5.07.2011

AUTHOR'S NOTE: An explanation of the up-coming non-linearity of chapter numbers

I have a conundrum.

At this point, I am well ahead in my writing from the latest posts, and I have come across a problem that I'm not sure how to deal with.

So, for the first time in this project, I am turning to you, the readers, for direct and specific feedback.

The situation is that Chapter Two, as written, doesn't chronologically fit before Chapter's Three and Four, but in terms of pacing and tone I want it to be Chapter Two.

The simplest solution is to simply quit intellectualizing it and put it where it chronologically goes. The next easiest alternative is to put it where I think it dynamically belongs as Chapter Two and hope no one notices that the time-line is wonky.

Options beyond that become more complex - I could number it as Chapter Two but place it as Chapter Four (or vice versa) and provide an explanation (which is technically what I am currently doing, just without the experimental intention of figuring out what is best); or I could do some serious re-writing... which may be the best solution in the end, though I don't have a simple fix for making the timeline work with Chapter Two as Chapter Two in the proper place of Chapter Two... See... it's very confuzzling.

So where it currently stands is that in Part Two Chapter Three follows Chapter One; Chapter Four follows Three; Chapter Two follows Four; and Chapter Five follows Two, putting us back into numerical 'correctness.' This is proper chronological order.

What I ask of you, the reader, is to give me your feedback on this configuration. Read through to at least Chapter Five (though if you hold out to Chapter Seven, it wouldn't hurt as the chronological implications as the balance of narrative on each major character extends at least that far). I'll toss in a reminder once those chapters are published. At that point if you can leave some feedback in the comments as to whether you felt that configuration worked for you - and specifics as to how you felt it didn't - that would be greatly appreciated.

If at that point, it seems as though I have my head up my ass and that the narrative balance, pace and tone all work just fine then so much the better. I'll re-number the chapters and move on with impunity. If it seems as though there is some collective feeling that it doesn't quite work right, then I'll move on to phase two - and do some tests of the chapters in my original configuration.

As annoying as having a narrative issue to solve is, this is actually kind of exciting for me. This is the first real test of this model of publishing - you know, the one where YOU are the editor...

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Necropolis by Kennedy Goodkey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada License.
Based on a work at necropolisnovels.blogspot.com.