Nano concerns

[jana_denardo]

Not that I'm really concerned about the novel. So far it's going pretty good and I'm on track. However, I do wonder about it's marketability down the road. Yes, yes I know that's not supposed to be a concern right now and I'm certainly not letting it stop me.

However, I can't help but wonder. There are multiple (well delineated) points of view in it, several of which are not the lovers. The villains, The knight's templar and Jo, Temple's female partner all have the say. I think it moves along the plot of the story but given the reviews I've seen all over seem to want a much more concentrated focus on the lovers.

Reviewers do not shape my plot. They do shape my irrational fears.In trying to move the plot and action along, I do think I've moved away from the romance a bit. Romance isn't really the focus of the story (not that it needs to be, thinking of Andrea Speed's Infected Prey) Mourning the loss of a party and trying to move on is.

Part of the problem is when I first started this I never thought it would be a series and if I had planned better, I might have done a few things differently in Snowbound. Temple enters the menage e trois to help ease his pain from losing Li but he seems rather casual about it. It was a short story and I didn't have room to fully explore that. I think my starting point for this should be to deal with Temple's pain and how his two lovers deal with him but it's being hard to do without Temple becoming morose and without slowing down the pace of the plot.

I had more written on this then verizon did it's usual suckfest and clipped the connection off and I lost it. So, I'll worry on this later, now to get back to the writing.

Comments

[winters-queen.livejournal.com]

I did see that Dragon Naturally Speaking has an offer that if you win NaNo, you can get 50 percent off their software. Normally it's 85, plus 10 for shipping and handling.

[jana-denardo.livejournal.com]

thanks. I actually OWN that but this computer wouldn't tolerate it. I have a new computer coming

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I think you should be able to get away with it, personally, but what do I know about the market you're in?

[jana-denardo.livejournal.com]

I'm going to write it like i can at any rate and it's not just THIS market. Take a good hard look next time at any book you review that is either multiple povs or first person

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Okay, will do. XD

[jana-denardo.livejournal.com]

of cours reading some of the reader reviews is like reading comments to news articles

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Well, this is true.

[jana-denardo.livejournal.com]

I'm just amazed at how strongly some people feel about pov. Even friends of ours won't read some things if it's first person (several friends of mine in fact)

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I'll read pretty much anything, but I don't like long stories in first person POV for the most part (yes, Dresden Files, I'm looking your way). I read them, but I don't always enjoy them as much.

[jana-denardo.livejournal.com]

A lot of people feel that way. It still surprises me everything.

My big thing is when any character breaks the fourth wall and takes to me the reader. That's a huge ugh

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

*nod*

If it's a humorous story, that's okay. I don't mind a narrator turning to me and talking to me.

[jana-denardo.livejournal.com]

that would bug me less

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I had an idea for a disreputable narrator for a silly story...but then I woke up and had to go to work, and. *sigh*

[jana-denardo.livejournal.com]

oops. Disreputable narrator, now there's something i don't like

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I was thinking more of an obnoxious disreputable narrator. :D

[jana-denardo.livejournal.com]

snort

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

:D

[silvrethorn.livejournal.com]

The whole POV thing just confuses me. I keep hearing that head-hopping is anathema if you want to get published, and then I see award-winning writing (Louise Penny, anyone?) that head-hops all over the place, so who do you believe? As for the focus, only you can decide whether you want to concentrate on the adventure aspect or the romance angle. One will probably feel more natural than the other, and if the romance refuses to take center stage, maybe the story needs a different, less romance-centered publisher.

[jana-denardo.livejournal.com]

I KNOW. I mean some people are absolute haters when it comes to this. Someone recently on a list I'm on wants to change what she wrote due to the sheer out pouring of OMG you can't DO that.

You can get away from romance with this publisher (I can't go to another unless they refuse it, they have right of first refusal for 2 years) but it's the readers of M/M lit who apparently want nothing but sex. It's rather shameful in some ways but the above mentioned Author, Ms Speed, her first one had no sex even and it was a full on mystery with a committed couple as the focus. It can be done.