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I spend a couple of hours with Book III yesterday (all I had, due to Other Things) and had fun with the inimitable Arvid. I don’t know how much of this will fit in the final Book III–but it’s such fun to write. As with the story of the King of Pargun and his difficult daughter Elis, that we put up on the publisher’s blog site, I’ll find it a home somewhere even if it can’t stay in the book proper.
Arvid has had a very rough time lately, and–being Arvid–is determined that those who gave him a rough time will have a similarly rough time for his amusement. Contact with Paks has not made him meek and mild, let’s say. At the moment, he’s in disguise, and happens to overhear a conversation that had to be overheard for plot purposes. (Not, originally, overheard by him, but using him means I don’t need another POV character. Given my propensity for inventing far too many POV characters, this is a good thing and you should all be grateful.)
Stepping out of this book and speaking generally about setting hooks and pitons for the rest of the plot to be strung on, if “overhearing a conversation” is the best way to leak the necessary information to readers, it helps to have a conniving, sneaky character of ambiguous moral standing do the overhearing. (On the other hand, if you want the overhearing to confuse the protagonist, having it overheard by an straight arrow who misunderstands it works very well. The trick there is writing it so your more perceptive readers will get the point…and the protagonist or other straight arrow doesn’t look too stupid for misunderstanding it. Bwah-hah-hah-hah…)
Comment by FrancisT — May 14, 2010 @ 9:55 am
That’s a devious alternative to the “As you know bob” info-dump. I like it.
Comment by elizabeth — May 14, 2010 @ 3:07 pm
Another writer I know says that a book should be plotted the way a good magic show is designed (he recommends a book about how to design the sequence of a magic show, but I found it hard to follow. The IDEA made instant sense, but the details defeated me.) But definitely, stage-managing to preserve the audience’s enjoyment is involved.
Comment by David R Campbell — May 14, 2010 @ 4:55 pm
I don’t think Arvid’s moral standing is ambiguous, at least to him. It’s just that his moral Venn circle is offset from “respectable” people.
Finished Oath of Fealty last night (first time). Starting it again next week.
I had one phrase mentally stumble me out of the story. re: Stammel’s fight with the “demon” – “…fighting to hold off what fought to take him over.” Reading it over carefully, it makes sense, but initially, on the first read through, it didn’t.
Other than that, anxiously awaiting “Kings”.
Comment by elizabeth — May 14, 2010 @ 11:18 pm
Ambiguous to readers, David. He’s done the unexpected (morally speaking) several times, which makes him less predictable, which means–when he eavesdrops–readers will wonder what he’s doing to do with the information–what he’s up to. And–without I hope opening the Spoiler Envelope–he’s now surprising himself at times.
Comment by Eir de Scania — May 15, 2010 @ 7:02 am
Knowing Arvid, he’s probably “overheard” quite a lot in his life, hasn’t he? 😉
Poor dear, when the gods want you, they don’t ask nicely, they grab you by the neck and drag you in the direction they want. Or so I understand, having never met any deities myself…
Comment by elizabeth — May 16, 2010 @ 10:42 pm
There’s a period during which, if you’re alert and willing, hints are given and may be followed. Things might go less…um…bumpily if hints were followed, but alas, I wouldn’t know. Then comes the clue-by-four with incredible leverage. Hints become obvious in the 20:20 glare of hindsight.
Some hymns now strike me as incredibly naive.
Comment by Gwyn — May 30, 2010 @ 2:08 pm
If you want too many scattered POV, read David Webber. I love his books, but have to re-read them to remember who and where everyone is. I hadn’t read Sheepfarmers Daughter in at least three years, and had almost no trouble stepping back into that world. You did a great job of reminding me without needing pocket biographies, or re-reading the whole series, which I did anyway.