Basic Shape

I didn't get a lot of words in tonight -- only about 500, in fact. But the great thing is that I've finally figured out the basic shape of chapter 15. I knew what I wanted, but executing "the vision" is always a challenge. I tried a new technique. Nothing flashy or anything, but I tend to be a pretty straight-forward storyteller and it was something I've never tried before. At least not that I can recall.

I basically went from the present moment...back into a little flashback from after the end of the last chapter...and back to the present moment. I hope I've done it smoothly. When I've had flashbacks before, they've always been pretty far back in time...certainy not a matter of minutes the way this one is. I saw a similar technique used in one the books I've read recently, though I couldn't tell you which one for the life of me. LOL. If I could remember, I could study it again to see if I've pulled off the technique. Oh well...onward.

I guess that goes to show that reading is a VERY useful tool in our bag of tricks. I tend to get too busy to squeeze much in. But lately, as y'all know, my schedule has done LITTLE to stop my devouring book after book. It's been great, tho -- helps me to pinpoint what I like/dislike. Right now I'm in the middle of The Time Traveler's Wife, which is a very entertaining book. However, as I told Claire, the dialogue is atrocious. I'm reminded time and again how important it is in a book. Despite really enjoying TTTW, I'm constantly being jerked out of the story by some really lame bit of dialogue that makes me roll my eyes and say, "No one talks like that! What planet did the author grow-up on??" LOL. She can tell a story, but jeez... lol.

Anywho, maybe tomorrow I can pound out the rest of this chapter... that would be good. :)