Watcha Writin'?

[Valka D'Ur]

Well, not really. Chapter 11 came to a natural break, so I stopped writing. My editor likes me to keep my chapters at approximate the same length. In this story, they average 7.25 single-space pages. I was already at 8 pages and was looking at another 3-4 pages.

Chap. 12 begins with me introducing a new character. When she looks back at the events of those 3-4 unwritten pages, they telescope nicely down to 3/4 of a page. This is good because it frees me to return to my main storyline. I've now gone 9 single-spaced pages with no mention of my main character.

Kevin J. Anderson would not approve of that. His method of dictahiking a story is to be as repetitious as possible and keep reminding people over and over and over about who everyone is and what they've already said and done, like the reader is too stupid to remember what happened half a dozen pages ago or too inept to flip back and check.

Is this new character a secondary character, as in will she be around from now on until the end of the story?

 

[Zkribbler]

Kevin J. Anderson would not approve of that. His method of dictahiking a story is to be as repetitious as possible and keep reminding people over and over and over about who everyone is and what they've already said and done, like the reader is too stupid to remember what happened half a dozen pages ago or too inept to flip back and check.

My editor first worked with me on my second book. She commented that it was like a Russian novel because the plethora of characters was difficult to keep straight. Taking note of that, I now de-emphasize minor characters by using only minimum descriptions. When I return to a more major character after a hiatus, I use a phrase or two to refresh the reader's recollection. [E.g. "Bernard, the gnome from the Averest Banking and Trust Co...']

I'm about to deal with this in Chap 9, when my main character meets the Regents, some of whom he's met before. So I'll say something like, "Baroness ___, manager of the _____ bank; atty. _________, lead partner of the Law Firm of ____."

Is this new character a secondary character, as in will she be around from now on until the end of the story?

She is the most well informed citizen in the city. She will pop up in those times when my main character [or the readers] need to know something that is otherwise unknowable, such as the real story behind the King & Queen's assassination.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

My editor first worked with me on me second book. She commented that it was like a Russian novel because the plethora of characters was difficult to keep straight. Taking note of that, I now de-emphasize minor characters by using only minimum descriptions. When I return to a more major character after a hiatus, I use a phrase or two to refresh the reader's recollection. [E.g. "Bernard, the gnome from the Averest Banking and Trust Co...']

I'm about to deal with this in Chap 9, when my main character meets the Regents, some of whom he's met before. So I'll say something like, "Baroness ___, manager of the _____ bank; atty. _________, lead partner of the Law Firm of ____."



She is the most well informed citizen in the city. She will pop up in those times when my main character [or the readers] need to know something that is otherwise unknowable, such as the real story behind the King & Queen's assassination.

Some authors have a list of characters ("Dramatis Personae") in the front of the book, usually listed either by affiliation or by first appearance. If the reader forgets who someone is, they can look it up. Lindsey Davis even includes the Falco family's pets in her "cast of characters."

 

[Zkribbler]

I've done a pallid version of that with my chapter titles:

Chapter 1: Vulgus
Chapter 2: Melinda Sugartown
Chapter 3: Plutus Craft
Chapter 4: Alfonzo Rapaitius Wolfe, Esq.
Chapter 5: O.K. Ogre
Chapter 6: Ebeneezer Jack
Chapter 7: Abbé Nôrmal
Chapter 8: Ayn Atlas
Chapter 9: The Royal Regents
Chapter 10: Baron Icarus Down
Chapter 11: Umntwana
Chapter 12: Fiat Lux
Chapter 13: Mad King Prometheus
Chapter 14: Baroness Ariel Rook
Chapter 15: Jon Gelt
Chapter 16: Zadkiel

Edited to set out the title of Chapter 14

 

[Valka D'Ur]

So you're not writing about anyone in Chapter 14?

 

[Zkribbler]

So you're not writing about anyone in Chapter 14?

The bank manager Baroness Ariel Rook will be driven to bankruptcy and suicide, and Alfonzo Rapaitius Wolfe, Esq. will also be ruined, setting up a duel to the death in Chap. 15 with the third miscreant Jon Gelt.

Spoiler Jon Gelt Chap. 3 intro :

The golem Jon Gelt was made of money. Literally. Most golems were made of clay; some were made of stone; a few were made of iron or steel. Jon Gelt was made of gold with eyes of emeralds.

 

[Zkribbler]

Hrumph. I'm at a meeting of the Royal Regents. So far, I delineate only four of them. I need more, many more!

Edit:
Contained within epics are long lists, called an epic catalogue. I'm not a big fan of these because they rarely advance the story. Here, however, an epic catalogue is appropriate because I need to specify quickly the immense power of the Regents.

