Scenes where one character has to explain to another something the reader has just seen happen ... are annoying. Occasionally, there are places where it's worth having actual dialogue - when the reaction of the other character or the *way* the story is retold (and what's omitted or glossed over) is important. These are, to me, more difficult than the times when you can just provide a quick summary ("She told him about X") and move on. Even though there are new elements that advance the plot, there's all that old drek you have to wade through quickly (and hopefully make interesting in still other ways) to prevent a reader from skimming.
Which is, if you may have guessed it, the problem I'm having with Scylla and Charybdis right now. This current chapter hinges very heavily on the reinterpretation of previous events - on what the non-POV chars think happened versus what actually did. (I am trying to be vague! I am probably succeeding!) Trying to make the "recap" parts as brief as possible while playing out the action around them is a headache.
Head update: still not in a good place. Sigh.
About Me
- Lindsey Duncan
- I'm a professional harp performer, chef / pastry chef, and speculative fiction writer from Cincinnati, Ohio. My contemporary fantasy novel Flow is available from Double Dragon Publishing, and my science fiction novel Scylla and Charybdis is now out from Grimbold Books. I've also sold a number of short stories and a few pieces of speculative poetry. I write predominantly fantasy, usually epic and/or humorous, with some soft science fiction. I play the traditional lever harp with a specialty in Celtic music - but I also perform modern and Renaissance tunes. And yes, you read that right - I have a diploma in Baking and Pastry and an Associates in Culinary Arts and am currently working in the catering field at Kate's Catering and Personal Chef Services (Dayton, KY). I am a CPC (Certified Pastry Culinarian) and CSW (Certified Specialist of Wine).
3 comments:
That's so true. I just ran into something similar in my own WIP. Fortunately, it worked well to simply leave out the "She told them X" part all together and just jump right into the other character's reactions to it. Good luck with yours! (I'm sure it'll turn out great.)
I have the same problem! Although, sometimes I need the recap parts to straighten things out and make it clear to the reader.
Angie: I envy you. ;-)
Aubrie: I actually did have it in mind that, considering it's been the entire book and *two* rather complicated subplots since then, the recap might not be entirely a bad idea. ;-)
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