Chapter One
I finished Chapter One Friday night. I am happy with how it played out. It introduced Bran, and as I mentioned last time I am almost overwhelmed by how much I do not like him as a person. That was my intention all along, but he's has grown into his own breathing character and he's not one I like.
Which means, I hope, that there will be enough conflict between him and the reader that really good character development can be possible.
Another item of note: my chapters are shorter in this book than in the last. I'm not sure if it is because I am a tighter writer now as I learned a lot last time, or if writing a story set in the real world takes fewer words than writing a wholly made up world. I have a feeling it is probably a little of both.
Last night, I outlined Chapter Two. It's the first Bran chapter where the boundaries between this world and the other begin to blur in shocking ways. I took my time with the action in Fell Hammer; in this book, I get right to it and don't let up.
Tomorrow I will go to work, come home, and write until dinner. Then one of my friends who is a professional editor will meet me and we'll discuss the Prologue. I sent it to her last week, she's read it, and we are going to discuss some areas she thinks can be improved. She liked it a lot, loved the last few paragraphs, and will probably rip me apart. Wish me luck!
Which means, I hope, that there will be enough conflict between him and the reader that really good character development can be possible.
Another item of note: my chapters are shorter in this book than in the last. I'm not sure if it is because I am a tighter writer now as I learned a lot last time, or if writing a story set in the real world takes fewer words than writing a wholly made up world. I have a feeling it is probably a little of both.
Last night, I outlined Chapter Two. It's the first Bran chapter where the boundaries between this world and the other begin to blur in shocking ways. I took my time with the action in Fell Hammer; in this book, I get right to it and don't let up.
Tomorrow I will go to work, come home, and write until dinner. Then one of my friends who is a professional editor will meet me and we'll discuss the Prologue. I sent it to her last week, she's read it, and we are going to discuss some areas she thinks can be improved. She liked it a lot, loved the last few paragraphs, and will probably rip me apart. Wish me luck!
Labels: The Dagda King
posted by Shawn C. Speakman | 10:54 PM
5 Comments:
Sounds good, Shawn.
I'm always leary of starting off with unlikeable characters (you know how I feel about the Thomas Covenant books) but from what you've told me about how Bran contrasts with Richard (from the prologue), I think you'll do a good job of handling it.
It's funny that you mention that your chapters in this novel are shorter... their still about 1k words shorter than my longest chapters!
I'm glad you're getting straight to the fun stuff in this novel. I think you're writing's at its best when you get to flex your imagination and really play with imagery.
Can't wait to read it!
~Aidan
A Dribble of Ink
Aidan: The great thing about Bran is he isn't Thomas Covenant. He has redeemable qualities whereas Thomas Covenant really doesn't.
To help soften his negative attributes, I've shown what he is like when he is with his girlfriend, and how they interact gives the reader a different view of him -- a more positive one.
So Bran isn't all bad. He has aspects about his personality people won't like, but others they will. In this way it is my intention of making him a "real" character--one that isn't black nor white but gray.
Glad to hear your making headway on the new novel. Where exactly is the prologue for us to read? Or is it still only available to the select few?
Take care and keep it up!
J.David: It is a very tricky thing to post the Prologue, I've come to think.
My knight character, Richard McAllister, has a few echoing traits of a Knight of the Word. These traits are very superficial, like they both fight with staffs. Other than that, I feel they are very different. Richard is far more broken than John Ross ever dreamed of being and the magical system they come from has nothing in common.
When you as a reader get to the next Richard POV chapter, all similarities are quickly dispelled.
But the ambiguity necessary for a Prologue chapter will lead people to make connections that aren't really there in the story. And that worries me.
Perhaps I'll let you read it and make up your own mind?
Shawn,
I am a very willing guinea pig. It would be a privilege to read it.
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