![]() ![]() ![]() Off to Johnstown to work in a smithy, for example. Before I ever start, though, I make a little map for myself of which individuals and families were active in the last novel, and figure out (1) how old they now are (2) where they live and work (3) if I can do without them realistically, and if so, where I’m sending them. More than once I have saved myself from fictional disaster doing this. Then with the notated character list in front of me, I search through the document for every set of brackets so that I can check them. The first is that when I’m writing a scene that involves a lot of minor characters, I put the names in brackets and leave them that way until I’m finished. Over the years I have worked out a few tricks. The proof readers almost always catch these flubs. It’s almost comical, the machinations I have to go through to make sure I’ve got the right character and the right name, and almost always I mess up something crucial, in spite of the fact that I have detailed notes to consult. ![]() There are, you may or may not know, hundreds of ’em, and more show up all the time. One of the biggest challenges I face is keeping all the characters in the Wilderness novels straight. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |