Timing2
As I said yesterday, most readers want to see our average American woman on Lladrana as soon as possible, so I took a look at my openings for the first three books. Pages = manuscript pages.
Guardian of Honor – Start in Lladrana with Thealia and Reynardus for 8 pages. Then to Alexa Fitzwalter: 6 PAGES SET UP ON EARTH.
Sorceress of Faith – Start on Earth with Marian, set up 9 ½ pages, then to Jaquar on Lladrana 11 pages, then additional set up with Marian on Earth 4 pages, back to Jaquar for 8 pages, then back to Marian for 8 pages. Total set up time 21 PAGES ON EARTH, 19 pages on Lladrana, = 40 pages. Whew. That was a rough sucker. Literally re-wrote the opening about 14 times, no wonder I couldn't get it down.
Protector of the Flight – Start on Earth with Calli, 11 ½ pages. (I did have a Chapter 1 set on Lladrana, but that got nixed so it will go up on my website. Websites are wonderful things, you don't have to believe all that work was wasted).
So far, chapter 1 of the next Luna is about 13 pages, and I have at least one short scene to do, then the actually "going to Lladrana bit." I'd originally liked her falling down a hole in the street after dark. One of our sidewalks has "noises" coming from beneath grates – urban art – subway cars, music, and HORSES, and I thought that would be VERY cool, but, alas, the geography – downtown – isn't right. I could have a highrise apartment building, but it isn't by a hospital, and I wanted that because she's a doctor (Medica in Lladranan). Or I suppose I could combine the two...
To analyze: Alexa was the first and the shortest because she really had no family at all. Protector of the Flight was the worst because my hero, Jaquar, was involved in a scheme that related to Marian from the first and that had to be set up, Marian's motives were murky and had to be cleaned up, Marian had a mother and brother, and I had to do rewrites. The rewrite thing will always make something longer for me because by the time I find something that works, I'm so tired of the darn thing that I can't cut worth a darn.
Also, this relates to any back-and-forth between Lladrana and Earth. Alexa didn't have any. Marian did, and I'll let you stew about Calli and what I'm thinking for books 4& 5. I don't know myself about 6.
So I started combining, arranging and rearranging scenes and transitions and there went my day, still it felt good.
May all your transitions fall into place today.
Robin
Guardian of Honor – Start in Lladrana with Thealia and Reynardus for 8 pages. Then to Alexa Fitzwalter: 6 PAGES SET UP ON EARTH.
Sorceress of Faith – Start on Earth with Marian, set up 9 ½ pages, then to Jaquar on Lladrana 11 pages, then additional set up with Marian on Earth 4 pages, back to Jaquar for 8 pages, then back to Marian for 8 pages. Total set up time 21 PAGES ON EARTH, 19 pages on Lladrana, = 40 pages. Whew. That was a rough sucker. Literally re-wrote the opening about 14 times, no wonder I couldn't get it down.
Protector of the Flight – Start on Earth with Calli, 11 ½ pages. (I did have a Chapter 1 set on Lladrana, but that got nixed so it will go up on my website. Websites are wonderful things, you don't have to believe all that work was wasted).
So far, chapter 1 of the next Luna is about 13 pages, and I have at least one short scene to do, then the actually "going to Lladrana bit." I'd originally liked her falling down a hole in the street after dark. One of our sidewalks has "noises" coming from beneath grates – urban art – subway cars, music, and HORSES, and I thought that would be VERY cool, but, alas, the geography – downtown – isn't right. I could have a highrise apartment building, but it isn't by a hospital, and I wanted that because she's a doctor (Medica in Lladranan). Or I suppose I could combine the two...
To analyze: Alexa was the first and the shortest because she really had no family at all. Protector of the Flight was the worst because my hero, Jaquar, was involved in a scheme that related to Marian from the first and that had to be set up, Marian's motives were murky and had to be cleaned up, Marian had a mother and brother, and I had to do rewrites. The rewrite thing will always make something longer for me because by the time I find something that works, I'm so tired of the darn thing that I can't cut worth a darn.
Also, this relates to any back-and-forth between Lladrana and Earth. Alexa didn't have any. Marian did, and I'll let you stew about Calli and what I'm thinking for books 4& 5. I don't know myself about 6.
So I started combining, arranging and rearranging scenes and transitions and there went my day, still it felt good.
May all your transitions fall into place today.
Robin
posted by FantasyAuthor RobinDOwens | 6:02 AM
3 Comments:
Okay stop confusing your clever readers. Protector of Flight has Jacquar setting up Marian again? How badly do they need counseling, Robinn. No wonder they hang out in towers.
LOL!
And if Marian falls for Jacquar's schemes a second again she should be smacked and the big J booted out of Llandrana.
;)
Bring on the Volarens. Leave the tower people at home.
Add more Faucon,
moon
Urg. I've been completely ditzy the last two days. Of course, I meant the LAST book, Sorceress of Faith.
Protector has a couple of good scenes with Faucon and LOTS of volarans....
Robin
YAY!
moon
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