Reading, Writing and Editing

I've been picking away at my editing. It's coming along slowly. Slowly, because I've found myself so engrossed in the books I've been reading that for the last few days I've done little except read and do necessary house work.

The two books that have held me spellbound are two of Juliet Mariller's tomes, Wolfskin and Foxmask. History mixed with myth and seasoned with magical imagery. Great stories if you like a little history with your fantasy or vice versa.

I also read The Princess Plot. A modern day, YA adventure of political intrigue, deception and friendship.

And Paladin, a YA fantasy/SF novel about two friends who find themselves caught up in another world's war with a very significant part to play.

My daughter was watching the twilight movies today, while I sat reading the end of Foxmask. As cheesy as you might think these movies are there's something about them and the relationships between the characters that always inspires me to write.

By the time I'd finished reading the last page I was desperate to get to work on Tremorgan's Quest.

It has been quite a while since I'd touched the second book in Tremorgan's journey and I'm excited to be getting back into it.

Tremorgan is a character that feels things deeply. She internalizes a lot and as a result her joy, distress and guilt often find expression in her dreams.

This would be fine if things were going well - but as I'm a very cruel writer this isn't often the case - and more often than not Tremorgan is haunted by disturbing dreams and nightmares.

Dreams are strange, fickle, illusive things. They're fun to write because almost anything can happen. The rules of reality don't apply in a dream scape.

At the moment I'm working on the beginning of the book and picking away at a series of dreams to torment my MC. I do love her, really I do...

So, no matter what I put Tremorgan through I've promised her (and myself) that she'll get her happy ending.

Slash and Burn

My beta reader swung by a couple of days ago and read over the new scenes I have written for Tremorgan's Gift. She gave them the big thumbs up. The tantrum scene is great! But the kiss still needs a little work - I love/hate writing those moments! Sigh. Never the less, I'm excited about the extra pizazz these three scenes will add.

I'm making steady progress with my editing. I've done about 10% thus far, that is averaging a couple of chapters a day.

It would probably be quicker if I didn't insist on editing on paper first, but I feel safer hacking and slashing and moving stuff around on paper. It's easier to see the glaring awkward sentences, the ugly phrases and detect the clunky tone. I can play with the words to my heart's content and if I change my mind nothing is lost.

Also, I find I can distance myself from the fact that this is my book, my baby, when it's in hard copy in a way that I struggle to do on screen. On paper I'm a lot more brutal and a lot less precious about my work; a frequent and necessary evil.

I'm working my way though chapter 11 today. Tremorgan has just had her brother snatched from her and only narrowly escaped with her life...

Poor girl! The things I've put her through, it's cruel really.

You think you're Finished ... and then Reality Bites

I had planned to start writing book two today, but some feed back I got at our critique group on Tuesday night got me thinking.

Apparently hints about my villain's motivations weren't stressed enough in the story. Drostan is coming across like an atypical bad guy, too brutal with out any redeeming human qualities.


Sigh and groan and tear at my hair.

No one wants to be accused of creating a one dimensional villain!
My villain isn't really worse than any other medieval warlord out of the pages of our own history - they did monstrous things at times but they also had families, loves and flaws.

I have failed to show the other facets of Drostan's personality. After all the reader can only know of him what I, the writer, chose to reveal!

I might know what makes him tick - what motivates him, what inspires him, what he fears and what he dreams for himself and the people he loves - but that doesn't much help the reader if I don't show any of it.

Sure, he is the conqueror and a murderer, but that's not the sum of who he is. He is more than that. He is a man, with human desires and weaknesses. I need to stress these more ... and I can't wait until the second book to do it.

I don't need the reader to like my villain, but I want them to understand what motivates him ... and maybe even pity him.

So today, instead of beginning work on book two, I've started writing a short series of small chapters that will allow us to spend more time with Drostan, for better or worse.