Sheesh, kids, give me a break here…
Posted by Merry in 
So Chapter Eleven is giving me a little bit of attitude. I intended for the characters to ride right off into a big battle in this chapter. Instead, Kade and Erinda are insisting on a dramatic pre-battle interlude. No matter how I keep trying to nudge them out of the city gates and into the fray, they just keep pushing back, determined to have their moment together.
Characters. Pfft. They can be so much like kids sometimes. I am now a good five pages into this chapter and they have yet to get their butts on the battlefield like I’m asking them to. I don’t know what that will mean for the rest of this chapter; it’s possible I might not make it all the way through the battle scene and will have to do a chapter cut at some cliffhanger-y spot in the middle. Planning to work on that today if I have time. I’d really like to get this chapter done this week. I was originally aiming for two chapters a week, but this section has been so cantankerous that I haven’t been able to get it to cooperate with my preferred timetable. It’s looking like I’ll only have one chapter’s worth of progress to show for the week, I guess.
I did end up going to the store this week and buying another little netbook for my wife, because she’d appropriated my little pink one that I use for writing so she could hook it up to our TV and watch hulu & netflix in the evenings. This, of course, meant that I could only write if I wanted to be sequestered up in our little office with the bigger computer, and for some reason I have the hardest time getting any writing done up there. I write best either on the couch or in bed, and so when my netbook was being used for other purposes I couldn’t do any writing in the evenings. :P So I finally just bought her one of her own, and now we can sit together cozily at night while she watches her shows and I can still crank out a paragraph or two. *grins* Also, I can take my netbook to work with me so I can work on the book during my lunch breaks. Much better arrangement. :P
Happy Friday, everyone!
nevermore – Nell Stark and Trinity Tam
So I devoured nevermore in about a day and a half, because, dear readers, it is even better than the first book (if such a thing is possible.)
First of all, how hot is the name “Valentine” for a vampire? Hmm? Second, the politics, culture and intrigue of nevermore had me hooked from like, page two. While I really enjoyed watching Valentine & Alexa’s relationship and new paranormal identities develop in the first book, in this second one we get to watch them become real players in their new world, with all their new (sometimes creepy) friends. And oooh, the suspense! The drama! The epic and cunning power struggles between aforementioned creepy friends!
Also, I would like to move to Telassar and live there forever. Just sayin’. Anybody willing to make me, like, a Were-butterfly or something? >D
Cannot WAIT for the next book. (Though unfortunately I have to, because it’s not coming out until August. Le sigh.)
Yeah, right
Over the weekend I managed to finish chapter ten… a shorter chapter than many others, and I think that accounts for some of my pacing concerns through this part of the manuscript. Though the scenes certainly don’t feel hurried when I’m writing them, these particular sections are densely packed with information and plot momentum. At least, it feels like it to me when I’m re-reading it, even though I know perfectly well that we’ve still got a whole lot of story to get through before we reach the end.
Still, sometimes it takes writing a few subsequent chapters and then going back to review it before I can really tell if the pacing is off or if it just felt a little unwieldy during the draft process, so I guess I’ll go over it a couple more times and then move on. That’s what a girl has beta readers and editors for, right? :)
In milestone news, however, I have officially cracked page 100 of the rough draft! Very excited by this. *grins* And, according to my updated word count I’m just a wee bit over halfway through the book at this point.
Up next is another big battle scene, probably one of the biggest of the entire story. I’m struggling a little with figuring out how to appropriately incorporate Kade’s shaa’din powers as she develops them. I’m pretty sure that a lot of readers may end up rolling their eyes and going “Well, wasn’t that just so convenient?” I’ve heard a few comments like that even from SotG readers, and I do understand that having it all wrapped up in a pretty bow is not particularly satisfying, especially if the challenges they’re facing have been built up into this huge, ominous conflict. The reader expects a big, satisfying, OMG way out for the protagonists. The characters have to at least get beat up a little. There has to be the possibility that they could lose. Sometimes a real loss needs to take place in order to up the stakes enough.
