Saturday, November 06, 2004

Internal Growth

In fiction, "internal growth" is supposed to be a good thing. But if you look at the literal words, they sound kind of horrific and kind of gross.

So maybe we should call it "shape-shifting"? K would probably say so, but look who's talking.

When GK first read the mss, that was her question. My theory had been that because Q had been led so far astray, the goal for her growth and change should be to get back to her original humanity.

It was a good theory.

There was nada wrong with the theory.

Plenty of Gothic stories are like that.

But then having shifted Q's role at S, her relationship with D, and her voice, enough of the character had changed that there evolved a clear internal arc in both directions, back to the girl she was and the woman she's becoming. It's like driving the story in two directions at once--not for the faint O heart.

DW tends to skew minimalist on internal dialogue, which is all good, but last night I did add a few clarification lines here and there, sort of like traffic signs. As in, the story is going....this way-->

At least now I know where it's going.

Finally.