No, it's not about the novel. Not yet, anyway.
I heard a new term tonight on the news. "Margin of Litigation" Evidently the DNC and RNC have teams of lawyers standing by in many of the states as well as others in reserve, waiting to pounce on any state whose voting outcome falls within this margin of litigation. It no longer matters for whom I vote, it's all dependent on who has the better lawyers.
I'm beginning to think that rights are treated like statistics, and can be swayed however those in or desirous of power wish them to be.
All I know is someone will win, someone who truly wants to do what he thinks is best for the country.
...Now Noveling
I woke up in the middle of the night and got my story started. I went back to bed and sleep, and did some more while enjoying a good, healthy breakfast of black coffee and candy corn. I got to my day's quota and my heart dropped out of things. A lot of e-mail and messaging later, I took a break and pedaled off to buy some dog food. Many of the people on the road and in the stores acted oblivious to NaNoWriMo.
I got Sid, my main character, off the road and into his shop. He runs a trophy shop, and I know nothing about trophies in spite of having won one or two. Oh, sure, I could do research and make this a way for the reader to learn about the exciting world of trophy manufacturing, but I expect I'll downplay the details just as I've done in the past with bookstores, the entire city of Oklahoma City, and vetinarians. In my novels, as in all my writings, I mention these things, but don't fully explore them.
"You can't just drop something like that in," I heard once from someone about a line about a fatal logging accident. "We want to know more!"
"Oh yes I can," I answered.
I toss things around willy-nilly. I'm not sure if that's good writing or not, but I don't have time to explore all these details: I have a book to write!
Just wait until the blimp ride comes in. It may get a cursory nod, or maybe a whole chapter. Depends on how I feel. I kind of like not milking things for all they're worth. Gives the reader more to think about, and prevents me from being seen as 1) talented, or 2) greedy and manipulative.
Beginnings
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2 comments:
I agree about being able to throw stuff into the novel without full exposition. A writer has got to maintain control of a story so it doesn't fall apart. However, we have to keep the reader's interests in mind. If the fatal logging accident is more interesting than what's happening in your novel, then the reader just might want to know more. Obvious, I suppose. I think about writing a novel like this: its like driving a car that you are assembling with bailing wire and glue from a kit while moving at top speed toward a mile high cliff.
You're right, and it *is* obvious now that I think of it. I think I consider those throwaway lines and items more like spice, tantalizing little tidbits that serve to jolt the reader and provide an eyebrow raise.
Hurtling toward a cliff? You may be on to something there. It's an awkward child that emerges in Nov, I'm certain of that.
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