Travails

Software hiccups have led to minor delays in finalizing the draft of The Seven Exalted Orders. The editor was using “track changes,” which my usual word processor doesn’t support. I cast about for an online platform that would let me do that. I thought I had a good one, and I got all the way through the whole novel. When I went to download, it changed the format from .rtf to .docx and closed without saving. I can’t find the download anywhere on my drives, either.

Aaarghhh. The trials of an author’s life.

So I’ve had to re-do it all in the non-change-tracking software. I’m about 3/4 of the way through this second pass. The new editor’s main issue seems to be the word “that.” She strikes out almost every instance, even though sometimes the sentence needs “that.” It isn’t a word I toss in just to bump up the word count. I’ve had to rephrase a lot of sentences to avoid “that.” At least this time I know I’m able to save the document!

I guess it’s no big deal. There isn’t a firm deadline for this. It’s just that it takes me away from the second draft of The Tale of the Drakanox, which is where I want my head to be.

On the other hand, reading the book again after so long really reminds me that The Seven Exalted Orders is some of my best work. I can’t wait to introduce it to you again! Soon, I hope.

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Revising Along

There isn’t much new to share this weekend. I’m working through those revisions on The Tale of the Drakanox. Currently I’m on chapters eight and nine of twenty-one chapters, so approaching the midpoint. There’s a lot of focus on Ar-Lizelle and the world she moves through as a high-powered mage. From the outside it appears mages are totally in control, but here we see how the mages are obstacles to each other.

So far, I’ve trimmed about 300 words from 138,000. That either means the story was tight to begin with, and the length is what it needed to be for the number of characters, or it means I still have too much backstory.

Eventually, the readers will judge!

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Backstory, Part 2

Continuing my internal debate about giving a character’s backstory, I wonder if this is partly an issue of pacing. With a lot of fiction, we have internalized expectations about how quickly the plot will move. Anything that seems to slow the pace is regarded as a problem.

I’m not saying this expectation is bad or wrong. We’re just so used to a fast pace that we’re unsettled by a different approach.

For example, if you watch a lot of anime, you’ll notice that the pacing is handled very differently. In Japanese storytelling, they’ll start an episode with a fight of some kind, but then the action pauses while one of the characters will stop and think back about a formative experience that led to them being in the fight. They’ll also mix in briefer bits where someone talks about which technique they’re about to use and how it’s their family heritage or some such.

As a result of this approach, it can take three or four episodes to resolve just one fight in an anime. That pace is glacial compared to American animation, where the whole fight will take just a few minutes on screen. However, the Japanese fight will often end with a feeling of empathy toward the losing side, which would never happen in an American show.

Reflecting on this, I may be inclined to experiment a bit with my pacing and the amount of backstory. After all, The Tale of the Drakanox is about the characters grappling with their past. The backstory isn’t just set dressing, but an important facet of their growth. Besides, if I feel like it’s too much, I can interrupt with other action to space things out.

But, I promise, nobody will stop the action to explain how their special technique is a family treasure!

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Backstory

Revisions on The Tale of the Drakanox have begun! The main comment that’s sticking with me from my husband’s reading (besides that it made him cry) was “too much explaining.” When I followed up on that, he read me the opening of what he thought was a better way to start a novel. Immediately I noticed that it contained zero backstory. So I think what he noticed was me trying to weave in the backstory for characters from previous novellas.

At least he didn’t say it was an info dump!

This is always a question for authors writing a series. My husband’s book is part of a series and he has read every previous one. He didn’t need the back story. But, is that true for every reader? If I took out all/most backstory, will the story make sense for readers who might pick this book up first? I do have expectations for my readers. Should I just expect them to keep up without the details?

This is where I open the floor. How should an author handle backstory later in a series? I look forward to hearing from you!

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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Woman At Work, March/2023

What’s Happening? I’m feeling pretty good about the resolutions I had set out for this year. So far I’ve already completed one (the re-issue of Masters of Air & Fire, see sidebar) and made steps toward two more (my RadCon appearance and writing a short story). Onward!

What I’m Working On. My husband finished reading the first draft of The Tale of the Drakanox. He found the ending scattered, so let the revisions begin!

What’s Next? While completing the second draft of Drakanox, I also realized I need to edit a video on my web site that shows off my books. Some of what’s in there is no longer in print. I’m also poking at a short story collection that’s possible for later this year.

Fun and Games. Currently I’m playing Skyrim’s 10th Anniversary update, with new houses, gear and quests. This game is a longtime favorite and I’m enjoying a chance to revisit it. Of course, I’m also playing Animal Crossing as well. There is a furniture set I just have to complete!

Hope you’re all safe and sound with the winter storms this week!

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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True Confession

I had an interesting experience of reading recently. It was a second book in a planned trilogy when I pre-ordered it, but by the time it reached me, it was the conclusion of a duology. At first I didn’t realize. I just thought the ending was weirdly rushed. Plot arcs I expected to carry into a third book were cut short, and a hopeful ending felt forced.

Then I read the author’s note, and I understood.

When she started writing the first book, the author said, she was making dark predictions about the kind of future before us if fascism is not rooted out. After that book was released and while she was writing the second, the fascist tactics she had predicted began to happen in real life. She had thought she was being extreme, for cautionary purposes. It it turned out her predictions were mild compared to the actual events.

Watching things unfold was so upsetting that she had to end the series prematurely.