The problem, of course, with a happy-ending romance novel, is that we pretty much all know that the good guys are going to win in the end. Even if they lose a few battles somewhere in the middle (The Empire Strikes Back, anyone?) they still have to come out of it alive for the story to keep going, so even then it can’t be a complete and utter failure. And there’s a level of disbelief on both sides of the equation that has to be kept in balance. If the battle’s too difficult, the reader asks “what’s the point of being a special magical holy warrior if your “powers” are essentially powerless?” But if it’s too easy, then you get the “yeah, right, Mary Sue much?” response. *sigh* I’m a bit worried that, in order to demonstrate all the things Kade is able to do (and thereby justify the big climactic scenes at the end) I’m going to end up with a lot of “yeah, right” readers on the journey there.
Some of that I can tackle directly in the manuscript, by letting the characters themselves give the “yeah, right” response on behalf of the reader. I have a couple other options, too. I could throw in an extra character, one whose sole purpose is to get the reader good and attached to their lovableness so that when I kill them off it creates that sense of loss and upping the stakes. That feels like a bit of a cheap machination, though. I could (and in a couple of places, plan to) bring other characters to the very edge of death and yank them back at the last possible moment, after much angsting and drama, of course. But the yanking back, no matter how hard I make it on the heroes, will still always smack of convenience, won’t it? How many times have we all seen the ooh-I-just-killed-off-a-main-character-and-went-through-chapters-of-awful-grieving-and-angst-but-viola!-he/she’s-not-really-dead-after-all-yay! plot angle? And it’s beaten to death, but for good reason… because the stakes don’t get much higher than that.
*sigh* I’m probably overthinking the whole thing. Most of my favorite tv/movie/book storylines of all time are chock full of overly-convenient plot twists, anyway, and that never stopped me from absorbing them eagerly. I think maybe I should just let the story tell itself the way it wants, and see what it looks like when it’s all said and done…
And then there are the nights when the Muse is cruel
*stares blearily at her computer screen* It is 9:30 AM, and I am not at work. I had to use sick time today, because the Muse kept me up until 5 AM working on the PotH manuscript. Chapter Nine is done, albeit in what I think is quite a rough draft because by the time I finished it my head was nodding so stubbornly I could barely keep my eyes open.
There will, I think, be more sexiness in this book than I’d realized. :P
Anyway, not only did the Muse force me to pull an all-nighter, but she also started feeding me a second line of novel plot — what I think is a YA Paranormal/Urban Fantasy series, though still very murky and unformed as yet. I had to stop in the middle of PotH, pull up a new document and scribble down the thoughts I was getting before I could keep working on Chapter Nine.
I tried to sleep a little this morning, but between texting my boss and staff, resetting my alarm clock when it went off, and Shasta getting up to make it to an early morning appointment, it hasn’t gone so well. Then I had to get up and put some food in my tummy so it would stop talking to me. Now I’m back in bed and so very tempted to read over what I wrote last night and begin cleaning it up, but I know my foggy brain’s in no condition to be picking through anything with any semblance of accuracy.
Going to try and sleep some more now. I think maybe Shasta will come join me when she’s done with her second appointment of the morning. She’s not feeling particularly well either, and with it being a sort of gray and gloomy day out, I think it may be the perfect day for tea, cuddles, and long naps…
PotH Playlist, Track Fifteen: Love Conquers All
The final song in my PotH Playlist: Kate Earl’s “Impossible.” Another one that pretty much speaks for itself, I think. Will post a full recap of the playlist here soon for those who want the Reader’s Digest version. :P
no matter how hard, no matter how tough
there is no turning back
no way you’ll ever give up on me
no matter how dark, no matter how deep
the challenges may be
you’re gonna find me right here
always right beside you
whatever curve life may throw
we’re in it together
cause you and i are building our dream
they say impossible
they say it can’t be done
can’t break us down cause we’re unstoppable
they say too difficult
that it could never work
they think that we’ve been trying for too long
but i know better
i know that we’re about to show them all
no matter how sick, no matter how tired
frustrated i become
you never let me give into that
no matter who sees, no matter who thinks
that they can put you down
go on and hold your head high honey
circumstances for worse or better
are no excuse to forfeit our dreams
they say impossible
they say it can’t be done
can’t break us down cause we’re unstoppable
they say too difficult
that it could never work
they think that we’ve been trying for too long
they can say what they want to
anyway it never matters what they think
they’re still blind and we’re still free
i know i know i know…
they say impossible
they say it can’t be done
can’t break us down cause we’re unstoppable
they say too difficult
that it could never work
they think that we’ve been trying for too long
but i know better
but i know we’ll prove them wrong
cause i know better
i know that we’re about to show them all
It is ENTIRELY Nell Stark / Trinity Tam’s fault I got no sleep last night
Crawled into bed last night with the wife and my copy of everafter on my nook, for some cozy bedtime reading.
