Like I said, the country folk’s tone is plausible — I can see reasons for it.  I can see Keely’s family hiding out in the backwoods instead of the city because it’s a dynamic they understand.  The wolves are primal, part of myth and history, and a slower paced reality is one they grasp instinctually.  The wolves in the city are dealing with a dynamic modern humans have problems with — so it’s much more fast-paced and risky.  Both environments have their own well-thought-out dynamics.  I just questioned whether you were going for that, because I felt like I was supposed to sniff around for anything questionable.  So I was basically stretching for something — because the story makes sense in each chapter.

I just wanted to check in and make sure the arc was working for you, as the writer — because part of your process certainly seems to be questioning and doubting and really working through something.  Once you work it through and are semi-satisfied, what you produce is amazing for the rest of us to read.

You push yourself — and it makes the work better.  I say keep up the good work!

Well, we’ll see if you still want to discuss stuff after WR71, but it’s posted, so I’m commenting.

I don’t really see a huge difference between the country and city folk, except perhaps this: city folk tend to be a bit more “heads down” — we don’t look around, we don’t pay attention, and, perhaps, we have a much higher tolerance for “strange”.  Tiergan’s family hides in plain sight, but they have to be careful not to call attention to themselves.  Keely’s family has different problems.

In the case of Keely’s problems, there was one rather badly-written installment (the one full of “top o’ the morning”s), but, beyond that, I didn’t see it as a cultural problem.  Dugan had seen Keely — even if he was drunk, he was certain about it.  His friends stuck by him.  That seems reasonable behaviour to me — not about superstition.  That said, it does get mighty dark at night, away from city lights, and things do go bump in the night. 

For me, Tiergan is primary to the story.  Part and parcel of that is the culture he grew up in — rooted in instinct and molded by history.  In Tiergan’s particular case, he is molded by his family life, and the particular stresses they live under — the constant fear of discovery, the relative lack of money, a family in decline, the violence bred from fear and circumstance, the kind of people they do business with.  What I try for with Tiergan is to make him real — to, as best I can, simulate the cumulative effect of all of his life experiences, and how his personal values interact with those things, to tug at him in different directions at once.

Katherine Paterson, in one of her books on writing, talks about how you can’t have a character who doesn’t have a detailed background — because those details shape who the character is.  Characterization has to be grounded in reality — or it never develops at all.  That’s what I’m trying to learn with Winter Rain — or one of the things, anyway — how to develop a character who is truly integrated with and a product of his environment.

The other thing I’m working on is tension.  I’ve never (ever) written anything tense before WR, and this is very much an exercise in figuring out how to create tension in a story.  My special power (if I have one) is writing angst.  Coupling that with tension does seem to make the story more lively. 

Okay, I should go to bed now.

Chris.

That’s power!

After a number of comments, including Gavin’s above (I’ll reply to you once WR69 is posted, Gavin), I’ve decided to rename the character formerly known as “Rain” “Sky” instead.  I wanted something hippy-sounding, and I hadn’t, at the time, noticed the “Winter Rain” connotations. 

Chris.

So, back around chapter 21 you asked me to keep my nose to the ground ( ) for inconsistencies in the voice — you seem to have worried about it over some of the previous chapters, based on your own comments.

Well — Tiergan’s voice, as the narrator, is remarkably consistent, considering how complex he is, and how many nuances his personality contains.  His underlying fear of power (because in his world it’s wielded through violent means) was evidenced in the portentous dream.  His fierce rage, hidden under a veneer of obedience, comes to the fore when the things that matter to him are challenged (his love for Keiara). 

The only things that were off at all, was the difference between his city life and this little country escapade.  It’s like the peasants still remember the Dark Ages, and the werewolves still act old school — no one thinks to just call Carrigan on the cell phone, it has to be a face-to-face emissary representing his lord’s respects.

But, while that’s different from the city-tone, it’s not implausible.  Back country farmers (especially drunk Catholic ones) might be just that superstitious.  And the werewolves certainly have an old-fashioned, primordial code that they probably can’t get around easily.  It’s too instinctual — face-to-face is probably their preferred method of operation.

After all, they can smell fear, or a lie, can’t they?  Rian lied to them over the phone, setting up the sniper op.  Face to face is better.

Two last things:  1)  Rain is the name of Torrin’s gal-pal?  The title of the story is Winter Rain?  Their enemy is Rian?  Isn’t that overusing the word, a bit much?  Or is there a reason?

2) Winter Rain is pretty amazing, considering most can’t use present tense this effectively.  Wicked Job, Chris!  NOW WRITE MORE!