Sunday 10th May 2020
This weekend has been a bit of a catch up weekend.
A combination of personal stuff and Pokemon Go Safari zone means I’ve been behind on everything. It’s good to be busy but in lockdown life I have so much going on, I have no time to be bored.
I’ve not done much writing in the last week. I’ve been recharging my creativity mana bar with audiobooks and gaming but not found the peace to sit and write this next chapter. I’m aware of what I need to set up and establish in this chapter but the initial part of it needs to be a little lighter. In the back of my head, I’m tumbling ideas of character, plot and theme, and it’s a bit like juggling trying to remember all of them whilst writing this scene.
I’ve done some work on it this morning. Mostly it’s been dialogue work. When I write a scene like this where it’s heavy character interaction, I always start with dialogue. Often it can just be lines with key sentences or reactions. I’ll then flesh that out with filler lines so that the conversation flows (i.e. questions are asked to get the wanted reaction, etc.). Finally, I go back again and add what I call set decoration. This can be setting or it can be character action. This is to stop the scene reading like a script and more like an actual book.
This scene has changed a little since the first draft. We set up the threat of this book, we worldbuild, we establish the dynamics between the two characters. What’s changed a lot is the dynamics.
Both these characters were established in the first book. They haven’t seen each other since, and I do that for two reasons. Firstly it allows me to set the current stage of the world. That’s a combination of recounting what happened at the end of book 1 and the consequences to establish the new normal. Secondly, it allows me to establish the dynamic between them for this book. The world has changed and they’ve each come to terms with the current world and so when they come back together, the dynamic has changed a little. It keeps the characters fresh and gives them a sense of growth.
But this in turn gives me challenges in writing them. Their relationship will go in some form of arc over the course of the book, and whilst I know where it ends, I have choice how it begins. This is where theme comes in. The dynamic should in some way reflect the theme of the book, and any minor conflict between them should be over this.
Over the course of the book, the protagonists’ view will change a little based on the challenges they face, so in knowing that, I have an idea of how this secondary character should clash with them. In many ways, in order for the book to go full arc, I think this character should almost state the central message of the book, the protagonist should disagree with it and over the course of the novel, learn that it’s right.
There’s also the plot point of having discussion happen so that the protagonist goes and does what he does.
But… at its most basic it’s just a conversation between characters who’ve not seen each other. I just wish I could see it that simply at the moment.
Beside writing I also have other things I’m trying to catch up on. I think I’m up to date on The Climb now and hope that I can keep things on track this next week.
In gaming, I’m trying to run all my planned gold runs to see just how much I can make. On top of this I’m aware of the rep bonus ending and so I’m making sure I’m doing all the emissary quests. On one character this wouldn’t take too long. On eight (or is it 9 now), it’s amazing how this all mounts up.
Luckily Fortnite’s end of season got pushed back to June but I am still not level 100 and I doubt I’ll ever get all the bonus skins unless they do some massive XP bonus events.
I’ve also got a few things to follow up on, a garden that needs attention (typical it isn’t sunny today), exercise that needs to be done with the same rigour I put into Warcraft, and various tasks that need to be updated.
I feel like I’m slowly catching up with getting behind over the last week, but even then I still had a load to do. Still, better to be busy right now.
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