Could not put the darned thing down. Finally forced myself to shove it away somewhere around midnight. Laid down, closed my eyes, and got not a wink of sleep the entire night; too many vampires and werewolves running around in my head, along with running editorial commentary on the brilliance of the book’s structure and narraration. Finally gave up on sleep, dressed for work and headed off for my commute. I am now sitting at my desk one whole hour before I am regularly scheduled to be here… and I am so not a morning person.
Haven’t finished the book yet, but I am in sheer awe of the structure of this novel, told from one character’s first-person POV and then the other’s. Two distinctly different voices, two distinctly different characters, cohesive story whole. Loving everything about their relationship, and all the scientific/medical explanation for vampirism and lycanthropy. Both inspirational and intimidating — I hope the stuff I write can be even half as amazing as this.
Seriously, ladies. Try to be a little less awesome, okay? :P
PotH Playlist, Track Fourteen: Faith
The Goddess Ithyris’ song -- to Kade, to Erinda, to all Her children. Cover of John Hiatt’s “Have A Little Faith In Me” by the incomparable Jewel.
When the road gets dark
And you can no longer see
Just let my love throw a spark, baby
Have a little faith in me
When the tears you cry
Are all you can believe
Just give these loving arms a try, baby
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
When your secret heart
Cannot speak so easily
Come here darling,
From a whisper start
To have a little faith in me
When your back’s against the wall
Just turn around, you will see
I will catch you, I will catch your fall
Just have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Well, I’ve been loving you for such a long, long time baby
Expecting nothing in return
Just for you to have a little faith in me
You see time, time is our friend for you and me
Cause for us there is no end
All you gotta do is have a little faith in me
I said I will hold you up, I will hold you up
Your strength gives me enough
So have a little faith in me
Hey baby, oh, baby
All you gotta do is have a little faith in me
All you gotta do is have a little faith in me
A little faith in me
Getting Away with Being Gay
Something that struck me as rather odd as I was working on the PotH manuscript this weekend: In Ithyria, which is a completely made-up fantasy world, being gay is nonetheless a sort of hush-hush thing. Being a fantasy world it would have been so easy to set the story in an open, welcoming society where same-sex relationships are treated as the norm. Yet this didn’t happen in Ithyria; the culture is very similar in many ways to ours just a decade or three ago. There are reasons for that, and I’ll go into some of them in a moment, but the thing that struck me as most odd is that in Branded Ann, which is set in our own world at a very conservative point in history, Ann’s sexual preference is not only common knowledge, but is generally accepted by those around her without much question. The realistic truth, of course, is that an openly lesbian woman in that day and age would probably never have been tolerated among the criminals that were the pirates of the day. She most likely would have been murdered in her sleep (if not in some other horrific way), not made captain of their ship. And I ask my readers to suspend a pretty big chunk of disbelief in order to take Ann’s journey with her.
So why, I asked myself, did the books turn out this way? I think I can explain what happened with SotG a little more easily. As the characters discover, gay and lesbian lifestyles do exist in Ithyria; at one point in SotG Talon reflects on the wealthy spinster heiresses who used to pay her showmaster for time with the performing girls, and she alludes a little to the stinky older men that have attempted to kiss her (believing that she’s a young boy.) There’s also a moment when Shasta explains to Talon that General Harneth, of the Verdred provincial guard, is gay. But for the most part, things like crossdressing and lesbian relationships are treated as taboo, and both Talon and Shasta have to come to terms with their attraction to one another from a worldview that is traditionally heterosexual.
When I was writing SotG, these tensions developed themselves as an organic part of the story, mostly because the book is very much a coming-of-age novel. I wanted to explore the unspoken fears and confusion often experienced by young gay and lesbian folks as they’re figuring out who they are. It certainly was a reflection of a few of my own thought processes, coming from the ultra-conservative background of my own family, when I was finally coming to terms with the things that I felt and what they meant about who I was. As SotG progressed, I also needed an explanation as to why it was unusual that Talon should be dressed as a boy. The world needed clear, categorical characterization of masculine vs. feminine to fully illustrate Talon’s courage, and the jeopardy her disguise placed her in even as it granted her certain freedoms.
