Robyn’s Writing

It happens.  Especially in grey months.  You know, months when life goes by and you’re not sure if you’re really living it like you should.

“Other things that happen” sap writing energy.  When life gets busy, too busy to live it properly, creativity dives.

I will recover and post more soon. Till then, <robyn shrugs>.

I shall return.  Soon.

for all of you who seemed to miss it first time around.  I’ll take both Chapters 36 and 37 down when the next one goes up.

Hopefully now that the long stretch of birthdays, Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year, and the collective fuss that goes with it is over, I will get back to some serious writing and revising.

I know a while back I tossed out the idea of maybe working Whispers as a single POV novel, 3rd person, tight. All about Kalea to start with.

I’m vacillating now.

If I can’t write about a character in such a way that makes people want to read about them, then there’s something wrong with my writing.

I think I’ll stick with my original plan, keep multiple POVs–maybe trim them back a bit to say four or five–and make all the characters so sympathetic that people just can’t put the book down. Heh.

Guess we’ll see how I do with that. <grin>

Chapter 37, a small chapter about Jala and Shebra is now posted.  If you’ve registered you should be easily able to access it.

This chapter was newly written, and is mainly a help in moving the plot forward to where the ending of this book can play out.  I’m not sure, in revisions, if it will stay a separate chapter like this or if I’ll combine it with another chapter.

But for now it’s a small stand-alone chapter. Here’s an excerpt, Shebra is speaking first:

“Ah-hah. So, it is true. You are not as stupid as you play at being. I see there is the beginning of a backbone there after all. Just a little one, about the same size as in a river trout, but it could grow.”

A backbone the size of a river trout?  As much as he wanted to keep his composure, he felt his eyes widen. Playing at being stupid?

Shebra laughed with delight and clapped her hands together.

He had to get out of there fast.  “Good bye Shebra. Please remember what I asked of you.”  Before she had a chance to play any more games with him he turned around and marched out of the room without bothering to close the door behind him.

“Your gloves, Jala.  You forgot them.”  Again, another amused chuckle. Damn his gloves, she could keep them. There was no way he was going back in there again. Jala patted his hair into place and scowled at the black eyed, tall man servant dressed in rich reds and gold, who was passing by. The man looked startled, and then lowered his eyes to the ground. Damn her too.  What was she thinking?

And the good news is that the next chapter, all about Dredd and Kalea, will be posted probably in a day or two. It’s all but finalized, just needs a read through and minor line edits. So, keep your eyes open for that one too.

Happy reading.

And may it be the best yet for all who read this.

Christmas and New Year have been keeping me from writing, so much happening.  I’m hoping that things will settle down again and life will become more…well…predictable.  Having said that, I’m not sure it will.

Writing Goals for 2009

• Finish ‘Whispers’ and run the entire novel by my on line critique group
• Finish a completed first draft edit on ‘The Fine Art of Compulsion’ (working title for my NaNoWriMo novel.)
• Get some articles and/or short stories I’ve been working on published.
• Write and publish some on line e-books.

And then I have my 2009 Wish List

• Re-Edit the Denith Books and submit them for publishing. They’re good stories, I want everyone to read them.
• Complete a submission package for Whispers, and Fine Art novels, including Query Letter, Synopsis, and fully edited and formatted manuscripts.

I’m toying with a new idea for ‘Whispers’.  Currently the story is told from four main POVs, with a few sections told from a minor character’s POV.

It’s a challenging style to pull off successfully. George R. R. Martin does, Robert Jordan did, Steven King does, just to name a few.

But think of it. Each character has to be compelling and interesting enough to draw the reader into their story.  If one character is more sympathetic to readers than another, readers will be tempted to skip all chapters from another POV and just read their ‘favorite’ character’s sections.  Not what we want.

I’ve been playing ‘what if’ with my novel.  What if I concentrate on one main character per book, adding to what I already have written in their POV, fleshing them and the story out more. I would need some chapters or scenes from other minor characters’ POV, to keep the story moving but overall it would focus on one person.  Book One - Kalea.  Book Two - Jala.  Book Three - Lacent.

The beauty of it all is that they would all be included in the other’s stories, but it wouldn’t be told from their POV. It would be their combined story according to Kalea for the first book, etc.

It would be easy to do. I have the whole story written, for all practical purposes and I could use that as a very big outline for my actual novels.

Like I said, it’s an idea.

Dredd tricked her.

After one jug of wine, she agreed to go.

KALEA IS BEING STUBBON AND PRISSY.

I don’t know what’s come over her. She’s supposed to cooperate with Dredd and go for the meeting at Lobar and meet up with Jala, but so far she’s just plain refusing!  I’m going to write more tonight, and see if she comes around. Ugh!  I don’t like it when they have a mind of their own like this.  Well, I do. But….

So far we’re at a bit of a standstill, here’s an excerpt from last night. Kalea speaks first.

“I’m tired Dredd and it’s cold and wet, and a very bad time for traveling anywhere. I want to stay here for a while, live a normal life.”

Dredd’s eyes flashed with anger. He pounded his clenched fist down onto the table. “And leave Jonthor to do what he wills with Hespar?” The room went silent. Kalea felt eyes burning into the back of her neck. A flush rose over her face, starting at her neck. How could he yell at her in front of a room full of people?

Dredd ran his fingers through his hair, and shook his head. “I’m sorry Kalea, I didn’t mean to get upset. Forgive me, please.” He smiled.

Kalea pursed her lips. She could still feel the heat of her face. To think she had once liked the man, he was awful. Still, she had to forgive him. “I forgive you,” she said, with as chill a tone in her voice as she could muster. “But I have no intention of traveling to Lobar. You can go if you want. I’m not. I’m staying here.”

Let’s see what a night of writing brings forth. 

Perhaps it will be ready to upload by the end of the weekend. Hard to say, we’re very busy with Christmas this and Christmas that. But I will see what I can do.

It’s coming along nicely. No new twists, just grappling with getting Kalea to a meeting Jala is holding in Lobar. She’s out of the bath, at least, and heading off down the stairs to meet with Dredd and discuss whether she needs to go to the meeting; if she should contend with Jonthor to take Grainor’s place; and whether her velvet dress is too low cut or not. :-)  In my opinion, it is.