Working working

[rthstewart]

 

With the Dawn Treader screening, two screenings of Harry Potter, a trip by plane to see the Narnia exhibit in Huntsville, Alabama, the American Thanksgiving holiday, the Dawn Treader official release next week, and injuries (it's all fine, just a bite, a cut, and some doctor visits) it's been busy.

I had really hoped to fill the space by officially posting on AO3 and ff.net the two stories I did for the Narnia fic exchange, but the reveals haven't been made.  So, I'm peck pecking away on Chapter 4 of AW, which is going slowly -- 5,000 words of blather.  I'd not planned to do the chapter at all.  But, some readers thought AW was moving too fast, so I'm slowing it down a little with some additional conversations that did not have to happen here, but could.  These include too many points of view for a single chapter, but there's no remedy for that.  It's a hallmark of the story and the alternative is many smaller chapters and fewer point of view characters and I'm not inclined to either. 

So, we have Digory's point of view: 
“Bacchus!” Polly exclaimed.  “How marvelous!  Did you ever meet him?  Or his maenads?”

Before Digory could express his ardent desire for an immediate change of subject, Peter came to the rescue with a look that was sympathetic but not apologetic.  “Perhaps, Polly, you should ask Susan or Lucy to tell you of it?”

Edmund flashback with Morgan:
Morgan dusted off her hands and settled again next to him.  Edmund did not know what to say; she had never missed an opportunity for beetle racing in five years.  Obviously, the Morgan he knew had been replaced by an imposter.

That possibility was eliminated, however, when she blurted out, as only Morgan could do, without preliminaries or explanation, “How long have you been doing it?”

Then, Edmund and Lucy, in the Museum. 
“When we were on The Dawn Treader, at first, I wanted to return to Narnia,” Lucy said.  “But, now I’m glad we didn’t, because we would be going back, instead of forward.  We would have missed the adventures waiting for us in the East.  Does that make sense?”

 And then, I think a bit of Polly point of view where she yells at Richard.  I've also wondered about squeezing in some of Asim and Col. Clark (who we meet again), in (really) Chapter 5, Change of Heart. 

If I add Asim then the only point of view characters not represented in these backward/forward looking chapters are Richard and Mary, and I think that's OK -- though I could squeeze Mary in after Edmund's flashback and so we have her introduction to Lucy and Edmund from her point of view rather than Edmund's.  Got that?  I think that's one POV too many.  Or not?

I've given up trying to do any other challenges, fic exchanges and the like to concentrate on this.  But, maybe I should so something holiday like?  A meme or something?  Would there be any interest in that?  If so, what?

 

Comments

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

I don't really write what I want you see. I write what I think a certain group of readers want to read. And therein lies the problem. But thank you for your thoughts and support! the next chapter is up!

[cofax7]

See, here's the thing: if I only wrote what I thought a certain group of readers wanted to read, I wouldn't be writing Carpetbaggers at all, because there was no indication anywhere in the fandom that what I wanted to read was what other people wanted to read. But that's why I started writing it, because I couldn't find what I wanted--and it turned out there was an audience for it after all.

I'm frequently surprised by the readership for stories I write only for myself.

Just... something to consider.

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

I am well aware that if you can't please everyone, of course. And having delved for a while into pro fic (and franchise work at that, so there were many masters), I won't go back to it for the reasons you enumerated -- you have the freedom in fan fic to do what you wish.

The fact is, I am, and remain pretty insecure about all this, even after 15+ years at it. I am, as mentioned, just fabulously bad at understanding what readers want/expect/like. And I'm so very, very grateful to those who have found the stories. As much as I enjoy the creative outlet, I really value the framework for relationships that fan fic provides -- the community of readers, writers, and such.

So, thanks so much. I appreciate you reading and checking in and I shall be getting caught up on Carpetbaggers soon!