You're totally not stifling my creativity! I neeeed to be told stuff like this. First of all, like you said, an editor would tell me this stuff if I ever managed to get something coherent enough that an editor would even look at it. They'd be way harsher, too.
Secondly, character-driven people? Really need someone to tell them "oh, honey, I have no idea why the character would do THAT" (because we're dumb and haven't provided the proper context or maybe the scene isn't in the right place or whatever) or "why is this whole scene even RELEVANT?" (because our perspective is all jacked). So, um, yeah. Don't ever stop. Please. Unless you just can't stand it anymore, and then um, stop. :)
And, like, with the chapters I've rewritten and know I'm going to rework again, having you go through and say "use this somewhere" or "I don't get why you have this at all" is super helpful". Or like "I want to punch Kalen" (you should and people usually do) or "I want to slap Devin" (you probably should always want to but I don't particularly want you to in that chapter). It's good to know your reaction versus my perception of that character at that point in time, so I can figure out if I'm showing it wrong or the character is OOC or my scenes are out of order or what.
Hopefully when I say stuff back to you it doesn't come off pissy. Like with the Kalen thing? It has been bothering me bigtime ever since I rewrote chapter 1. Calla's view of Kalen there doesn't go with how Kalen actually is in the book, for the most part. I am beyond grateful for suggestions on how to deal with this! So as soon as you bring something like that up I just want to barf out like every detail I can think of related to it so you can help me fix it. :D
I like the idea of giving him an earlier POV, although I kind of want to start it with the bomb scene (because if I break it up more then all 5 characters don't get introduced in the first 5 chapters). Starting the rewrite with Brendan was my friend Alicia's idea and I'm hoping it also helps not set the reader's expectation that Kalen is one of the heroes of the story (if there are any) and that his friendship with Calla is what the book is about. They do reconnect eventually, but I think it's mostly near the end and it's shaky for a whiiiile.
You're right. Sometimes I am going to have to put words in my characters' mouths. The thing I want to do as much as possible is stay in voice and in character while I'm doing it. That's a hard balance!
And maaaaan. I kind of wish I could tell you my plot. I mean, I could tell you it in a vague sense I guess? Because I swear there is plot. The part you're getting to now is where they decide to become insurgents anyway (well, Calla decides and people more or less go along with her). Spoiler: they suck at it. They eventually suck at it less. It takes a while, though.
There is more plot than that but I feel like I shouldn't reveal it? I guess I could vague it up in terms like "Devin gets a plot-relevant job" and "Wes discovers an interesting and relevant thing but no one believes him" (the next two chapters I was about to write if I were not rewriting right now) because I'd sort of like your input on how to reveal it at a proper pace and balance it with character drama (which I guess I could also try to vague up). Because I want to outline the whole thing within the next week or so and yikes, scary.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: scene 2-kalen & calla thoughts
Date: 2013-03-25 10:40 pm (UTC)Secondly, character-driven people? Really need someone to tell them "oh, honey, I have no idea why the character would do THAT" (because we're dumb and haven't provided the proper context or maybe the scene isn't in the right place or whatever) or "why is this whole scene even RELEVANT?" (because our perspective is all jacked). So, um, yeah. Don't ever stop. Please. Unless you just can't stand it anymore, and then um, stop. :)
And, like, with the chapters I've rewritten and know I'm going to rework again, having you go through and say "use this somewhere" or "I don't get why you have this at all" is super helpful". Or like "I want to punch Kalen" (you should and people usually do) or "I want to slap Devin" (you probably should always want to but I don't particularly want you to in that chapter). It's good to know your reaction versus my perception of that character at that point in time, so I can figure out if I'm showing it wrong or the character is OOC or my scenes are out of order or what.
Hopefully when I say stuff back to you it doesn't come off pissy. Like with the Kalen thing? It has been bothering me bigtime ever since I rewrote chapter 1. Calla's view of Kalen there doesn't go with how Kalen actually is in the book, for the most part. I am beyond grateful for suggestions on how to deal with this! So as soon as you bring something like that up I just want to barf out like every detail I can think of related to it so you can help me fix it. :D
I like the idea of giving him an earlier POV, although I kind of want to start it with the bomb scene (because if I break it up more then all 5 characters don't get introduced in the first 5 chapters). Starting the rewrite with Brendan was my friend Alicia's idea and I'm hoping it also helps not set the reader's expectation that Kalen is one of the heroes of the story (if there are any) and that his friendship with Calla is what the book is about. They do reconnect eventually, but I think it's mostly near the end and it's shaky for a whiiiile.
You're right. Sometimes I am going to have to put words in my characters' mouths. The thing I want to do as much as possible is stay in voice and in character while I'm doing it. That's a hard balance!
And maaaaan. I kind of wish I could tell you my plot. I mean, I could tell you it in a vague sense I guess? Because I swear there is plot. The part you're getting to now is where they decide to become insurgents anyway (well, Calla decides and people more or less go along with her). Spoiler: they suck at it. They eventually suck at it less. It takes a while, though.
There is more plot than that but I feel like I shouldn't reveal it? I guess I could vague it up in terms like "Devin gets a plot-relevant job" and "Wes discovers an interesting and relevant thing but no one believes him" (the next two chapters I was about to write if I were not rewriting right now) because I'd sort of like your input on how to reveal it at a proper pace and balance it with character drama (which I guess I could also try to vague up). Because I want to outline the whole thing within the next week or so and yikes, scary.