Sep 30 2010
Rise and Fall (and More About Revisions)
The scheduled release date for Coming Day (sometime in mid-November — I have a date but for several reasons am not making it public yet) is fast approaching, which means that ’tis the season for revisions. Yes, more of them. This book has gone through more revisions than any other book I’ve ever written with the possible exception of something called The Babel Chip (which in my opinion still needs work. But I digress — this post is not about The Babel Chip.)
When I sat down with Josh Gilman, my good buddy and esteemed beta reader, one of the things he told me was that Coming Day needs more quiet parts. I knew that, I think, but confirmation was good. I actually taught on this in a three-session workshop I did in my hometown earlier this month. Rises and falls are an essential part of a good plot.
Why is that? Well, in any good story, there is conflict. There is tension. This is good; it keeps readers turning pages. But if you never let readers come down and rest a while, they will become exhausted. They’ll also be prevented from getting to know your characters in an intimate way; we don’t get to know people when all we ever see them doing is running or yelling or bashing heads with big swords.
Frodo needs to be chased by Black Riders and battle wraiths and orcs and barrow-wights; but he also needs to get to Rivendell and Lothlorien, eat, sleep, behold beauty. He needs it, and readers need it.
So this week, as I revise Coming Day, I am attempting to add more fall to the rhythm of rise and fall. And I’m looking forward to getting to know my own characters better as I do.












