What I've Been Doing: The Great Revision Rocks On
Yesterday I posted about proofing my short story The Fountain, which is part of the Tales for Canterbury project—now at the printers.
The other main thing I've been plugging away on this week is of course—say it with me, or alternatively, groan, in chorus!—the GR or Great Revision of The Gathering of the Lost (The Wall of Night Series Part 2.) If you've been following these updates, you'll know that I'm know into the penultimate section of the book—and since the ultimate section is basically an extended epilogue this means we're getting close. But, but … (no, please don't groan again, be nice, ok 
) those of you who have been following the conversation around my Thursday post on Time, Quality & the Modern SFF Novel may have picked up that I look for certain things in my SFF reading:
sustained world building;
continuity and "consequence" in developing/implementing either science or magic systems within the story;
plot continuity and credibility; and
characters that read as "real" people (or "personalities" vis-a-vis non-human characters) and who remain consistent throughout in terms of their development / response to events, e.g. I don't think it "plays" for an author to have a protagonist do something against their established character and values just to make the plot work: I believe there needs to either be a motivation provided where it's plausible for the character to behave in the way necessary to advance the plot—or the plot needs to change.
(In terms of the last two bullet points, I look for these in my non-SFF reading as well.)
Since this is what I look for as a reader—as well, of course, as great ideas and stories that draw me in to the extent that I don't even think about how the book is written—it's probably not surprising that I try really hard to make sure that the positives of these elements, rather than the negatives, are present in my own writing. That's a really big part of what I'm doing with the GR.
Another thing I look for—I'm talking about big hits by the way, rather than basic spelling and grammar, repetition of words and phrases etcetera, which is all part of the process, as well—are instances where I slip into telling too much of the story in "retrospect", i.e. where the protagonists remember events that they, but not the reader, have experienced—especially when that knowledge/recollection becomes essential to the plot's development or resolution. So if I see that happening I always ask myself: how can I retell this so the action is in real-time for reader, not retrospect?
This is not to say that a protagonist cannot have secrets or be unreliable (in fact it has been argued that a great many of the characters in the Wall world are essentially unreliable), but I do feel that there should always be some sort of trail for the reader to follow—if he/she chooses to hunt for it, and however much misdirection the author chooses to use—to figure out "whodunnit" (so to speak.)
A lot of stuff to think about—and of course the "bigger" the story in terms of plotlines, numbers of point-of-view and also major secondary characters, all with motivations and back stories that affect the plotlines, the more "threads" the author has to keep tabs on. Obviously this is vital when a change in one place with character A, for example, could potentially throw out another plotline—or more—somewhere else with characters B and C.
I know I've probably said this before, but it is hard work, no question—sort of how I imagine driving a coach and four might be. As the "driver" you know you gotta keep those horses running in harness and in step and not get the reins tangled—but when everything's working together the hard work aspect fades and then it's pure fun. And who knows, after a while, if you're really lucky, you – may – even – pick – up – speed!
The way I see it though, the hard work is all my part, as the "driver." I may talk about it a little here, just so you know that things are happening, the pistons are cranking and the wheels are turning, but really—the reader's part should be all the fun stuff: the horses striding out, the road rolling away beneath your wheels, and the dust all behind you.
But tell me, is that the way you like it? Or do you like to a peek into the carriage-house, the tack room, and stable—just from time to time?
