Still working on a rewrite of Retribution. Why is it taking me so long, you ask? First, I hate rewriting, especially a rewrite as big as this one. So, I admit that I did some other things in the intervening time. Now, however, I am back at it. It is still painful, but I have a better idea of how to proceed. The hardest part will come soon. I will likely dump a big section in the last few chapters and go in another direction. I can’t tell you about that yet because even I am not sure what shape the book will take then. Also, in technical terms, this drama and suspense on my part to keep you interested.
Without my old editor, and before I get a new one, I will probably send this version back to a couple of the Beta readers for their opinion. The major lesson I learned from the first three books of the Host Saga was not to proceed too fast when making changes and in writing in general. Some truly great writers may not have to take this slow approach, but I do.
I also realize how different science fiction is in general when compared to other popular genres. I read (or listen to) a lot of Michael Connelly and David Baldacci. I’m rereading the Memory Man series right now. From these, I’m gathering a lot more about character development, but the story arc of the mystery and suspense books seem to me to have a different pattern than science fiction, and I’m trying to discover a comparable pattern that I can follow in the future. In addition, traditional science fiction is, to me, more about large-scale confrontations and even battles than the protagonist’s growth arc.
What do you think?
