Did I mention that this writing stuff is hard? Is for me, anyway. I’m guessing that one of my biggest challenges is going to be in the dialogue department. It’s a deficiency of mine – conversation is not a strong point with me. I don’t do it well, and I don’t remember it well. I feel like I lack a reference point for it. At the same time, I’ve read books that skimp on it, and I know I can’t do without it. So, there’s that. And then there is the Tom Swifty problem. I’m tempted to write lines of dialogue using only the sequential alteration and speech clues to indicate who is speaking. I don’t know that I can beat the “he said, and then she said” problem effectively (this was probably the most odious of Jerry Jenkins & Tim LaHaye’s stylistic faults). Before the next installment, which includes dialogue… I plan to review some favored books to see how they manage it.
I also look forward with trepidation to the introduction of sex and romance. I think that I might be better suited to Sci-Fi, where all that can be left aside in favor of pure ideas. But, at the end of the day, this book has to say something about people… and people are messy critters made out of cells and fluids and hormones and neurologically wired to associate with one another in all kinds of relationships. Primates, we are. So, I have to be true to that. On the other hand, there is a strong religious theme to the premise behind this book and I have no desire to alienate religious people who prefer to keep our messy organic selves gracefully concealed behind closed doors. I don’t want to paper over the issue with pithy euphemisms. To top it off – as I mentioned in response to a comment on the last fictive post – I’m not much of a romantic myself. So, that’s a lot of challenges.
And then there’s the related problem of swear-words. Long-time blog readers have probably noticed that I don’t like to write in coarse language. And just as when we talked about issues related to our carnal nature, I don’t want to alienate readers who are prudish about reading what I’m prudish about writing. But I don’t want to paper it over… and in certain circumstances, there aren’t many other options.
So, I’m worried about that.
You see I’m struggling with this. But there are things I do feel good about. I feel good about the premise. I can see the premise playing out as though in a movie. It’s wild enough to surprise, but not too wild to believe. And it illuminates all these areas of life that it impinges upon. I feel pretty good about the story – that is, the plot. I have some issues there, but I can see where the premise and the characters both have the potential to help me push the story-line down the road. I feel good about the subject-matter. It may be a cheap sell, but it does sell. And the angle takes some of the harsh off of that “cheap” qualifier – at least to my mind.
So, anyway… off to the bookshelf to refresh my memory on how the pro’s do it.
Have you thought about including some sci-fi stuff about genetic engineering and the ethical dilemmas that will play out in the future?
I don’t know man. You might do better with the sex portion than you think.
You pretty much nailed the cigarette smoking in the first chapter.
Dan – sounds good for a sequel. Buck… it’s easier to write what you know, my friend.
Jerry, I wouldnt worry too much about the use or ommission of profanity. I have read GREAT books without any profanity and Good books that are full of it. Yes, it does add something of a raw nature to a story but my father has always said “profanity is nothing more than one show off their immaturity. But, it takes an mature artist of vocabulary to express ideas, thoughts and emotions without them.”