Answer Man, chapter 7

[greenjudy]

It's posted, here.

I am really tempted to finish this before I post any more. Writing something as tightly plotted as this is working out to be is kind of weird to update on the fly; I feel like I can't go back and re-work. Maybe that's okay, or maybe a few edits won't be a big deal. Anyway, here it is.

Comments

[redcherryamber]

So happy you've updated this brilliant story.

My intention is always not to post anything else until it's finished because of the editing issues (my longest fic is turning into a bit of a problem because of this: I started it with no plot outline or idea of an ending, and now I'm going to have to rewrite quite a lot when it's finally finished) - but then I go and do it anyway.

To me the plot of "Answer Man" seems beautifully focused and crafted. Do you know how it ends? If so, posting one chapter at a time shouldn't lead to too many edits. (But maybe I'm only saying that because I don't want to wait too long for another chapter!)

[greenjudy]

Thanks, Cherry!

I got hung up on something that turned out to be absurdly simple to resolve and opened up some nice backstory. But seriously, it honked my progress for months.

I know a good bit about the ending of "Answer Man," but there are some points on the path I'm still trying to see.

Just realized what the Panglossia reference is about...it's Candide. Tseng too has decided to cultivate his own garden. But it's the size of a bathmat. The resonances with Aerith and her flowers are painful.

In the end, Tseng's isolationist answer may prove untenable.

[redcherryamber]

The link with Candide is fascinating

[greenjudy]

The Turk...the Old Turk... Veld?

O_O

That part of my brain that puts this stuff together seems to be suggesting I go re-read Candide ASAP.

"'Human grandeur,' said Pangloss, 'is very dangerous...'"

[licoricealsorts]

God, that was like sitting in a lecture hall in university, or listening to Melvyn Bragg chat with guests on Radio 4 - and I mean that in the best way possible. I could have listened to you two going back and forth for hours. I have never read Candide, but clearly I need to, if I am going to get my full gil's worth from "Answer Man". Judy, can you tell us what hung you up? Or would that be a spoiler? (Also, I am *exceedingly* excited by your hints that "New Junon" will one day be continued.)

[greenjudy]

Here we go.

How Sesklo and Fibonacci got into the picture, and so quickly. As soon as I realized how that worked, it came together in a few hours. See? Dorky.

I am longing to get you guys on the other side of the curtain, but then I won't have your wonderful, instructive, raw responses. (And you'd be all spoilered.)

Candide surprised the hell out of me, frankly. But it's a fun, sort of darkly fun, read.

"New Junon" is waiting patiently in the queue. There are a few opacities there that stymied me, but actually, I think in that case they were signs that I needed to do more delving. Playing with Yuffie and Reeve in my brain (and perhaps Valentine) is loosening up some of that blockage.

[licoricealsorts]

It was a long bank holiday weekend here, and my ex came to stay in my house and hang out with the kids - so I took off and spent four days holed up in a hotel, just writing, writing, writing. Dream holiday. Except I spent three of those days wresting with a chapter that I thought would be easy peasy and turned out to fiendishly difficult, full of contradictory emotions and wrong turnings that looked tempting but led to dead ends. And now that it's *finally* flowing, I have to leave it and go back to work. I imagine all that time you spend outdoors, grooming miniature horses and battling with trees, must be good thinking time.

[greenjudy]

That sounds like a dream holiday for me, too...I have a passion for staying by myself in little bed-and-breakfasts for writing purposes. Have not done that for some years now, schedule does not permit. But I have a short list of places and would love to do it again.

I spend 9-10 hours a day writing (less on Sundays), work-related manuscript production - sometimes I have headroom at the end of the day for thinkin', sometimes... @_@

I had a complete day off today (!). Should have seized it and carried on with "Answer Man," but instead I rested, knitted, stared into space, watched "Yami no Matsuei," and played FFVII. But now the door's open...

I'm glad you got a long weekend to write. I confess: I started reading "Death" and found it overwhelmingly absorbing. I go in there, I won't come out again for awhile; so will need to set aside some time, as soon as AM is finished.

[greenjudy]

(Note, not quite so horse-heavy right now, but that's a good thing, since it turned out Gesar is pretty sick. He's being looked after by the breeder who sold him to us, and her vet. I miss him but am so relieved horse pros are taking care of him, now.)