AW, Chapter 15, Stepping Stones (and other things)

[rthstewart]

So, the whopping (and I do mean whopping) Chapter 15 is up.  I thought of splitting it, but once you read it, I think you'll see why I didn't.  No historical notes, really.  It pretty much speaks for itself.

The first 4,000 words of Chapter 15 (with a notable exception in the first couple of paragraphs) repeats Chapter 1 of Rat and Sword Go To War.  Then, it goes off in a different direction.   I had really wanted to get this chapter up before Rat and Sword as they are so closely aligned and this is how I'd intended it -- the AW update first and then Rat and Sword.  I'll start posting Rat and Sword later in the week on ff.net so they can all be read together in one place.

I'll take this opportunity to signal boost the writers and artists of the Narnia Big Bang stories. They are wonderful and please check them out.  Every one is a wonderful, original contribution.  I've so enjoyed them all and tomorrow is the last one!  A huge thanks to snacky for running a wonderful Big Bang and to heverus for my beautiful art.

Also, REMIX.  I didn't do the official one, but musesfool has open season Remix Madness 2012!  Post if you are willing to have your stories Remixed and then pick a story from those who have signed up!  No word limit!  No assignments!  No pressure! (and if you've ever had the urge to fix anything I've done, HAVE AT IT).  I have signed up and I noticed that snacky edenfalling therck and vialethe have as well as others whose work I know and love. 

Errr, right, signing off now and it's what you were expecting.  I think this fleshes out a lot of Rat and Sword, plus stands on its own.

Comments

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much. There was a lot about that initial scene I liked, in particular the whole bit about how she wanted to find out if Peter could kill and that she knew women who had been at the anti tank guns and listening to the fliers cry for their mothers as they were shot down. I really liked that she was trying to do that for Peter. I was sorry to lose the lines. I initially tried to work death and killing in here -- that she wants Edmund to be able to defend himself, that Washington isn't safe, and it just didn't work. And I was in her pov already with Digory and Polly and I didn't want to introduce Edmund's pov. So, here we are. I've not read that many "Pevensie tells mom the truth" stories so I don't know how this reveal is or is not like those. I'd already introduced the idea that Helen is providing to Edmund some of the same validation that Morgan did -- that's always been a fine line. I don't want to make him seem emotionally needy -- he never goes lookign for these things. In a chapter of AW in flashback Morgan says something nice to him at Leszi's farewell and Edmund reflects that when she says these things they fill a hole he isn't even aware of.

Helen is the same way and is able to perform a similar function. She sees that Edmund has labored under the disappointed expectation of their father and she's a fiercely protective mother. It's not the same for Edmund of course, but it does help anchor him and remind him of what he had.

You bring up a wonderful point that she didn't have any choice about how her children grew up and the direction they've chosen. (One possible way to spin this out that occurs to me is that once Peter becomes the disappointment John switches to Edmund which just disgusts Edmund).