sweet.
In addition, everyone crits other entries, so, even if you don’t catch the Secret Agent’s eye, you still receive helpful feedback on your novel’s opening.
I entered.
Wow, though, the competition is intense. There are a lot of entries which I, personally, would love to keep reading.
* * *
UPDATE
I just finished reviewing all sixty entries. Whew — and wow. There’s some really lovely prose and smashing hooks in that bunch. It’s intimidating, but also exhilarating. I also received some good feedback on my submission.
With so many excellent submissions, I fear my chances of coming to the Secret Agent’s attention are not just slim, but downright anorexic. It’s depressing to realize that real slush piles are just like this, except with no cap on the number of submissions. I honestly don’t know how agents retain their sanity.
However, I’m glad I entered, and so excited to find out who the Secret Agent is!
Break out your violins, cause I’m gonna wail and whine.
I was supposed spend this month finishing my Mother of All Outlines. Instead, I did the usual shoddy-bum half-baked outline I usually do and then immediately snuck off to continue writing on Book II.
Now, I had an excuse. (Naturally.) Each book has a number of story threads, which follow different PoV characters and eventually meet up somewhere in the book. One of these threads, for every book, is not like the others. It’s usually a series of events from the past. In Book I, a thread follows the mysterious Corn Maiden. In Book II, there’s a thread which follows Mayara, an Aelfae orphan whose whole family is murdered by humans, and who is then taken in by humans who don’t realize she’s fae.
Since these threads are in the past, they are out of chronological sync with the rest of the series. When I write them, however, it’s easier to do it in chronological order — so I like to write the whole sequence as a set piece, which I then divide and distribute to the proper chapters.
I did write a shallow outline, which still manages to be more detailed than my previous outlines. I even included some dialogue.
But I learned I need to include two important things right there in the outline, if this detailed “phrase” outline system is going to work for me.
One: Characters.
Who is in the scene? This seems like a no-brainer. How can I have dialogue if I don’t know who’s talking? But I don’t mean the main characters. I know who the PoV character is going to be, but sometimes there are also bit players present, doing things, and I need to figure out who these guys are at the outline stage.
Two: Setting.
Again, I know generally where the scene is taking place. What I need are the specifics. Inside or outside? In whose room, by which rock?
* * *
These still aren’t things I’m used to thinking about during the outlining stage.
Example:
My outline phrase: Mayara watches her whole family slaughtered by humans.
My realization when I went to write the scene: Who is she with — mother, father? Where is she compared to her family — i.e. she must be close enough to watch, but far away enough she herself isn’t killed. Are her family members given names or just called “her family”?
My draft:
“Give me your wings,” her mommy said. “I’ll bury them.”
Mayara wasn’t sure what to do. Her wings were part of her – they grew from her back. How could she give them up, even if she wanted to, any more than she could take off her arms or her legs?
“Hurry!” Mommy kept looking back over her shoulder. The forest beyond the cave looked innocent enough, but Mayara could hear the war cries of humans climbing the slope, out of sight. Hu, hu, hu! they shouted in the distance, to the beat of drums.
Break out your violins, cause I’m gonna wail and whine.
I was supposed spend this month finishing my Mother of All Outlines. Instead, I did the usual shoddy-bum half-baked outline I usually do and then immediately snuck off to start writing on Book II.
Now, I had an excuse. (Naturally.) Each book has a number of story threads, which follow different PoV characters and eventually meet up somewhere in the book. One of these threads, for every book, is not like the others. It’s usually a series of events from the past. In Book I, a thread follows the mysterious Corn Maiden. In Book II, there’s a thread follows Mayara, an Aelfae orphan whose whole family is murdered by humans, and who is then taken in by humans who don’t realize she’s fae.
Since these threads are in the past, they are out of chronological sync with the rest of the series. When I write them, however, it’s easier to do it in chronological order — so I like to write the whole sequence quickly.
I did write a shallow outline, which still manages to be more detailed than my previous outlines.
(Granted, sometimes my outline consisted of a proper name of the hut.) Huh? I just read this last line I wrote and it made no sense. Damn, I am falling asleep.
I took my younger son (also known as “Spawn: the Sequel”) to his doctor for immunizations. The doctor reminded us of the usual things. Don’t shake him. Put him to sleep on his back. Car seat must face backwards. And so on.
She added, “It’s also great to read to him. At this point, he doesn’t care what you read, he just loves to hear your voice. You can read him any book, whatever you’re reading, such as…”
Here she leaned over to pick up the nonfiction book I had brought in with me. She read the title out loud.
“…Cannibalism, Headhunting and Human Sacrifice in North America.” Pause. Blink. Look of horror. “Um. Ok, maybe not that book.”
Note to self: Do not bring research books for that chapter on human sacrifice into the pediatrician’s office.