To expand on my project, Em and I think that it is likely I will break this book in two. 39 chapters are a lot, and I have many more pages than I thought I would at this point. There is a great halfway point at the end of Chapter 20, and so for now (until I decide otherwise) I will refer to the halves as "Half 1" and "Half 2" (Creative naming, I know.) with the intention of them being separate books.
I have several goals for this project:
1. Present a believable plot in a fictional place where everything "fantastic" has a plausible explanation. For example: NO MAGIC unless I can explain how it works in some way that would make the reader feel like it 'fits' somehow.
2. Avoid coincidences and contrived plot devices. I hate reading books or seeing movies that make me think "yeah right, no way that would actually happen, it's too coincidental."
3. Establish strong characters with distinct personalities. This is a toughie. The tendency is for characters to all sound like the author. I need to avoid this, and I may need help from proofreaders to point out when my characters become identical paper dolls.
4. Maintain a sense that the story is from the main character's point of view - I want to avoid the dry "third-person narrator" that describes things. Example: "The tall hill was silhouetted against the sunset" is lame. "Dick stood on the tall hill, a silhouette to Jane as she shielded her eyes against the setting sun" achieves the same purpose and is so much better to read. I want these mistakes pointed out to me.
5. I want to wipe out anything dull - if it's boring to you, then it's boring to the reader. Just say "this doesn't work for me." and present your reasons. I may argue, but I will listen. Just don't try to screw with my writing style. :)
All this is a moot point because nobody has actually read anything that I wrote yet, but I'm laying the foundation to keep myself honest.
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