A lot of us can probably empathize with that. After the past five or six years, we may all feel a bit traumatized. Any author or other creative professional who attempts to address these events may feel overwhelmed. We need to be in the present in our own lives and coping with the reality.

What’s unusual, to me, is that the author actually made that decision instead of plowing through a third book anyway. There may be career implications, as she was contracted for three books and only delivered two. I’m sure she can manage, though. She’s a highly esteemed professional. It was just interesting to hear of the events that shaped her storytelling.

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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Blow By Blow

Previously I mentioned that my husband has The Tale of the Drakanox for its first reading. This is important not only to reward his support for my writing, but to pick up plot issues, just like with any critique. He’s one of those readers who likes to guess what the ending will be as he goes. It’s both entertaining — as I get to smirk and say “no spoilers” — and useful to hear his predictions.

Some of the things he’s mentioned:

A character is trying to redeem himself. My husband isn’t buying it. Okay.

A character I meant to be kind of sketchy, he thinks is fun and enthusiastic. Um?

A character you’re supposed to worry about, he is worried. Success!

A major plot event he’s just getting too, he said “this isn’t what I expected.” That’s absolutely something to follow up on with him. What did he think would happen, how did the story move away from that, and was it a good plot twist after all? Reader expectations are important. My goal is both to surprise the reader and to satisfy their expectations. Not to say I’ll change things to fit just one reader, but it’s always good to address major stumbling blocks.

These blow-by-blow reactions are always fun, anyhow.

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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Woman At Work, January/2023

What’s Happening? I finished it! The first draft of Tale of the Drakanox is complete! Also, I’ve just had a two-week winter break that encompassed two major holidays. Getting back to work will almost be a relief. In addition, I’m starting the new year off right with a new short story. “Where Gold Grows on Trees” is in the January issue of Lorelei Signal.

What I’m Working On. The plan was to rest my brain from Drakanox for a couple of weeks, but the very next day a new short story sprang into my mind. I jotted down the first couple of pages, but then started to realize how many blanks I was leaving to fill in for later. I’m still jotting, but mostly my focus has been those background details, like the names of cities and who is in charge of what.

What’s Next? Those books I got back from the defunct small press are waiting their turn to be refreshed and re-released. I just went over the options in my resolutions, last Saturday, so I’ll avoid rehashing that. My immediate plan is for Masters of Air and Fire to be ready by February, when I have my first convention of the year.

Fun and Games. I finished my play through of Skyrim in early December. Once again I saved the Empire! I found out there was an update to Subnautica, and managed to finish a play through of it without the serious crashes I was having. Currently I’m playing yet another run of Dragon Age Origins and also keeping up with Animal Crossing. I also received several jigsaw puzzles for Christmas and those will keep me occupied nicely as well.

The new year is going to be whatever we make of it. So make it wonderful!

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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Life or Death

I made the leap and am writing madly toward the conclusion of The Tale of the Drakanox. As I’m pulling the threads together, there’s one thing I didn’t really consider before I got to this point. Will all of my characters survive the experience?

In previous posts, I’ve mulled over how authors decide whether characters should live or die. Sometimes a character is “bad” and needs to be “punished,” so they die in the end. Or they’re “good” and deserve to live by whatever contrived means. (Thinking of all those movies where it seems like a character is dead, but then they start breathing again.) Sometimes the author is looking for a juicy twist. Sometimes, they seem to feel that victory must have a cost. These can all be valid reasons, or they can be manipulations.

Or, both. As they say, two things can be true at the same time.

What I’m thinking about here are three main issues. First, as a pantser, I follow the most logical outcome of situations. If a character dying is most logical, then I should let it happen. Unless I need that character for later in the story. Then I will revise the situation so escape is more logical.

Second, I consider the reader’s reaction. Will they be disappointed if nobody dies? Grieving for fallen characters is a thing that some readers seem to enjoy. Other readers may be upset if the “bad guy” lives to tell the tale. Should I bump off a character to satisfy those readers?

Third and perhaps more important, I consider the underlying theme of the work. With the Minstrels of Skaythe series, it’s resisting a vicious regime through non-violence. If I end the series with a major bloodbath, that would undercut my own point and I’m certain it would disappoint readers who value my theme.

Before I go farther, I’ll probably make up one of my charts that lists all the possible outcomes. Just looking at them all laid out like that sometimes gives me a knee-jerk “yes/no” reaction that helps me. I might even roll dice for some of the choices.

Looks like I have some decisions to make!

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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On the Precipice

Yes, I’m nearly there with The Tale of the Drakanox. I have just the big finale to complete the first draft. Huzzah!

What has me hesitating is the scale of this last part. A huge force of mages is converging on my dauntless renegades. How will they survive without giving up their pacifist beliefs? There’s so much to remember, drawing on the endings of previous novellas, the fates of all my characters, not leaving out anyone/anything… It’s a lot! And I know it will take me until the end of the year to finish up.

But… but… that’s only two weeks! And there’s holidays and stuff at the same time!

I know I can do this. I always hesitate in this part of the book. I’ll leave you with a famous line from Dragon Age II, where the witch Flemeth gives advice to the hero, Hawke. “We stand upon the precipice of change. The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Watch for that moment… and when it comes, do not hesitate to leap. It is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly.” (The voice of Flemeth is Kate Mulgrew, by the way, in an outstanding performance.)

Flemeth always knew what she was talking about, so I guess I’d better leap!

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Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

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