The Tourist (2)
09/04/10
Today I reached Chapter 63 in my re-write of the partial draft of my new novel, The Tourist. Among the criticisms of the first draft was that it was taking too long to engage the reader in the plot, because a lot of time was being used to describe the opening scene - a restaurant in the Latin Quarter of Paris.Why Paris?, some asked. My answer was that the characteristics of Paris/French society would have a bearing on the conduct of some of the characters, and that French society/characters were going to be contrasted with their counterparts in London, Toronto, and maybe Winnipeg. As well, the plot of the novel being written by the then main protagonist, Bill, was to involve elements of the “Two Solitudes” of which Canada is famously composed.
Well, I was told, that’s all great so long as the reader maintains interest long enough to get to the payoff. I momentarily considered beefing about the short attention span of modern readers, and the patience readers of the classics display, but a) this is the modern world, and b) I can’t assume that I do or will ever write classics! So, what to do? I took a cue from another comment I had received. The comment was that the first book had a very strong ‘hook’ that grabbed some readers right away - being the Minimum List. I didn’t want to use a gimmick to snare readers, but rather something that was integral to the plot or the characters, or the point of the book, like the Minimal List was central to the reason for writing Except My Love For You.
Another clue for me was a criticism I received for introducing an e-mail exchange very late in the plot, as it then stood.The e-mails were crucial to establishing a communication between two of the characters, and were the cause of a misunderstanding. The error was based upon a misinterpretation of the e-mails by a third character. It occurred to me that a thread of e-mails, voice-mails, texts, etc., starting at the beginning and running through the book, could serve several functions. Despite several re-writes to simplify descriptions and narration, the book starts out (and continues off and on) with a fairly dense and challenging style of writing. As explained in my last blog, I want to strike a balance, between serving a modern market, and keeping my ‘voice”. Otherwise what is my contribution, regardless of popularity or otherwise? So the style remains challenging. However, punctuating the thick prose with the breezy common language of e-mails, etc. could serve as a pallet-cleanser, if you will. If it is well conceived it can, if not get the fish to bite, at least set the hook like a sharp tug on a fishing rod!
As well, if carefully crafted (a big challenge) the end-of-chapter chatter can act like a Greek Chorus, making the idea points more directly than the main text, or adding to the readers’ knowledge of the character’s personalities - though hopefully not so overtly or pompously as the real Greek Choruses. Don’t get me wrong I love the Classics, but that was then and this is now.
With these intentions in mind, I went back to the beginning, re-wrote yet again for simplicity, and added ‘off-stage’ back-and-forths between the characters. The process is going famously so far. Whether it’s working or not, time will tell. And if not time, my guinea pigs, Kate Hodgert, Darren Fast, and Eric Wawaruk will.
More soon.
Well, I was told, that’s all great so long as the reader maintains interest long enough to get to the payoff. I momentarily considered beefing about the short attention span of modern readers, and the patience readers of the classics display, but a) this is the modern world, and b) I can’t assume that I do or will ever write classics! So, what to do? I took a cue from another comment I had received. The comment was that the first book had a very strong ‘hook’ that grabbed some readers right away - being the Minimum List. I didn’t want to use a gimmick to snare readers, but rather something that was integral to the plot or the characters, or the point of the book, like the Minimal List was central to the reason for writing Except My Love For You.
Another clue for me was a criticism I received for introducing an e-mail exchange very late in the plot, as it then stood.The e-mails were crucial to establishing a communication between two of the characters, and were the cause of a misunderstanding. The error was based upon a misinterpretation of the e-mails by a third character. It occurred to me that a thread of e-mails, voice-mails, texts, etc., starting at the beginning and running through the book, could serve several functions. Despite several re-writes to simplify descriptions and narration, the book starts out (and continues off and on) with a fairly dense and challenging style of writing. As explained in my last blog, I want to strike a balance, between serving a modern market, and keeping my ‘voice”. Otherwise what is my contribution, regardless of popularity or otherwise? So the style remains challenging. However, punctuating the thick prose with the breezy common language of e-mails, etc. could serve as a pallet-cleanser, if you will. If it is well conceived it can, if not get the fish to bite, at least set the hook like a sharp tug on a fishing rod!
As well, if carefully crafted (a big challenge) the end-of-chapter chatter can act like a Greek Chorus, making the idea points more directly than the main text, or adding to the readers’ knowledge of the character’s personalities - though hopefully not so overtly or pompously as the real Greek Choruses. Don’t get me wrong I love the Classics, but that was then and this is now.
With these intentions in mind, I went back to the beginning, re-wrote yet again for simplicity, and added ‘off-stage’ back-and-forths between the characters. The process is going famously so far. Whether it’s working or not, time will tell. And if not time, my guinea pigs, Kate Hodgert, Darren Fast, and Eric Wawaruk will.
More soon.
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