A Tale of Two Prologues - THE CORNISH HOUSE and AUGUST ROCK

Now I know I've posted about this before but it has come up again on twitter because I axed my prologue again in the rewrite process....No, I can hear some of you cry and hurrah from the rest.


So I thought I would share my thinking...as muddled as it is. First though let me state that as a reader I kinda like prologues but as a writer I'm not to sure.


So both THE CORNISH HOUSE and AUGUST ROCK have had prologues, in fact AUGUST ROCK has three different ones. The most recent prologue for AUGUST ROCK died this morning when I 'merged' it into chapter one, scene one. AND no, I didn't just relabel it. 


When I met with my brilliant editor Kate back in Decemeber to talk about what i was doing with August Rock we spoke about pov. I knew with certain clarity that AR needed to be written in first person but THE CORNISH HOUSE was written in third...another story on that another time...


So I had sent her before the meeting a few chapter rewritten in first to see if she was 'cool' with it...she was but the prologue wasn't right. She knew why I wanted it there but the voice was too old. The heroine Jude is supposed to be 13 in the prologue....


I went away from the meeting thinking - worrying I know...it should be a doddle to make the voice more youthful. Well, it wasn't. Believe me I tried. The reason it wasn't ...because what I wanted to convey wasn't what a 13 year old girl would think or see even if she was mature....


That left me with a problem. I needed that prologue because without that knowledge the bomb that drops in chapter one scene two wouldn't have the impact I wanted....


Well, I chewed on that for a week...and finally I realized that by sacrificing my best opening linse ever ...The incoming tide lapped over my red toenails and wet the brilliant white lace of my wedding gown. Tears caused it all to blur to pink. I hate pink not that anyone had cared or had listened.


I could do this. I had to start the story sooner and build those thoughts (the important bits of the prologue) into something that was happening right then and there...


So i sacrificed my best opening (although those words are now later in the chapter) and altered the timing of the scene (only by ten minutes)and was able to to lose the prologue and I think it's much better for it....

My experience of prologues was slightly different for THE CORNISH HOUSE. But again it involved some of the best writing I have ever done (and now no one will see!). I can't tell what it was, but I needed that scene right there at the start of the book to focus me while I rewrote it. By putting it at the front I couldn't forget it and nor could my heroine Maddie. 


Confession to make. I did try after that rewrite to put that scene in other places later in the book, but in the end the emotion was the page without the need of it...in fact I think it's stronger because it isn't there.


So prologues....ask yourself ..
Why? What is the scene doing? Teasing? Relaying important info? Character stuff? Foreshadowing?


Once you know the purpose you then then ask if there is a different way to achieve your goal...then ask is it a better way? If yes, then ditch the prologue and kill those darlings....What's your take on prologues?
 

Copy Edits or the Ghosts of English Teachers Past

I've blogged about my next step on the journey to publication...copy edits  over at The Heroine Addicts.

Emotional Scenes

Barrie Summy, tween/teen author, wrote in the comments of last post that she liked the 'come in late and leave early'. I wish I could take credit for that but I can't. I don't know if I read it or heard it. Clearly I'm having a senior moment. If it comes to me I'll let you know.

Now on to the the focus of this post - Emotional Scenes. I want to look at them from two angles - as a writer and as a reader.

This week I struggled. Demi was forced into a corner that had only two options neither which of she wanted. She had to lie or in this case say nothing which when it all came out would make things much worse (and I know sometimes that this what you want as a writer) or speak the truth and suffer the consequences. Now lying for Demi is a big deal. It's never been her thing yet suddenly she finds she's having to lie for various reasons (don't want to give the plot away here). In this situation, by lying she could have what her heart wants, but she would put someone else at risk.

Now this point had to come some time in the story - it is one of those key moments. We have watched her with this issue of telling the truth or lying and I am now beginning to rope things in.....hence my uncertainly if this romantic cliff top scene was the time. I'm sure I could have found some excuse to interrupt the lovers so she didn't have to face her demons but to be truthful (see even I can tell the truth!) - a clench on top of a Cornish cliff is a pretty dramatic location and image for such a face-off. So I bit the bullet and was nasty (which isn't my nature, unfortunately - I think I would be a far stronger writer if I was but I'm learning!)

