{"id":1409,"date":"2022-11-22T08:12:18","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T14:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/?p=1409"},"modified":"2022-11-22T08:13:03","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T14:13:03","slug":"once-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/2022\/11\/22\/once-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Once Again…"},"content":{"rendered":"

NewBook I has had a partial read by Agent now, and I called to find out what his reaction was so far (about 1\/3 through it.)\u00a0\u00a0 Still some concerns, things to work on, so I’m back in revision mode sort of,\u00a0 hoping to also get back to work on NewBook II while it still has life in it, so I don’t have to revive it from coldsleep when NewBook I is deemed ready for its debut in the market. \u00a0 NewBook I needs to read like the new beginning of something that it is, and now like the added-on “tail” of Paladin’s Legacy,<\/strong> which finished with Crown of Renewal.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em>Yes, there are carryover characters from earlier books…Aris Marrakai from Divided Allegiance<\/em> for instance, as a young schoolboy in Fin Panir, right the way through Paladin’s Legacy <\/strong>where he’s a page in the palace in Tsaia growing older through those five volumes and developing a close friendship with Prince Camwyn Mahieran.\u00a0 That friendship, and the future of both boys (Camwyn’s older by three years but they’re both too young to be squires, for instance)\u00a0 is left in doubt at the end of Legacy<\/strong>, after Camwyn’s critical injuries from an iynisin attack and his removal by Dragon for a chance at life.<\/p>\n

So far, Agent says, the first chapter or two of the book doesn’t feel like a new start.\u00a0\u00a0 And, of course, if it IS a new start, that means it’s a new entry point (potentially) to the entire story-universe for potential new readers, and new readers need\u00a0 some background (can’t insult them with “You should’ve read the previous 10 books”)\u00a0 without boring those who’ve read the previous ten books repeatedly and know exactly who all the repeat characters are.\u00a0\u00a0 The question of “simple straightforward “Here’s the background you may need” vs. trying to slot in 10 books’ worth of background without reducing the story proper to endless lumps of infodump” has been raised, and when raised in this blunt fashion makes it clear that “Background in the forward” would be kindest to all.\u00a0 If it’s short enough.\u00a0 (It’s also becoming clear to me that with this many books–and words!–in print,\u00a0 there needs to be some kind of place where ALL the stuff new readers need is in one place.\u00a0 I thought I’d done that–before even starting the Paladin’s Legacy<\/strong> group–in the Paksworld website, but it’s not working as well as I hoped, even considering that Legacy<\/strong> doubled the number of volumes and the wordage.)<\/p>\n

So…once again into the breach to build the story-wall up so the whole thing is sound and will work for most (never all) readers.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No writer really enjoys the moment at which “Needs more work” (whether in those words or couched more gently)\u00a0 is uttered instead of “Amazing, wonderful PERFECT in every way!!” but every writer with some insight knows that books (and stories) DO need more work more often than not, and that reflection will show how true it is that this one (whichever one you just finished) does in fact need more work.\u00a0\u00a0 (The same is true in every craft and art.\u00a0 A choir full of really good singers still doesn’t sing a big piece perfectly at the first…or second…or fourth…rehearsal.\u00a0 “Begin at measure 83, all the way to the solo…” and everyone suppresses a groan but then sings it better.)<\/p>\n

I will be more absent than present unless I have more news, which isn’t likely anytime soon.\u00a0 Agent’s buried in work, and I’m about to be.\u00a0\u00a0 This will be mirrored in the Paksworld blog, for the benefit of all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NewBook I has had a partial read by Agent now, and I called to find out what his reaction was so far (about 1\/3 through it.)\u00a0\u00a0 Still some concerns, things to work on, so I’m back in revision mode sort of,\u00a0 hoping to also get back to work on NewBook II while it still has Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,10],"tags":[20,44,7],"class_list":["post-1409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-paksworld","category-the-writing-life","tag-characters","tag-paksworld-stuff","tag-the-writing-life"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1409"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1409"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1411,"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1409\/revisions\/1411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}