Author stream of wossit. Ignore

So the book is getting to that point where I'm really enjoying to write it.  It's a lovely point to be in, and I don't know whether other authors have this, but I usually like the first page or so of a novel because that's been knocking me in the brain for a year or two, and I know how things start, but the scary stuff is one or two chapters in.  I've just finished chapter 7 and I have to say, I really enjoyed writing it.  I've not written something so very dependent on dialogue before.

See, when I was writing Standish I didn't do dialogue much - and I realised this after I'd finished it. There were speeches. But there wasn't much conversation.

It was role playing games in fandom that helped me there. RPG was hugely helpful, because you wrote conversations. Very little description, because it was deep deep pov, usually 3rd person and run on LJ it was simply a back and forth thing. Perhaps a little description as: "Severus picked up the jug and gave Lucius a blank look. "And you thought this would work? A second rate potion like this?"

Timing - this is something I never see discussed in writing, but something i think is as important in novels as it is on comedy shows or in films. If you write a dialogue heavy scene, it has to have timing, it's important to let your characters falter, to let them break their speech in the middle, at the end - and it has to have realism. People don't speak in complete sentences for example - people um and er and break off and wave their arms in exasperation and how often do you see that in a book? People mispronounce words, or use the wrong words and get mocked. People forget the names for things or lose the thread of the conversation completely. And yet in books everyone seems to know what to say and continues to say it until they've finished.

I don't think for one second that I've perfected the art of dialogue, but I'm having enormous fun letting characters show me who they are by  allowing me listen to their conversations.

sound of hormone overload

I've never seen this version of Wuthering Heights before. Ralph Fiennes FTW. *dies, oh just dies *

However what deadbeat came up with Juliette Binoche as Cathy? Some mad person. She's about as passionate as roadkill. And that accent? Gah!  It's not my favourite book at all - it should have ended

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I've also discovered Entourage, recommended by a RL friend - and after four episodes and thoroughly enjoying it.

Lucius went out at 10pm last night and has not returned. Ho hum. I dare say he'll have some excuse when he returns. Aliens, or pirates this time, I'll wager.

Lambda Finalists Announced!

None for me, but congrats to everyone else!

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Gratuitious Mood Icon Post

Goldfishy!

 

Reader's Review

I sent Chris Smith a copy of the ARC of Transgressions because she's been very good to me recently and she read the entire thing in three hours - here's her review.

I don't expect everyone to like the book - it's a much darker read than Standish (and I know some people who thought that was dark!) and for those who have come to me through more polite Regencies like Frost Fair and Hard and Fast, it will come as a bit of a culture shock--but Chris' reaction is almost exactly what I was hoping for.  If I can affect just some people in the same way I'll be happy. It was a dark period in English history, so it wouldn't do to make it fluffy. And seriously, you wouldn't want Erastes to do fluffy, right?

Anyway, thank you so much, Chris.

Le Malfoy has returned, after 24 hours on the razzle. No alien pirate abduction, then apparently. Either that or it was just a short flight.