From: nicky.matthews@btinternet.com   
      
   On Tuesday, August 26, 2014 2:33:00 PM UTC+1, A. Tina Hall wrote:   
   > As mentioned often enough, I'm stuck at around 40k words in the third     
   >    
   > book of the Seasons&Elements trilogy. The first two books have around     
   >    
   > 200k words, so that sets an amount of words to fill to match the other     
   >    
   > two books.   
   >    
   Well yes and no - conventionally there is no real requirement that all books   
   in a series are the same length. Harry Potter varies enormously, so does   
   something like Stephen Donaldson's 'Gap' though series books tend to get   
   longer.   
   >    
   > The 1st book, _Controlled by Magic_, is about just that. Well, something     
   >    
   > ghastly happens and the people deal with it, as an excuse to show the     
   >    
   > (humanoid but not human) people, tell a story.   
   >    
   >    
   >    
   > But behind that throughout the book it shows various ways of how the     
   >    
   > people are controlled by the magic in them; it dictates instincts and     
   >    
   > likes, dislikes, abilities (and the magic they can use, naturally), and     
   >    
   > even what environment is healthy or unhealthy, replacing evolution for     
   >    
   > these people. Smarter people have some control, are aware of how the     
   >    
   > magic drives them to do things and can work to counter it, but it's not     
   >    
   > easy. The magic is like a force of nature, perhaps best compared to     
   >    
   > water. How to stop a flood, or a wave, and what if that's not physical     
   >    
   > but in someone's head drowning out their conscious thoughts?   
      
   snippage   
      
   > The two examples tend to not get on well due to their different tempers,     
   >    
   > but in the story they work around that, against a common enemy. There's     
   >    
   > still plenty problems to tend due to the different natures of all the     
   >    
   > tribes. :) No plotting for power or other tedious stuff. Even those that     
   >    
   > live best lying and deceiving act for the good of all (and not just     
   >    
   > thinking they do).   
   >    
   >    
   >    
   > There are also drakes (same 10 different types), kind of mini dragons,     
   >    
   > living in caves near the people, who agree to carry people when they     
   >    
   > feel like it. (They share an ancestor way in the past, similar to how     
   >    
   > humans and apes have a common ancestor way back.) They are fun to have     
   >    
   > around, for their wilder attitude to things. They too, want the people     
   >    
   > and their own kind safe.   
   >    
   >    
   >    
   > Some of the tribes and how they differ is introduced in the first book,     
   >    
   > while they hunt for the bad guys and then free those that had been     
   >    
   > abducted.   
   >    
   >    
   >    
   > The 2nd book, _Controlling the Magic_ is about just that. While in the     
   >    
   > story they trek and arrive home with those they rescued, deal with the     
   >    
   > traumas the bad guys caused, tend some magic driven quirks, and worry     
   >    
   > about and catch some bad guys that escaped, it's about controlling and     
   >    
   > overrriding the magic in them, and in the end that isn't ideal either.   
   >    
   >    
   >    
   > More things about more tribes is revealed (but not all to 100%     
   >    
   > still[*]).   
   >    
   >    
   >    
   > There's some stuff about the past, how the tribes came to be the way     
   >    
   > they are, and how in some the magic has gone too far driving them in one     
   >    
   > direction, as has happened in the past with other tribes, and the     
   >    
   > brighter folks wanting to do something about it, for the better of their     
   >    
   > people. Again (in the past), when in need, the tribes worked together,     
   >    
   > but outside that, it's really better for everyone if they stay away from     
   >    
   > each other; mingling causes not just problems by tempers clashing.   
   >    
   >    
   >    
   > There's also the first steps of a plan set in motion that will     
   >    
   > eventually remove the threat that started the story once and for all, so     
   >    
   > that the ghastly thing can never happen again.   
   >    
   >    
   >    
   > The 3rd book, (something about moving with) Magic (I still don't know a     
   >    
   > title starting with C that is a middle thing between Controlling and     
   >    
   > Controlled by), starts 5 years later, in a rush of a number of scenes     
   >    
   > showing where everyone from the first two books is now, and the children     
   >    
   > that are the hope for the solution (now ~5 years old).   
   >    
   >    
   >    
   > Another problem caused by magic turns up and is solved. Another minor     
   >    
   > problem might be heading for a solution. They are all gathering for a     
   >    
   > festival in a new area where people from different tribes live mixed     
   >    
   > (which isn't a good idea, but necessary right then).   
   >    
   >    
   >    
   > Now what?   
   >    
   Well can the children experience in microcosm a variant on the problem   
   experienced by the adults.   
   I would create conflict in this case but I know you don't like it. Maybe the   
   normally thoughtful adults react badly when a disagreement involves their   
   offspring and for once don't work towards the common good?   
   Maybe some of the children who have behaved badly are ostracised for their own   
   good? ( placed outside the protective areas or maybe angry with the   
   punishments/humiliations placed on them they run away themselves.)  Maybe two   
   kids from opposing groups    
   have he same crazy reaction and they are obliged to explore how to co exist in   
   some situation of peril.    
   >    
   > The tribe's areas are protected, I can't have someone being dumb and     
   >    
   > wandering outside the protected areas (not even the air-headed Spring     
   >    
   > tribe).   
   >    
   >    
   >    
   > 15 more years have to be covered for the kids to turn into adults and do     
   >    
   > what the characters planned will fix everything. Their solution makes     
   >    
   > sense to me. But how to get there?   
      
   Sometimes a story doesn't go where you want it to - I'd be inclined to follow   
   the kids and see where they take you and ignore your intended direction.   
   >    
   > Maybe I just need a viewpoint to start writing with (it's multiple tight     
   >    
   > third), but I don't even know who to pick for that.   
   >    
   I'd separated a couple out and follow them.YMMV   
   >    
   > Any ideas on what I can do?   
   >    
   I'm a very different kind of writer so probably not : )   
   Nicky   
   >    
   >    
   >    
   >    
   >    
   > [*] Like the Water tribe. Very quiet, very still. They went so cold     
   >    
   > tempered they even have problems reproducing. And that quietness has me     
   >    
   > not see very deep into them.   
   >    
   >    
   >    
   > And don't get me started on who the leader of the Autumn tribe (the     
   >    
   > liars and deceivers) is. The moment something's revealed in the story,     
   >    
   > it turns out to be just another layer and not really what's going on. :)     
   >    
   > I leave them their secrets now. I'm good with a suspicion.   
   >    
   >    
   >    
   > --    
   >    
   > [horns] "I tried them when they first made it up, but no one got the joke."   
   >    
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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