Juggling Characters

Lessons Found in my Reading ...

 In spite of reading diligently after the news [ You know, the-just-one-more-chapter-bit ], I have a good 100 pages left to go in Laurell K. Hamilton's Skin Trade.  Do you find yourself reading slower when you sink deep into a book?  I've caught myself doing it twice in a row.  Here and with Beka Cooper, Bloodhound.

Lots of writing craft stuff caught my attention in the book, but the enormous number of characters Hamilton juggles has my jaw dropping.  I sort of reviewed the number of heros/villains I deal with in all three of my tweensters.  I think just the number of Blake's lovers equals the number of major characters in each of my books -- and that doesn't even start to include the people in the factions Blake hits her head against.  The amazing thing to me is the Hamilton tags them enough -- without slowing the story -- so I can keep them straight.  Maybe others don't have problems keeping characters straight, but I often do.  [Trade Pile time!]

I think also Hamilton is foreshadowing futures books with bits of complications.  Didn't check out Hamilton's site, but if the incidents with the super-vampire villain (Mama Noir, the mother of all darkness) mean anything, some interesting things will be happening in the series.  I think Hamilton may be setting up a platform to end the series too.  After one feeding of the ardour with new lovers, Blake sets up a fail-safe system for two assassin vampires to kill her if she looses her humanity and turns evil. --  This happens after Hamilton proves that Blake isn't evil yet by her ability to call on St. Michael in a fight with Mommie Noir.

Why would this be important?  Hamilton gives a great summary of Blake's thinking about herself:  "Living vampire, serial killer; po-tay-to, po-ta-to."  Excuse me, I need to turn green.  [Envy.]

Web Notes ...

In case you didn't notice the moving gadget  in the corner, I want to alert you to a wonderful idea -- an online writing conference.  A free conference for kidlit writers.  My tweensters, being under 18, qualify.  This comes from the fertile brain of Casey McCormick.

I'm looking forward to "meeting" new people.

Progress ...

Sort of moving -- crawling ? -- towards the last chapter of Voices.   While I do make comments at the beginnings of my chapters, I find I have to go back and paint in the bits that support the action/comments later in the book.  Still, I hope to be able to print out a complete draft before I go visiting ... then, do the real edits/revisions when I get back.

Trivia ...

The fledgling robins are bumping around -- trying to fly.  Sometimes, the parents go ballistic. --   Does that remind you of anything?

Immersed in a Master Craftsman's Mind

 The Writing Lesson ...

I'm savoring master craftsman Laurel K. Hamilton's new mass paperback, Skin Trade.  Wish  I could just sit and devour, but I've got too much other stuff demanding my attention.  In a way, I've already taken the bait.  Her opening hook is masterful.  "I'd worked my share of serial killer cases, but none of the killers had ever mailed me a human head."  The first sentence of the book rips your cheek out it lodges so firmly.

Even more impressive is the way she weaves the series back story into the first 4 page chapter.  She leaves out some things, but who cares.  I don't think this book will disappoint.  Hamilton has so many themes running through the Blake series that she  must had quite a time squeezing the references in.  At least, Blake seems to have gotten over her puritanical upbringing.

I'm about a third of the way in.  I don't know if Hamilton intended comments to be funny, but I found myself laughing out loud when characters referred back to situations from other books. Another bit that had me sitting back and thinking:  Hamilton gives an argument against those thinking commercial fiction is dumber than literary fiction when Blake raises objections to joining a witches church because it's too Gnostic.  How many Christians know what Gnosticism is?

Progress ...

My big bitch of the moment isn't getting an ending on Voices, though that bothers me.  It's getting my agent files set up so they are usable.  How many times have you read agents complaining about about sending inappropriate queries?  I gather it's one of the prime newbie mistakes.  I also gather you increase your chances of sending a partial (or full !!!) if you send something the agent is interested in.  --  A quick example.  I'd be wasting my time sending my stuff to an agent who only represented Christian romances.

Two of the best places I've found to get in depth agent info ... besides individual agent blogs ... are Casey McCormick [Literary Rambles] and Chuck Sambuchino [Guide to Literary Agents]  I think I've mentioned them before.  Well, this week-end I've been combing through their archives searching for agents who like fantasy.  

And, no.  Not all agents who like paranormal and/or urban fantasy do magical realism.   If you do sword and sorcery, the agent pickings get even slimmer.  So, I'm putting together a master list of agents who might be be interested in the kinds of fantasy I've written or have in my idea files.  My problem is complicated by having several adult, young adult, and middle grade manuscripts as done as I can make them.

Some examples I just stumbled across.  Michael Bourrett of Dystel & Goderich is looking for gritty, blue-collar YA paranormal.  For a few minutes I thought There Be Demons would be a good fit -- until I read he doesn't want science fiction or high fantasy (with magical creatures).  Then, I would love to query Jill Corcoran of the Herman Agency -- but she only does kid's stuff and doesn't have anyone in her agency that does adult, that I can tell.  --  It stands to reason that I think I'm an "exceptional" writer.

So, my manuscript files reflect my mind -- a Crazy Quilt.  Which makes me wonder if other writers stick to one genre specialty or do they bounce all over the place until they land on an idea that's publishable.

One thing I'm not doing is only bobbing like a dippy bird transferring agent info.   I'm "studying" book trailers on YouTube.  My NYC daughter, being a musician, knows a little about promoting yourself on the web, has promised to help me. 

Then, there are all those lovely trailer reviews at 1st Turning Point.  This week Rick Taubold points out the good points of a trailer for a children's picture book.  I found it interesting they used both English and Chinese in the production.  Whatever, I hope I can come up with something half as good for "Taking Vengeance".

Trivia ...

Disappointed the gurus trying to jump start the economy.  The old man stuck his foot through the bottom sheet.  Did I buy one of the many sets prominently displayed for my buying pleasure?  No, I dug around even though my back was cranky until I found a single fitted bottom sheet the right size.  Who cares what color it is?