Date Posted:05:30:28 05/14/10 Fri Author: Fi Subject: Re: Part 2 (word count 1245) >>>> In reply to:
Alex
's message, "Re: Part 2 (word count 1245) >>>>" on 13:36:48 05/13/10 Thu
Hi Alex,
Thanks for your feedback, it's much appreciated.
I can see that I have some work to do, esp with establishing POV and making the dialogue/actions appropriate to the time and place. I guess I need to flesh out the Joyces (especially the wife). I originally had Mrs. Joyce staying for supper, but she wasn't doing much and just cluttered up the scene, so I decided she should exit stage left :) But I guess I should give her more of an entrance before she exits.
Thanks for showing that I need to focus more on Richard and show his internal reactions to events. It is supposed to be his POV and I can see where that's not clear now, so I know what to work on.
Dialogue can be a real bitch to write in historical fiction! Hard to know where to strike the balance between "gadsooks, thou knave" and "dude, where's my periwig?" I see what you mean about the demarcation between classes and generations; so I need to make this clearer in the speech.
The date is 1663, 11 years after the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, 3 years after the Restoration of Charles II in England. Although the Joyces are well-off compared to Richard and Kate, they're actually middle-class merchants rather than gentry, and they're vulnerable to the political and religious upheavals of the time.
Thanks again for your help. Hope you keep reading.
Fi
