As an exercise to put me back into working on a Cornish House I am separating Madde's story from Serena's story to see them as separate entities before I weave them back together. Has anyone else ever done this?
DH is on day two in new job in Dubai. The temporary furnished apartment is soulless and the hotel it's in is dry. These things did not make for a good start. I on the other hand had a very lazy day with the kids walking and watching films as I was wiped out. Here's to the restorative powers of the Bourne Supremacy and Pride and Prejudice. Can you tell which I watched with the boys and which one with the dd?
DH is on day two in new job in Dubai. The temporary furnished apartment is soulless and the hotel it's in is dry. These things did not make for a good start. I on the other hand had a very lazy day with the kids walking and watching films as I was wiped out. Here's to the restorative powers of the Bourne Supremacy and Pride and Prejudice. Can you tell which I watched with the boys and which one with the dd?
Finally I was caught without on Sunday - a camera that is. The beautiful vessel above anchored in the Helford River on Saturday and I did have a camera. I sat on the beach and thought of the ships that traveled up and down the river bringing the tin out from Gweek in the past and all the things that Toby (my thirteen year old Victorian ghost in August Rock) saw on the river. When we took DH to the Newquay airport we detoured via St. Anthony to drop the the boys at the beach. As we reached the top of the headland this ship was in full sail heading toward Falmouth. It was magnificent and she was sailing right past the buoy for August Rock. Perfect. No camera, not even the one on my phone. So that image of a barque in full sail will have to remain in my mind and not here.
20 comments:
I did this once with a novel in which several sets of characters had separate stories until they began to meet (collide?) about two thirds of the way in. I found it easier to do each thread separately even though the chapters were eventually interwoven to keep things chronological.
Thanks graeme.....i take it that you found it sucessful :-)
Yes, I have done that for a longer book - 120K - with several subplots, where it was key for the character arcs of the leads.
And yes, it did work. Especially the dialogue which I had not expected to be a problem, but I found that the distinctive voices were being lost.
Worth doing.
And lovely pics -thanks for those.
thanks Ray-anne. I'm pleased to hear this work for you :-)
I've written a family saga in which each chapter is told from the view point of one of the four main characters. Yes, it was wholly successful for me and a very effective way to delve deeper into the dynamics of family as well as the individuals that comprise them.
I hate it when I don't have my camera, but this picture is gorgeous.
Hi Rebecca, I'm almost finished dividing up the script and I'm looking forward to looking at it. I'm hoping it iwll give be the distance I need.
Yes, I couldn't belive that I didn't even have my phone camera...not that the quality would have been that good.....
Wow, stunning image. God, I miss the sea...
Yes, me too when I'm away from it:-)
Ben Elton's "The First Casualty" does what you are describing and it works well.
I remember reading abotu half of "Winstons War" by Micahel Dobbs which also did it, but got very bored so felt it didn't quite work....
I think there needs to be some links established early on between the people's view points otherwise its a little annoying (as a reader).
Loving your blog by the way. First time I've posted though..
J
x
J thanks for posting and thanks for the recomendation and warning :-)
Hi Liz
Thanks for adding me to the novel racers, my email address is Judithauld@yahoo.co.uk
Best of luck with your plan to seperate the stories of Maddi and Serena before weaving them back together. I think this a good way of establishing a background and personal motivations of the characters and like the idea.
J xx
Thanks Jude and invite should with you as i write :-)
Hello Liz, only just caught up with you via Romna. I'm in Falmouth so you're very near me! Wonderful picture - I was over Helford way on Sunday. Good to meet you!
Hi Flowerpot. You have me wondering who you are on Romna???? Yes you're very near indeed. Have I see you on the river?
Thanks for stopping by :-)
Yes, I've done this as an exercise too. It helped me see where the weak points were in the individual plots. Lovely photos. Hope DH is ok and good luck to you all.
Chrish I do think it will help me to look at the book more clearly.... DH is fine - well sort of, missing us...
Yes, I'm pleased with that photo I just wish I could have capture the boat in full sail - it was magnificent........
Hi loved the photo, not sure how I would feel about giving up Cornwall for Dubai but I suppose you have become used to moving with the DH, and I think you said that you had been in Dubai before. I thought I was quite courageous moving to France.
I am impressed with the way you try lots of approaches to get your work right. Good luck with it and your impending move. When is it ?
Hi Sheepish, welcome back, I'm not giving up Cornwall - it's permanent in our lives. Going to Dubai is just a way of paying for it :-) I'm off in a week.....
Sorry. Yes. Finally getting back to this. It worked very well for me. By the time I came to the end of the book where the threads began to link, the characters were well enough developed for me to handle them all at once.
Excellant. Thanks Graeme :-)
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