Musing: Big Bangs - Crossover update

I'm now up to 7,204 words, which is seven scenes. I got stuck on the seventh and eighth scenes chronologically, because I couldn't think how to frame the emotional process I needed to happen in action -- and I did want some kind of action because they're all doing a lot of talking. I'm not sure whether it's just being tired/not in the mood to really write, or whether it's because the scenes aren't really necessary, though. They aren't, technically, but they'd add a better range of character interaction and action.

We'll see. I'll try planning them more completely, and seeing if I can eke sense out of them that way.

In the sixth scene, Dean punches Bran. This has left Bran clamouring for somewhere to get his own back -- even though he acknowledges that it's his own fault. Contrary creatures.

Reviews - Agatha Christie, The Heroines

4:50 from Paddington (Agatha Christie)

Another one in third person, not first person. It could have been even more fun, I think, if it'd been from a character's point of view -- perhaps Lucy's, since I thought she was a fun character, and I rather hope she shows up again in future... Doubtful, but you never know. She was the most interesting part of it, for me, with her cheerfully getting on with things and working hard and doing detective work at the same time. More of her in general would have been nice -- maybe more of her potential romances, too.

The misdirection was quite well done in this one, since I had no idea who it could be -- I suspected everyone by turns, I think. I knew 'whodunnit' from someone else's review, before I got to the end, so I'm not sure I'd say there were adequate clues to figure it out for yourself, though...

The Heroines (Eileen Favorite)

Picked this one up randomly in the Borders closing down sale, because it sounded like the kind of thing I read for fun that isn't great but fills up a couple of hours. I didn't expect wonders out of it, though someone told me it was more literary than I'd expect. I didn't really find it so, though. I found the thirteen year old girl character annoying -- I certainly wasn't all puberty-puberty-puberty-ooh-handsome-man when I was thirteen, so that might have something to do with it, but I didn't find her a compelling character at all.

I like the idea of the Heroines, but not the execution. For example, just to throw in a reference to Emma Bovary, the author info-dumped all about Madame Bovary. I've read it, I don't need a synopsis. I suppose it's an awkward position to write from: some readers will have read some books, some readers will have read other books. Still, it could have been done in a more interesting way than Penny simply recounting the plot as she read the book. Perhaps by actually, you know. Making Emma Bovary more of a character, since that's the title...

Anyway, found it poorly written and it didn't really catch my attention at all. Chick lit with pretensions.

Review - Sabriel

Sabriel (Garth Nix)

I've always loved Sabriel, and the world it introduces -- I like this trilogy more than the other Garth Nix books I've read, in general, but Sabriel might have been my favourite of the three because it can stand alone, and I loved the characters of Sabriel, Touchstone and Mogget. I loved all of the characters, really, even the ones we only have brief glimpses of, like General Horyse.

It's a good introduction to Sabriel's world, since she both knows enough that she's not completely over her head, and her survival isn't so very unrealistic, and she doesn't know everything so there's a path of discovery made. There's a lot to be learned, to make everything make sense, about the bells and the duties of the Abhorsen and the world of death, and about the kinds of magic they have, and thankfully Garth Nix doesn't overload it in one fell swoop or something foolish like that.

One of my favourite parts is the kiss between Sabriel and Touchstone -- desperate and life-affirming and not overwritten at all. I love the idea of them as a couple, even given their rough start.

Musing: Big Bangs - sncross_bigbang update!

I just wrote the last scene of my sncross_bigbang. Not because I'm actually finished with it, of course -- there are plenty of scenes left to write, and there's only 8,080 words overall, but I wrote the last scene! And the last couple of lines, I think, are already perfect. I kind of want to share them with people -- but it'll be best to wait, and let people have them in context, so I will try and contain myself.

Still! Over halfway done, now, and before long it can go to feywood for nitpicking and reactions...