67: Earning My Quiet Moments
10/24/2013
Got the first scene of Dissolutions done. So, now the first two are completed. It took me six weeks to get to it, but when I finally got my mojo back two days ago, I was able to knock-out the 6 ½ pages of the first scene.
It turned out okay. Has some nice symmetrical symbolism that will only be apparent for those rereading the entire series. It’s got some Siona background, a little bit of humor, a few surprises that were nice. Yet it doesn’t have me terribly excited either. That’s okay though. Good is good enough. I probably need to have peaks and valleys so it’s not exhausting to read. So long as the writing is good and the story is progressing, and the characters are evolving. It doesn’t have to be a mind-blowing star-spangled extravaganza in every scene.
Present-Day Reflection
7/31/2026
Indeed. Looking back over my Batu saga in its entirety, almost all of my favorite pieces are the quiet ones. It’s the depth of still waters, and their subtle emotional undercurrents, that catches me off guard to carry me away.
It should be remembered, however, that these quiet moments only work because of the noise and clamor of the more intense pieces surrounding them. The peaks and valleys I referred to thirteen years ago. This is the fundamental difference between drama and melodrama for me – where the former is earned and the latter is not. Good writing earns the emotional core it’s striving to evoke. It earns its place from a well developed context.
