Just getting over this last cold. (Which, btw, was NOT a recommended souvenir from the anniversary getaway.)
Being holed up in bed, I did, however, make a lot of great progress on book 2.
I started out with a bit of an 'aha' moment. There was one scene with the ladies falling into peril, followed by the next chapter with two of the guys in jet-packs searching for them. (In case you hadn't guessed what general style of books this series is, there you go.)
There, in the middle of the jetpack chapter, like a huge iceberg was floating this big explanation how they had tried calling, but got no answer, flew hundreds of miles, broke into the girls' hotel room, found where they were planning on going, and then borrowed a pair of jet packs. In case you didn't already catch on, that's a lot of backstory jammed in there, in direct violation of the law of, "show, don't tell".
When that finally got through my thick skull...
I yanked those three paragraphs of lameness out, slapped a chapter in between, added lots of cool elements, (like M cracking a glass countertop with his fist when a snooty hotel concierge won't let him into the girls' room).
Much better! I love it! Great stuff in there!
Lesson of the day:
Sometimes the backstory needs to become part of the story.
Then I spent the rest of the day developing my historical timeline. Unlike the first book where the historical timeline was fictitious, I chose to go with Biblical events this time.
All things being equal, the former is far, far easier to get along with. When it comes to actual, real events there are historians all over the place fighting eachother tooth and nail. Choose your sides and break out your holy hand-grenades, folks.
It's all Kobayashi Maru. There is no way to win. Whichever interpretation you choose to go with, the other guy is sure to take offense and call you an imbecile. And that's all if you don't notice some obscure little factoid and include some story element which is absolutely contradicted by history.
In other words, I have an all new respect for the Thoenes and those guys. I tip my hat respectfully, and say, "your turf is safe from the likes of me!"
Live YOUR adventure!
-E.L. Fletcher
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