Martin
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Vorkosigan saga is brilliant. I'm pleasantly surprised how much I loved Vorpatril's alliance which led me to conclusion that you managed to achieve a specific mood where more than one character can be a main protagonist without changing "feeling" of the story which I believe is quite difficult :). Are you considering continuing quest star stories?
Lois McMaster Bujold
I am not sure what you mean by "quest star stories". Every character is the center of their own universe, and therefore every character has some story potential. Some will be more interesting to me than others, but then there follows the question, "Will this interest sustain a whole novel?" Those are more rare. (Jo Walton has dubbed this centering quality "protagonismus".)
There's also the matter of plot-character interlock, as each creates the other. Some characters come with one perfect plot, and when that tale is told, they're done, ready to retire. Some more flexible characters can sustain more than one plot or one kind of plot, and from these sorts the writer can more readily squeeze a series.
The most difficult thing with late-series books is wrestling the backstory, even when it's cut down to just the most immediately pertinent backstory. This was pretty readily do-able when I just had 6 books; 16 is more of a challenge. As I've said elsewhere, the exact same text must be made to simultaneously serve the dedicated fan who remembers everything, the occasional reader whose familiarity with it all is dim, and the new reader who can know nothing but what is on the page now. Tricky stuff.
Ta, L.
I am not sure what you mean by "quest star stories". Every character is the center of their own universe, and therefore every character has some story potential. Some will be more interesting to me than others, but then there follows the question, "Will this interest sustain a whole novel?" Those are more rare. (Jo Walton has dubbed this centering quality "protagonismus".)
There's also the matter of plot-character interlock, as each creates the other. Some characters come with one perfect plot, and when that tale is told, they're done, ready to retire. Some more flexible characters can sustain more than one plot or one kind of plot, and from these sorts the writer can more readily squeeze a series.
The most difficult thing with late-series books is wrestling the backstory, even when it's cut down to just the most immediately pertinent backstory. This was pretty readily do-able when I just had 6 books; 16 is more of a challenge. As I've said elsewhere, the exact same text must be made to simultaneously serve the dedicated fan who remembers everything, the occasional reader whose familiarity with it all is dim, and the new reader who can know nothing but what is on the page now. Tricky stuff.
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Terry
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Hi, Lois - you’ve referenced your love of manga a couple times. What are some of your favorite titles? I like it, but don’t often find one I can really sink into, as with a good novel — the last being the scanlation of Yokohama Shopping Trip / Quiet Country Cafe (which I’d highly recommend). Thanks.
Rachel
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/apr/25/artificial-womb-for-premature-babies-successful-in-animal-trials-biobag Have you seen this? Also, I've been recommending your series to all my friends because we were having discussions about the societal implications of artificial wombs and cryofreezing. So thank you for hours of entertainment and education!
Karin
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Hi! I am a teacher for German as foreign language and wanted to use one of Paul de Becker's drawings. Am I allowed to use it in class and upload it on ISL Collective (a site, where language teachers upload their work sheets)? I'd like to write an e-mail and send the drawing as attachment. Is it possible? Otherwise there is no possibility of satisfactory answer. I am no member of Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter.
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