Flight of the Heron read-along: Part V chapters 1-2

[regshoe]

Tha's bahn' to catch thy deeath o' cowd...

Welcome back, everyone, and happy new year! We embark on the final Part...

Next week we'll continue with chapters 3 and 4 of Part V.

Comments

[killclaudio]

The passages where Ewen thinks he's leaving Ardroy forever are so beautiful, I will never be over it. The way he drinks in the sight of it like a lover, the way heaven is unfavourably compared to it, trying to disguise that he's crying...

Also agree that the escape was a great bit of adventure writing! I've been reading some writing advice about making your plot unexpected in small ways, and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect example. I suspected Ewen was going to escape, but didn't forsee how he would outsmart the soldiers by hiding in the undergrowth, and the Yorkshiremen were a complete surprise that could have plausibly gone either way. I was genuinely holding my breath at some parts.

[hyarrowen]

I've been reading some writing advice about making your plot unexpected in small ways

Oooh... is it possible to have a link? (Or author\title, if it's a book.)

[killclaudio]

There were about three or four different articles, and when I checked my bookmarks, I only remembered to save one of them. *facepalm* Brain like a sieve.

Anyway, the one I kept was Surprising Your Readers in Every Scene by September C. Fawkes. I also like the book she mentions by Robert McKee, but only one chapter of it covers the surprise thing.

One was some meta about an episode of Person of Interest called 'Matsya Nyaya', and I'm kicking myself that I can't find it again. But basically, the setup of Person of Interest is that Reese and Finch can predict future crimes through unrealistic computer shenanigans I won't go into. In the episode, they're protecting a guy who works for an armored truck company, so it's pretty obvious that the truck is going to get attacked by thieves. But instead of that happening directly, there are several false alarms where the crew stops at a jeweler but actually they're just picking up employee payslips, etc, and then at the end there's nothing left but a medical supply company, medical equipment isn't exactly easy to fence. Oh, they're picking up platinum for pacemakers, which is massively valuable, oh no! and then they're attacked. It was pretty much just an example of how to feint to keep the audience engaged.

[killclaudio]

I just had a look for the Robert McKee book out of curiosity, and it looks like it's really hard to buy an ebook but there's a version available for free on archive.org: 'Story' by Robert McKee. (Hopefully a legal one? But I'm surprised.)

You probably want to read the bit on p. 35 where he talks about scenes and beats, and then p. 147 where he talks about 'The Gap'.

[hyarrowen]

I read those sections and it looks like a good way in to something that's always baffled me, ie plot. So I've ordered a copy, thank-you!

[hyarrowen]

Thank-you - there are some very helpful pointers in there, and it's good of you to type it all out! I like the example that's given in the tumblr post, and also your example from person of Interest. It just keeps ramping up the anticipation, because each possible incident could go so many ways. And I immediately thought "I don't have to think up each incident in sequence, I can just decide on the big one and jam in the extras once that's sorted out," so I guess I'm learning... slowly...

I looked at the Robert McKee book and it's expensive even s/h! So it's obviously very good. I've made an alert for it and will probably end up with a very battered and dog-eared copy which suits me just fine.

[killclaudio]

I don't have to think up each incident in sequence, I can just decide on the big one and jam in the extras once that's sorted out

This is how I do it, too! Or at least, try to do it. I've got an idea of the theory, but the practice still eludes me. :)

I couldn't believe how expensive the book was! Hopefully the copy you found was reasonable. It's 400-and-some pages and pretty densely packed with advice, so at least you get a lot for your money. I hope you find it helpful!

[regshoe]

There's something so poignant in the combination of faith and simple logic leading to Ewen's grief that he won't see the Highlands again in heaven.

Making the plot unexpected in small ways—that's a very interesting idea, and yes, it is just what Broster is doing here.