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  Obviously, the Morgan he knew had been replaced by an imposter.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

[autumnia]

Oh so lovely tidbits you've posted here, rth. I'm most amused by the Bacchus one, and the Harold/Morgan comes in close second.

As for Richard and Mary, I think it'd be fine if you leave them out. We did get Mary in the last chapter (though with Eustace) and had quite a bit of Richard in the one before that.

And I'm always interested in memes and that sort of thing, so that's a Yes vote from here! :-) I don't think I'll be doing a holiday fic, though I had been thinking about some ideas for it. And a meme might be easier to play with for the holidays.

[cofax7]

But, some readers thought AW was moving too fast

... it's your story, though. One of the advantages of fanfiction is that we don't have to write to the audience: the only person we have to please is ourselves. And I can pretty much guarantee that for every reader who said they thought it was moving too fast, there were just as many who thought the pace was slow, and twice as many as either who didn't have an opinion on the pacing.

That's MHO, anyway. By this point I would trust your own instincts: you know where the story is going and what it needs better than anyone outside.

[amine-eyes.livejournal.com]

Are you happy with the chapter? Then do that :D

I secondcofax7 on this, though it's brilliant that we get to see more of your wonderful world, if it feels like it works for you, then do that :) It means we get story, and you're happy, and those who wish the story to do something other than what they want could always write their own - beauty of fanfic :)

I know I'm doing a holiday fic (at some point), but if it means a bit of AW before Christmas ... oh I can't decide!

And also, lucky bugger on getting to see Dawn Treader! *grumbles goodnaturedly* :D

[min023.livejournal.com]

As I've said previously, I consider the pacing just fine as it is, although I suppose that idea that Richard needs a good spanking did come from me, albeit somewhat indirectly. So, yes, I echo the others when they say 'go ahead and do what you want to'. Last year's Christmas fic was gorgeous though, but I still want to know what is happening in AW, too. Not much help for this quarter, is it? Tell you what, you decide what you want to do, and I'll come and play (helpful, no?)

Oh, and amine? Just cause the movie is out, doesn't necessarily mean we get to see it any faster. It opened here last Thursday, but I have a junior schooler who really, really wants to see it (along the lines of 'pleeeaaaase, Mum'). We have our long summer break coming up in two weeks, so must wait until that starts, because there's too much end of year stuff happening until then :-(

[andi-horton.livejournal.com]

I see all these author alerts from you and others and I imagine, in my most fevered moments, a world in which I have time to read all of them, never mind write things of my own . . . setting aside for the moment my existing holiday plans to shun my houseguest in favour of catching up on all my fic reading over the break (jk, intrikate88, jk-- sort of) I would love something holiday-y! What sort of meme did you --or anybody else-- have in mind?