As the series progresses, Ithyria, like any other character in the novels, will grow and develop and progress. I can pretty much say it’s safe to assume the land won’t magically transform from a conservative, traditional, heterosexist culture into an open and accepting one in the course of a few books – but I’m hoping to hint at such an eventual transformation, to give the sense that it might be a long time coming, but it’s headed in the right direction. And I believe the characters who navigate this world will be all the more relatable to many readers because the struggles they face are a big part of our own history of society-imposed secrecy and fear, and the courage it takes to accept those risks for love.
Branded Ann, though… that one’s more difficult to rationalize. The truth is, the book just sort of did what it wanted to as I wrote it. Ann, I think, would justify the other characters’ acceptance of her sexuality by saying it boils down to her reputation. She’s built herself this image that’s larger than life. There are even rumors that perhaps she’s not really human – perhaps she’s the bride of the Devil, or a demon herself, and it’s that reputation that makes it less necessary for her to prove herself all the time. Fear of the unknown is always more powerful than fear of what’s right in front of your eyes, so Ann knows that if her rep is frightening enough, she can stride into a room and command every last person in it without having to so much as draw her sword.
Still, I will fully admit that the scenario’s highly improbable (though, perhaps, no more improbable than the interwoven ghost story, no?) Which is why I didn’t try to write the book as an accurate historical account of the times. I wanted it to be more of a fantasy adventure, perhaps a little less Disney-fied than Pirates of the Caribbean but fun, colorful and fantastical all the same – and in that sense, the characters can get away with a few improbabilities. (Provided, of course, that the reader’s willing to allow them to.)
At some point in the future, I do think I’d really like to write something set in a world where all sexualities are simply accepted as normal. Sweep that whole chunk of tension off to the side so I can focus more on the story and characters. Not sure what such a story would look like yet, but it’s something I’d like to explore further someday.
You know, when I finish writing all the other books on my plate at the moment. :P
PotH Playlist, Track Thirteen: Desire
And a sexy little song for the love scene(s). “Rapture,” by Iio.
The night I laid my eyes on you,
Felt everything around me move
Got nervous when you looked my way
But you knew all the words to say.
Then your love slowly moved right in
All this time all my love where you been.
Mi amore don’t you know
My love I want you so
Sugar you make my soul complete
Rapture tastes so sweet.
Mesmerised in every way
Keep me in a state of daze
Your kisses make my skin feel weak
Always melting in your heat.
Then I soar like a bird in the wind
Oh I glide as I’m flying through heaven.
Mi amore don’t you know
My love I want you so
Sugar you make my soul complete
Rapture tastes so sweet.
Mi amore don’t you know
My love I want you so
Sugar you make my soul complete
Rapture tastes so sweet
Mi amore don’t you know
My love I want you so
Sugar you make my soul complete
Rapture tastes so sweet.
Mi amore don’t you know
My love I want you so
Sugar you make my soul complete
Rapture tastes so sweet…
PotH Playlist, Track Twelve: Not Letting Go This Time
Beautiful song by Plumb -- “Hang On.” One of the biggest climactic scenes in the book. ^~
i’m so stubborn, it’s how i got here
so alone, feels like forever
wanna swim away
and breath the open air
I feel so afraid
then I hear you say
hang on when the water is rising
hang on when the waves are crashing
hang on just don’t ever let go
I’m so hungry, how can I stay here
I’m starving for what I hold so dear
like a huricane
takes everything
from me, wake me from this dream
hang on when the water is rising
hang on when the waves are crashing
hang on just don’t ever let go
hang on when you are barely breathing
hang on when your hearts still beating
hang on just don’t ever let go
three days, thirty years
so hopeless doesn’t matter
don’t say it’s too late
if you blink your eyes
the sun is rising
the sun is rising
hang on when the water is rising
hang on when the waves are crashing
hang on just don’t ever let go
hang on when you are barely breathing
hang on when your hearts still beating
hang on just don’t ever let go
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