Comments | tapratt: Bone Shop: Chapter Two

tapratt

Bone Shop: Chapter Two

Jul 06, 2009 09:31

Chapter 2 of Bone Shop is live! I'm fond of this chapter. It has magic and violence and nudity.

I also have some author notes, for those who wish a glimpse behind the curtain.

Thanks again to all who've donated so far and spread the word. You're making a huge difference in the life of my family.

Comments 6

bigherman July 6 2009, 19:48:30 UTC

Fantastic chapter - for perhaps the first time in my life, I am excited for Monday to come.

literati_rain66 July 7 2009, 04:50:51 UTC

I owe Melissa Marr for introducing me to your fantastic books and LiveJournal. I just finished Blood Engines, and have ordered Poison Sleep, Dead Reign, and Spell Games from Amazon. I am bouncing in my chair waiting for them. :) I have not yet read the chapters up for the novella, but I will, and send wishes that you will be secure in your finances, and that your child be healed.

constructive criticism anonymous July 7 2009, 18:43:48 UTC

Great new chapter, you're a great writer to be able to pull off the whole topless bar thing without actually making it too graphic. Anyway, I was just thinking... Marla seems to accept the concept of magic a little too quickly. It just doesn't really seem to be in her character to have magic as her first guess as to how Artie made the fireball. I think she'd guess something more along the line of, like, Artie had gasoline to make the fireball, or something. I just don't really think that someone with Marla's background would assume that it was magic. Of course, her skeptical side will probably be shown more in the next chapter, and anyway, she's your character, not mine. Just saying what I think. Can't wait to read the next chapter.
By the way, I bought all four books off Amazon after I read Blood Engines in the PDF giveaway, so the scheme is definitely working.

Re: constructive criticism tapratt July 7 2009, 20:43:14 UTC

It's always a problem in this kind of fantasy, of course. Enduring a character saying, "Oh no! It must have been a dream! Magic can't possibly be real!" can be frustrating for a reader waiting for the story to get moving already. In this particular chapter I think Marla was in some degree of shock, and she's also not a demonstrative person. She does wrestle a bit with the idea of magic being real in the next chapter.

I wrote a long comment in someone else's blog on this subject -- how to deal with characters discovering magic -- a couple of years ago, and would refer you there for my more complete thoughts on the matter:

http://www.kith.org/journals/jed/2007/06/09/3917.html#comment-413855

kespernorth July 10 2009, 23:12:46 UTC

I'm delighted to see you giving this scheme a try, and I put my money where my mouth is. I'm looking forward to next Monday. Thank you!

stiobhanrune September 14 2009, 11:33:43 UTC

*chuckles* Ok, so I just found your blog and the web-novella, and I finished chapter 2. I have two things to say:

1. I am SO PISSED that your publisher isn't doing any more of your books. They are GOOD. I bought all of them, and I've already read them so many times the spines aren't loving me. So your publisher is a tool. I'll be donating to your novella as soon as I can work out how my Paypal thing works. Again, publisher= tool.

2. That thing with the cigar? Freaking awesome. I have a character in an RPG I play who has a japanese kiseru, who does much the same sort of thing. Brilliant. *grinning*