Deborah Heal's Blog, page 30
February 25, 2012
Here’s Another Chance for a Sneak Preview of Honor at Stake!
I'm not sure how many chapters I'll share on my blog, but here's chapter two. Let me know what you think of it.
Author Notes on Chapter 2
Chapter two is still part of the introductory portion of the story. It continues to build the characters and three of the four plot threads. Of course, the historical story-within-a-story will have its own plot threads as well.
In Time and Again, I was trying for the spare, literary style I studied in college. I’m still using 3rd person point of view and following only Abby, the main character. But, this time I’m getting into her head more. (This is called authorial intrusion.) Now I find I have more opportunities to grow Abby’s character and show her imperfections more (we don’t want her too perfect). I think it works better. What do you think? 
I decided Abby should have a bit more sass and not be so dang sweet this time. Hopefully, however, she doesn’t seem too different from Time and Again. (Notice her sarcastic thoughts in the girly gift shop.)
Tim, the Polish computer geek is a minor character, but even minor characters must have distinguishing characteristics. My theory is that it’s okay to make minor characters a bit stereotypical. I just hope I didn’t go overboard. What do you think of him? Just so you know, the terms he uses come from an actual online geek lexicon I found. Besides being around to solve technical problems, Tim also serves as a foil for John. See if you can find places where Tim makes John look good.
I’ve had several people tell me how much they were intrigued by Michael and that I should give him more of a role in the story. I love little Michael, but I didn’t want to develop him anymore than I had. In Time and Again, he’s a symbol of Merri’s whole weird community, but also a symbol of hope, I think. Merri’s character grows as she learns to care for someone else, someone worse off than she is. In Honor at Stake he plays a small, but important role in getting our main characters to the next mysterious house they’ll encounter.
Kate shows up in book II. In chapter 2 she's still an absent character, but look for her to show up in person later on. And look for her to play a major role in book III. (More about that later!) Once again, she is a foil for Abby. She's a peer to whom Abby can confide things she can't say to any of the other characters. She helps create suspense about the mysterious computer program. And Kate reminds readers that Abby has a whole other life outside of tiny, rural Miles Station.
February 24, 2012
The Rough Draft Is Done! Want a Sneak Preview?
Here's What to Look For in a Successful Chapter One:
It must describe the setting
Introduce the major characters
Sketch the situation they face (the conflict)
And most importantly hook the reader into coming along for the ride.
The first chapter of a sequel has its own special challenges.
All the above must be present, but the backstory of the first book must also be
woven in.
It must be done sparingly and logically, because no one likes to have huge junks of backstory clumsily dumped on them.
It must give the backstory without annoying the reader who hasn’t read the first book.
Even though the sequel is an extension of the first book, it must be able to stand alone as a complete story.
Please take a sneak peak of chapter one and then let me know if I have achieved the goals above. Thanks! I look forward to hearing from you.
Download HONOR AT STAKE ch 1
Please discuss it in the comment section below this post. Here are some questions to get you started, but feel free to comment about anything you like.
Have I left out any important factors from Time and Again that readers will need to know?
Does chapter one of Honor at Stake make sense without having read the first book?
Does it bog down or annoy you with excessive explanations about the first book?
Does it make you want to read the first book?
Are there any unclear sentences?
Any word choices that you find jarring?
Any passages that drag?
Any characters who don’t seem realistic or believable?
The contemporary part of the story has four plot threads, three of which are presented in chapter one. Does chapter one clearly hint at them?
The romantic subplot of Abby and John’s relationship
Merri and her dysfunctional family situation
Convincing John the computer program really does allow for virtual time travel