Because I was uncomfortable with what I was doing I cut pretty quickly to the chase so to speak and I pulled out of there as fast as I bl**dy well could. In fact the words were hardly out of her mouth before I opened the next scene the morning after with a full cast of characters, but not her lover. Time and a rewrite will tell if this was the best way to handle this moment (but at least is is written).

So as a writer do you struggle with such points? Do to keep these moments of high emotional pain short for your characters or do you let them twist in agony (image of Bugs Bunny here saying AGONY) as long as possible?

Now to the second part - as a reader...what do you prefer? (I'm not sure- so over the weekend I will have a think as I have long couple of drives in front of me and I'll let you know.)

Now onto a few links (Twitter is proving to be a brilliant source of info for me - is it for you?):

Tips for Title from The Paperback Writer (the blog in general is worth a visit as there were some other great posts) This clink came via @thecreativepenn

The other link is Answers to the Top 10 Reasons Not to Twitter here and came via @BubbleCow

Kyoto Again and the Joy of Being with Another Writer

It seems ages since we spent the weekend in Kyoto and I posted the last set of photos - heck I've been to England and back - and I'm off again tomorrow! But i did want to share some of the photos from our last day in Japan.

We walked through a wonderful bamboo forest. I can still hear the clacking noise of the bamboo as the wind pushed the tall stems together. It was almost like a symphony of percussion.

We wandered through a beautiful garden that was filled with so many plants that reminded me of our garden in Cornwall - made me quite homesick for it. I hope this week that the wisteria will still be in bloom.

Colour abounded every where even on a grey wet day. In fact I think the dullness of day made the vibrant colour more alive.

Last night I was lucky enough to have Janet Gover (Little Black Dress author - Farmer Needs A Wife) over for dinner. Poor dh had to put up with two writers chatting away about unreal worlds and plot problems. It certainly helped me to hear that she thought there was more than enough meat in the story to continue going. So another day of reading Maass and maybe I will write on the plane tomorrow with better results than the last time and definitely no champagne as I am in my normal stop in the back of the plane.

Off Track

Well am in London!!!! Had wonderful dinner with fellow writer Biddy and woke up early but not too early after a good night's sleep.

Yesterday I wrote on the flight (pat on back as was lucky enough to be in business and not too distracted by films - more later). I realized after 1600 words yesterday that I was losing the plot....yes, the key conflict of the book was wandering away - not wandering almost galloping. Demi and Victoria were leading totally separate lives and interesting though they were I needed them back under one roof to really make the sparks fly. So I stopped mid scene and today I cut to the second half of the book where the battle begins. However I have never left a scene hanging and moved on before. This is a dark new territory. But I know that it is necessary to put the story back on track and true to its heart.

Now this brings me to films. I have heard writers and me included bemoan the fact that reading is not the same once you have begun the process of pulling apart your own work. You do it instinctively with all and are rarely swept away. What I didn't realize is that I would do this with films now too. On the flight I watched Australia. It was good but certainly not brilliant. Why? Well for me it was too long and it lost its way. There wasn't enough chemistry begin the hero and heroine and its turning point although dramatic well could have been better. So it clearly showed me how crucial it is to cast your leads - they carry the story. In this film the hero was perfect, dare I say flawless but the heroine was cardboard. The same can happen in a book and I know even if their are other things about a book that I don't care for I will read on if I like the characters.

In contrast, I watched the film Easy Virtue again. Now this is an although different kettle of fish or film as the case may be. I found it flawless in its casting and also in the twists in the plot and it ends before the viewer tires. Thinking along the Donald Maass Writing the Break Novel route - giving your characters killer lines - well the film is filled with them which lights it up.

Do you watch films differently than you did before writing took over your soul and have you abadoned your characters mid scene to and jump else where to put the book back on track?

UPDATE: An interesting post by Caren Johnson, Literary Agent, on films and plot holes that speaks in more detail here

Another Glimpse of Oman

This is one of DH's photos from the escape to Oman. I just love their take on a scarecrow. I am now down one son who is back in the UK (one still with me), the dd is back at school here, and my parents are still with me. So at little bit of computer time is becoming available. Have I thought about writing? Only in the sense that I am not doing it! Let's hope this fallow time will make me productive when I can establish a routine again. In meantime I'll bore you with images of Arabia!