Mistakes

Ch6 will have to be rewritten.

Although Leal as the narrator gives an interesting perspective on Van, beyond that, there's nothing else to gain. It's wrong to allow more than Van and Hitomi as narrators, at this point. The experience of the events would be better told by Van, so we can once more look into his feelings without the usual distance he requires. Besides, I'm sure the readers will enjoy the political matters more if Van is giving the running dialogue ;3

I really value Jossi and other readers' input on here and as comments directly on ff. They always remind me the importance of a "story". DS isn't just an exercise in writing, it's a medium for readers to experience V+H's feelings.

Ironically, I seem to be busier without a job than with a job. I need to start scheduling writing time again.

Tsubasa no Kami has in-depth information about the Esca movie. And I had mentioned in my first posts that she hosts the only known map of Gaea. A total help for me :D This is from her program gallery page:

Character Profile

The most common mistake I see on ff is treating character profile as a list of physical markings. In addition to smearing the writing into lower class with simplified descriptions of a tall and brown haired man, authors are missing out on the most vital and powerful aspect of fiction: characterization.

There must be overwhelming background evidence to tell how characters will act in a certain situation. (Not all presented to the readers, of course.) And then it's the author's craft to connect the dots to make the experience pleasurable by the confirmation or surprise.

Of course, physical descriptions are important to bringing the characters alive in imaginations. But even in our first impressions with a stranger, there are numerous details we consciously and intuitively receive. Is he in good shape? How clean and stylish are her clothes? Does she wear flashy jewelry with flip-flops? Is he hunching to appear less noticeable? Does she hold her coffee cup with her little finger out or cradle it in both hands? Doe she look elegant but destroy the picture by saying insensible things? All of these are physical things, but they give so much more character information than sky blue eyes.

The best part to me in the film Stranger than Fiction was the part when Harold Crick says his favorite word is "integer." I had loled, because it's a word that completely defines his personality and behaviors.

As an exercise today I wrote the Esca characters' words. They're not their favorite, really, but words that I think exemplify them. So here's the list of their Esca-timeline words, though I've still to define (and keep secret from you, mwhaha) their DS words. And let me know if I've hit or missed the mark!

Van - trust
Hitomi - hope
Merle - Van
Allen - companionship
Millerna - love
Dryden - power
Aston - country
Eries - propriety
Chid - filial duty
Celena - emptiness

As for doing complete character profiles, I must admit I haven't finished them yet either. I think at this point I'd better concentrate on the next ch, rather than filling out the list to its entirety. But I do consider many of the following points as I work through scenes, and here's a partial list. For in-depth strategies and examples, pick up the book The Plot Thickens.

outward appearance. posture.
mode of dress. fabrics. expense. style. colors.
words. phrases. sentence to live by.
favorite colors, animals, foods, smells, places. reading material. music. art. decoration style.
family situation and relationship
history. jobs. education. occupation.
outlook on life. future plans.
personality. quirks.
distinguishing characteristic.
likes and dislikes.
recreation. hobbies. vacations.
circle of friends. types of enemies. past lovers.
perception vs. reality

One of my favorite pictures of Van is him in ending credits. It seems to say so many different things. And why is it? It's not his excuse of a shirt, or his hair, or his long lashes. The mystery comes from his closed eyes, that highlight on the bridge of his nose and his lips, his self-hug. Is it expectation, acceptance, waiting, or loneliess? Only Van knows.

Deadline

My new goal for DS is to finish ch6 by end of February. I've been avoiding definite deadlines because writing is for fun, not work, but I think it's gotten to the point that I need to get off my butt and let stress motivate me to higher performance. Readers need new chs, and I need to start writing again.

Still, my plans for the latter part of DS have been more exciting than ever. The last chs of V+H's story will be roomfuls of effervescent bubbles ;D I rub hands in anticipation just thinking about it. It's been really hard to restrain myself from writing those scenes out already, even though I know those will change by the time I get there in the storytelling.

Now off to continue my consideration of Fanelia's budget for airships.