17: Beginnings of The Fever
11/5/2011
Got the first scene of Chapter Three: The Fever done. Decided I needed to start the chapter with a fresh face – Alena’s. This also provided a nice way to establish the time lapse since the last chapter. Also lays the groundwork for the “Missing Pieces” chapter I have planned for the second book. I also added that Alena has two deceased brothers and a sister. The two brothers are Guma and Diallo, the sister is camouflage to keep the identity of the brothers from being too obvious. Plus, it puts the number of Siona’s children at the ubiquitous number four.
The diction is acceptable but nothing special. The power of the scene lies primarily in its plotting devices. Moving on to the other scenes, I’m a little worried that this chapter has so little action, and so little dialogue. It dwells heavily on the various internal worlds of its characters, which makes it a challenge to keep it lively.
Present-Day Reflection
6/11/2026
This entry reflects just how far I had yet to go in the development of the basic story.
I was still thinking Diallo would turn out to be Alena’s brother. I was still trying to avoid having to write the Ghost Frog quest, which was only going to be referred to in hindsight after Diallo contracted The Fever. The Missing Pieces chapter planned for Book Two was going to be where the details of things left unsaid in Book One would be revealed.
I’m not sure why I thought that was a good idea.
