Re-entering a subcreation

[scribblerworks]

In between doing household chores this weekend, I have been rummaging through various notebooks connected to my fantasy novel (okay -- it would be easier just to refer to it by its title: The Ring of Adonel - also abbreviated RofA). The most recent notes are ten years old. I know this because I have this obsessive habit of dating my manuscripts. I

Comments

[sartorias]

Go for it!

[kalimac]

Had Tolkien written a similar concept, it would have been ... interesting. But as I understand him, the Elves invented language on their own.

Some other contrasts between you and Tolkien come to mind:

I have this obsessive habit of dating my manuscripts.

And Tolkien studies would be very different if he'd done the same.

I "learned" that they were called the Fynlaren. And so they have been to me ever since.

Tolkien had a hard time giving up on "Bingo" and "Trotter". You're fortunate.

[jpantalleresco]

"The pause was so long, Dareal almost prodded again." bothers me. Not because of the line itself. I get the impression you leave too much unsaid there. I get the feeling this should be a very sad scene. What is going on with Gwyric during the long pause? Why does it take so long? It feels like that line is the start of a missing paragraph, not the whole paragraph in itself. He's reflecting on that time. What is in his eyes or face when he pauses? You don't need a lot of detail here, exactly, but I think you need a line to showcase something is going on. Otherwise it sounds good.

JP

[scribblerworks]

Thanks, Josh!

I'll keep your observation in mind. And yes, this is part of a sad scene -- only a part of it, mind. I wouldn't want to give away too much this far in advance, but I will say that the scene takes place at night, and the "hidden listener" is in fact Gwyric's son, Gidion. But "hidden" only in the sense of out of their sight, and supposedly sleeping.

But I like your questions. They're the kind of questions I would want a reader to be having at this moment. :D