I began with a brief paragraph for each regent. I'm now down to a sentence each, setting out name, source of wealth/power, and a thumbnail description.

I'm up to eight. I need maybe a half dozen more.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Isn't a regent a caretaker/placeholder for the real ruler, who can't rule due to illness or incapacity, or because they're a minor?

 

[Zkribbler]

Isn't a regent a caretaker/placeholder for the real ruler, who can't rule due to illness or incapacity, or because they're a minor?

Precisely. In this case, they were the old King's Council of Advisors. When he died, the conspired to have the new King declared insane, so that they can rule the kingdom for their benefit.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Precisely. In this case, they were the old King's Council of Advisors. When he died, the conspired to have the new King declared insane, so that they can rule the kingdom for their benefit.

According to the Victoria TV series that's been running on PBS, that's what some of her loving relatives tried to do... claim that Victoria was mentally unstable, so they could rule as her regents (of course there would be one person nominally designated for that role).

It's also reminiscent of what happened after Edward (Henry VIII's son) became terminally ill.

 

[Zkribbler]

...(of course there would be one person nominally designated for that role)...

I suppose the conspirators could have attempted to agree on choosing only one of their number to rule, but they are an ambitious, suspicious lot. Trust is not their string suit.

Moreover, regents can be a committee. Witness the regency in Shogun.

 

[Zkribbler]

Chapter 9: The Royal Regents is now done.
The first half of Chapter 10: Baron Icarus Down was done long ago. I finish up here next.
Chapter 11: Umntwana is already done.
Chapter 12, when finished, will bring me to the 3/4 mark of my novel.

 

[Synobun]

(How is publishing Wee and Lovelash Locket going?)

 

[Zkribbler]

(How is publishing Wee and Lovelash Locket going?)

Thank you for that kick in the pants.

I've been putting those off, and putting those off, and putting those off because I hate doing creative stuff and administrative stuff at the same time. I've been gravitating towards writing and ignoring everything else.

Upon reading your post, I've been contemplating how to mend my ways. Here's my new plan.

Because I do most of my writing at night, dinner time through breakfast will be reserved for writing. Daytime, i.e. breakfast through dinner, is reserved for administrative tasks.

I've already re-downloaded Lovelash Locket into Open Office. The missing-space problem I wrestled with so hard using Word is now gone.

PS: If your deranged dog avatar were switched to something else, I would be most happy.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Because I do most of my writing at night, dinner time through breakfast will be reserved for writing. Daytime, i.e. breakfast through dinner, is reserved for administrative tasks.

So you don't plan on doing any eating or sleeping?

PS: If your deranged dog avatar were switched to something else, I would be most happy.

Seconded. I came to like that rude Siamese cat that always stuck its tongue out. Or if you must have a bug-eyed dog avatar, pugs are cuter.

 

[Synobun]

Y'all are just hater gators.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Y'all are just hater gators.

This avatar is so cute.

 

[Zkribbler]

So you don't plan on doing any eating or sleeping?

From my days on Jenny Craig, I've kept the regimen of three small meals & three small snacks a day.
I tend to sleep the same way. It's now 01:40, & I've just slept for 5 hours, which for me is along time. Up & down all night; many naps all day long.

This avatar is so cute.

Mine is cuter -- me, as a South Park character.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

From my days on Jenny Craig, I've kept the regimen of three small meals & three small snacks a day.
I tend to sleep the same way. It's now 01:40, & I've just slept for 5 hours, which for me is along time. Up & down all night; many naps all day long.

I've been going through times when 5 hours in a row is a long sleep. But it does help the writing along sometimes, as it's not unoften I'll literally dream some of the scenes I end up including, provided I can remember them and write them down fast enough.

Mine is cuter -- me, as a South Park character.

And a fairly accurate likeness, too, based on the photo I saw of you.

However, I'm most partial to cats.

 

[Zkribbler]

Chapter 10: Baron Icarus Down
Chapter 11: Umntwana
Chapter 12: Fiat Lux
Act III:
Chapter 13: Mad King Prometheus
Chapter 14: Baroness Ariel Rook
Chapter 15: Jon Gelt
Chapter 16: Zadkiel

I've finished up Chapter 10, but this is no great accomplishment. Most of it was previously done, and I added just two short scenes to make this one of my shortest chapters. Chapter 11 was already done. Chapter 12, so far is just a stub. For the moment, I'm going to skip over it because this chapter's main job will be to set up various situations necessary to establish my Act III quartet of chapters. I need to write those chapters to ascertain what foundations they require.
In Chapter 13: Mad King Prometheus, the world economy collapses. Should be fun.