Day 15 of the Writing Marathon
At the rate I'm going I'm doing a chapter a day (although that would mean I should be at chapter 15, not 13). Not necessarily bad, but still too slow for my taste. Oh well. The problem is that after initiating Simon into the world of Aelementals, I need to lay down some foundation, some ground rules, some knowledge. But it has to be logical, without plot holes and without seeming contrived. This takes a lot of time to rewrite, because I need to connect and smooth over a lot of unnatural 'info vomit' (where you just rattle off a lot of facts), while remaining true to the characters' (new) wants and motivations. So we start with...
Knowledge Chapters
I wrapped up Chapter 12: The Library and the Beggar, in which Karl is making trips to the Great Library to find out more about the Three Trials Simon , Alix and Maya will have to face in order to secure their freedom from the Council of Aelders in FabelInsel. I know, there are a lot of titles in that sentence. Simon is confused by a lot of the terminology used in Aelemental, so I needed a few chapters to clear things up. These are those chapters. After having spent the previous two chapters with his mentor, Simon is now moving on from shock and confusion to understanding and action. Still, if only he could free himself of his house arrest. For that I need...
Using Items of Freedom
I may have painted myself into a corner with this one. Being under house arrest means I need to find new ways of bringing information to Simon (and the reader). I can't just have Alix and Maya sit around explaining everything. Not, if I want to keep them at the same knowledge level as Simon. Also not if I want to escape the 'bullet list syndrome'. Because I'm in the fairy tale realm of my Aelemental mythology, I get to use all the cliche's of fairy tales. Sleeping potions are big in fairy tales. Give them to the heroes' jailers and voila! Instant freedom. But I also use new inventive methods, like giant photosynthetic leaves that project images, not unlike Times Square. Simon can view these by looking out of the window of the inn. Call it the eco-friendly version of Harry Potter's moving newspapers. I have to use this mechanism, because otherwise my characters are playing out their little drama in the confines of the inn only.
Getting Rid of Items of Freedom
This morning our apartment was also without electricity. The whole complex was. This was not unexpected, as it was announced in the elevators for a few days now. Still, I had to pack up my work, stick it on a flash drive and head out with my little notebook to the nearest coffee shop. Interestingly enough, finding creative solutions is also what Simon must do to stay in contact with his mentor. Everyone has mobile phones nowadays. Even fourteen year olds. So, the first thing I had to get rid of was Simon's phone. First I had it taken away when he was placed under house arrest and now I'm using it as a bargaining item to regain his freedom. Now he uses Snow White's magic mirror, which is more controlled (he can't just call the police or use Internet) and fits more within the fantasy setting.
How will any of this pans out? You'll have to read it, but rest assured, it was fun finding not only original and creative ways to rid Simon of pesky technology and equipping him with low tech fantasy gadgets. It takes a little planning, work and smooth assembly, but hopefully we'll have a more natural process of getting from A to B.
At the rate I'm going I'm doing a chapter a day (although that would mean I should be at chapter 15, not 13). Not necessarily bad, but still too slow for my taste. Oh well. The problem is that after initiating Simon into the world of Aelementals, I need to lay down some foundation, some ground rules, some knowledge. But it has to be logical, without plot holes and without seeming contrived. This takes a lot of time to rewrite, because I need to connect and smooth over a lot of unnatural 'info vomit' (where you just rattle off a lot of facts), while remaining true to the characters' (new) wants and motivations. So we start with...
Knowledge Chapters
I wrapped up Chapter 12: The Library and the Beggar, in which Karl is making trips to the Great Library to find out more about the Three Trials Simon , Alix and Maya will have to face in order to secure their freedom from the Council of Aelders in FabelInsel. I know, there are a lot of titles in that sentence. Simon is confused by a lot of the terminology used in Aelemental, so I needed a few chapters to clear things up. These are those chapters. After having spent the previous two chapters with his mentor, Simon is now moving on from shock and confusion to understanding and action. Still, if only he could free himself of his house arrest. For that I need...
 |
| Snow White's magic mirror (of communication) |
Using Items of Freedom
I may have painted myself into a corner with this one. Being under house arrest means I need to find new ways of bringing information to Simon (and the reader). I can't just have Alix and Maya sit around explaining everything. Not, if I want to keep them at the same knowledge level as Simon. Also not if I want to escape the 'bullet list syndrome'. Because I'm in the fairy tale realm of my Aelemental mythology, I get to use all the cliche's of fairy tales. Sleeping potions are big in fairy tales. Give them to the heroes' jailers and voila! Instant freedom. But I also use new inventive methods, like giant photosynthetic leaves that project images, not unlike Times Square. Simon can view these by looking out of the window of the inn. Call it the eco-friendly version of Harry Potter's moving newspapers. I have to use this mechanism, because otherwise my characters are playing out their little drama in the confines of the inn only.
Getting Rid of Items of Freedom
This morning our apartment was also without electricity. The whole complex was. This was not unexpected, as it was announced in the elevators for a few days now. Still, I had to pack up my work, stick it on a flash drive and head out with my little notebook to the nearest coffee shop. Interestingly enough, finding creative solutions is also what Simon must do to stay in contact with his mentor. Everyone has mobile phones nowadays. Even fourteen year olds. So, the first thing I had to get rid of was Simon's phone. First I had it taken away when he was placed under house arrest and now I'm using it as a bargaining item to regain his freedom. Now he uses Snow White's magic mirror, which is more controlled (he can't just call the police or use Internet) and fits more within the fantasy setting.
How will any of this pans out? You'll have to read it, but rest assured, it was fun finding not only original and creative ways to rid Simon of pesky technology and equipping him with low tech fantasy gadgets. It takes a little planning, work and smooth assembly, but hopefully we'll have a more natural process of getting from A to B.
 |
| FabelInsel with the movements in and around the city to indicate the paths Simon and characters move. |
