yes, I write from time to time
Dec. 29th, 2012 11:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bedlamsbardThis is almost embarrassing to admit, but for the first time in four and a half years, 30 chapters (+four interludes), and 250K, I sat down tonight to plot Dust out five chapters in advance -- partially because I did something else I've never done before and wrote Dust 35 out of order (or about half of it, anyway; I think I'll wait on the back half) and partially because at this point I'm in ~relative endgame and am juggling so many plot threads that I need to be relatively certain of drawing them to a close all at the same time. I know how Dust II is going to end; it's on one of the formative scenes of the whole story (Thermopylae!), but I've never been entirely sure how I'm going to get there and at this point I kind of need to know. (Although let's be honest, five more chapters definitely does not get me to the end of Dust II; more like ten, but I don't know that much in advance.)
At this point, it's kind of a case of "try not to introduce too many more OCs (there are a couple of big ones coming), PLEASE GODS don't introduce any more plot threads that need to be wrapped up in Dust II, try not to forget anything important (you would be surprised at how many important characters and plots, including POV chars, I can forget), and try to get Dust II done before you turn 30." I'm not turning thirty for another seven years, I can live in hope. I live in real hope that I'll get the five chapters I plotted out done before I finish graduate school.
In conclusion, a snippet of backstory (I don't usually write backstory unless it really worms itself into my brain, which these guys did; warning for upcoming OCs in Dust. One has shown up already, one has been mentioned, two will definitely appear).
Makepeace accepted the mug that Shaldis handed him. “My family and I are leaving tonight,” he said. “We’ll go over the mountains into Archenland; I have friends there. You should come as well, Athan.”
Athan shook his head, wrapping his hands around his own mug. “I am a knight of Narnia,” he said. “I won’t abandon her.”
“Even the king has abandoned Narnia,” Makepeace said. “Nobody’s heard anything of Tirian for days now. For all we know he’s dead, and even if he isn’t, what can he do? Narnia has no armies that can match the Tisroc.”
“I swore an oath to defend Narnia,” Athan said. “And that is an oath I will not break, even unto the ending of the world.”
“It is not the ending of the world that concerns me, Athan! I may not be a knight of Narnia, but I am a father and I would not have my children grow up under the yoke of Calormen. Would you have your boys scraping and bowing to the Tisroc? I think not.”
Makepeace must have seen the moment of hesitation on Athan’s face – he hadn’t thought about Lev and Merry – because he went on quickly, “If you fight the Calormenes, then you know your boys will too. You and I both know that they wouldn’t dream of doing otherwise. Either they’ll die fighting them or they’ll be captured and enslaved. Do you want that for Lev and Merry?”
Athan glanced aside. He could tell from the small scratching outside the kitchen’s closed door that Lev and Merry were listening in; he also knew what they’d say to the suggestion that they weren’t capable of fighting for Narnia’s freedom. He knew they were good fighters – of course they were, he’d taught them both himself – but Makepeace was right. They were too young. If they went up against the Calormenes, then they’d die. And Athan couldn’t be party to that.
“You’re right,” he said abruptly, and before the relief had finished chasing its way across Makepeace’s face, added, “Take the boys with you.”
At this point, it's kind of a case of "try not to introduce too many more OCs (there are a couple of big ones coming), PLEASE GODS don't introduce any more plot threads that need to be wrapped up in Dust II, try not to forget anything important (you would be surprised at how many important characters and plots, including POV chars, I can forget), and try to get Dust II done before you turn 30." I'm not turning thirty for another seven years, I can live in hope. I live in real hope that I'll get the five chapters I plotted out done before I finish graduate school.
In conclusion, a snippet of backstory (I don't usually write backstory unless it really worms itself into my brain, which these guys did; warning for upcoming OCs in Dust. One has shown up already, one has been mentioned, two will definitely appear).
Makepeace accepted the mug that Shaldis handed him. “My family and I are leaving tonight,” he said. “We’ll go over the mountains into Archenland; I have friends there. You should come as well, Athan.”
Athan shook his head, wrapping his hands around his own mug. “I am a knight of Narnia,” he said. “I won’t abandon her.”
“Even the king has abandoned Narnia,” Makepeace said. “Nobody’s heard anything of Tirian for days now. For all we know he’s dead, and even if he isn’t, what can he do? Narnia has no armies that can match the Tisroc.”
“I swore an oath to defend Narnia,” Athan said. “And that is an oath I will not break, even unto the ending of the world.”
“It is not the ending of the world that concerns me, Athan! I may not be a knight of Narnia, but I am a father and I would not have my children grow up under the yoke of Calormen. Would you have your boys scraping and bowing to the Tisroc? I think not.”
Makepeace must have seen the moment of hesitation on Athan’s face – he hadn’t thought about Lev and Merry – because he went on quickly, “If you fight the Calormenes, then you know your boys will too. You and I both know that they wouldn’t dream of doing otherwise. Either they’ll die fighting them or they’ll be captured and enslaved. Do you want that for Lev and Merry?”
Athan glanced aside. He could tell from the small scratching outside the kitchen’s closed door that Lev and Merry were listening in; he also knew what they’d say to the suggestion that they weren’t capable of fighting for Narnia’s freedom. He knew they were good fighters – of course they were, he’d taught them both himself – but Makepeace was right. They were too young. If they went up against the Calormenes, then they’d die. And Athan couldn’t be party to that.
“You’re right,” he said abruptly, and before the relief had finished chasing its way across Makepeace’s face, added, “Take the boys with you.”