Turn of the Story, Part XI

[sarahtales]

Originally published at Sarah Rees Brennan. You can comment here or there.

I’m sorry for the delay on this! I am sick, and also I had to accept there would be another part after this. I’M A MONSTER! But I hope you enjoy.

Since I posted the last part, I’ve had the chance to talk to lots of lovely readers in person about Turn of the Story, and so this

Comments

[rymenhild]

...that last line...

*SHRIEK*

Well, won't that be interesting?

Thanks as always for the gift of this delightful book!

[sarahtales]

Thank you for readinatin'. ;)

[syrinth]

OH MY GOD WHAT

[sarahtales]

Heh, I have distracted everyone with my ending. ;)

[renesears]

Aaaaaaaaah, Sarah!!!!! Also !!!111!!1 and so forth.

I enjoy this so much. Thank you! I am both sad and happy about the end of TotS. (Can't wait! Don't want it to end!) Looking forward to Monstrous Affections, that's for sure. September is a book-rich month.

[sarahtales]

I thought I was soooooo ahead of the game, in part 1. Boy have I been SHOWN.

September's going to be kind of fun for me, in a whirlwindy way. ;) I hope I will not let anybody down!

[renesears]

I'm selfishly glad your short story exploded. It's been epic fun.

I'm sure I'm not the only reader who's confident September will rock. :)

[sarahtales]

Hitting the 100k mark was a dark time. ;)

[aryky]

OMG OMG OMG SQUEE OMG OMG!

And how is it possible that this story is one part away from being over and I suddenly have a new favorite character? My fascination levels are at, like, 100% now.

[sarahtales]

Elka? (She's named for a friend of mine. A WONDERFUL MOTHER, the real life version, she adds hastily!) But then there's always the commander, Michael... I hope not Bat Masterson, the Bat Masterson fan has a tough roe to hoe!

[aryky]

Elka :) I already liked her enough to comment on her in the last part, but I did not expect this and thought she was just a completely minor character. But now it turns out she has foundational significance to the story and a complex, awkward and imperfect backstory of her own and I am just so pleased. To be embarrassingly gushy, at times in reading your work I get these pleasant surprises where something that I really like that I think would be of minor importance or completely accidental in another writer turns out to be deliberate and significant. It's this really comfortable feeling, like on some level you as a writer have priorities that just match mine as a reader to a greater extent than I have come to expect from most writers, and this definitely gave me that feeling.

[sarahtales]

Aw, that is beautifully put and I am so glad you feel that way. I too always like the feeling I get when a writer turns the way I was hoping and wishing: that you are safe on an adventure with them. ;)

[anonymous]

Have to admit I didn't see that one coming, though I should have. Well played, Rees Brennan. This round goes to you. (Don't think I haven't got your number on LL3, though. I shall drop by afterward to gloat about my prognosticatory powers

[sarahtales]

LL3 will hopefully have some surprised and some anticipated joys and pains fulfilled. ;)

I'm not sure quite what you mean by turning an origin story into an epilogue--Elliot's parents and his feelings about them have informed who he is from the start, and will be a part of the conclusion of his story, but Elliot's mom is certainly not going to become a more important character than Luke or Serene? (Plus, Luke's story following on would then be all off as regards narrative weight. ;)) But I may be misreading your concern, if so, my apologies!

I am very glad to've made you smile at your laptop. ;) Elliot, always capsizing on the love boat!

[anonymous]

Okay, that makes two of us with no idea what I am talking about!

I suppose I have assumed - perhaps erroneously! - that Wings in the Morning will involve Elliot discovering that he is chosen first by somebody. But Wings will be Luke's story, told from Luke's point of view.

It seems like it would be easy, then, for Elliot's own story to end without such a discovery. Which would be very sad :( :( :(

[sarahtales]

I'm still confused because I'm dim: how would Elliot's mother get in the way of that? Or do you fear Elliot's mother may choose him first and you'd rather someone else did?

I cannot spoil anything about happiness or sadness or who chooses Elliot or if anyone does, so I fear we are at an impasse, but I hope I will make you happiness!

Wings in the Morning has stuff for Elliot and Serene too, I promise, even though it's Luke's PoV: maybe not transformational stuff on a level with Luke's, but lots of stuff, and I hope having read Turn will give especial weight for readers to the stuff they both get. ;)