busy busy

[owlmoose]

OMC Eight is here.

I seem to be writing Nine and Ten at the same time, the days they cover coming to me all at once and out of order. I admit to having some impatience with Nine, since it is largely a transitional chapter in preparation for the red meat of Ten. But I have to do it justice; otherwise Ten will lose all its impact. A challenge, one of the many I have faced on this project. Successfully, I think, so far.

I confess to often falling behind on reviewing the work of my partners in crime. I read the chapters as soon as I can after they come to my attention, sometimes multiple times over, but then I can have trouble gathering my thoughts to comment. I will always get to it eventually, honest.

Comments

I

[kunstarniki.livejournal.com]

Thank you for both the review and for the chapter. Yes, I had a hard time doing the transition part, it was so tempting to get on to the goodies.

As to the growing sense of touch in the ruined flesh, he is not yet sure if it is a product of his imagination. And the actual flesh is not changing; it is only the nerves which seem to be regenerating.

Ain't we got fun? If you are a fan of Gilbert and Sullivan, you will recognize the quote in the review from the libretto of The Mikado.

Re: I

[kjswritinglog.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I knew you would figure Paine out. She doesn't even realize that yet, at least not in any way that she will admit to herself.

Believe me, I appreciate your reviews a great deal, even when you can find nothing to criticize. Knowing that you and the others will be reading and reviewing carefully keeps me honest, makes me check and double check everything, the grammar as well as the characterization. I would do all that anyway, but the extra incentive is still useful.

I have to admit that I am not much for the Gilbert and Sullivan. I have several friends who are into them, and when they are in local productions I'll go to see them perform, but that's about it. I have actually never seen The Mikado. Culturally illiterate, I know...

I

[kunstarniki.livejournal.com]

Illiterate? Not at all, just culturally differently oriented. I mentioned the quote only so you would understand I was not calling your chapter a 'bald and unconvincing narration'. Heh!

Re: I

[kjswritinglog.livejournal.com]

Ah, well that's good. I didn't really think you were, but it's nice to have the confirmation. :)

I

[kunstarniki.livejournal.com]

You Wonder Woman, you. You are Paine. I have just finished reading and reviewing Nine. Now I can revise my earlier image of you writing one part with your right hand and the other with your left. LOL

I can see I shall have my work cut out for me this weekend. Now I must go and review the Crimson Spheres to get the events straight in my mind. I am tempted to let one of you others lead for a change. ;-)

Re: I

[kjswritinglog.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the swift review! I can't believe I let that ambiguous "they" slip through; I guess that's what happens when you let the muse drive you rather than the editor.

I've been avoiding the temptation to go back and watch the Crimson Spheres, because so far events are playing out somewhat differently in the fic, and I want to make sure that it's your vision in my mind where it conflicts with the game. I did, however, find it very useful to go back and look at key scenes in FFX while writing certain parts of AGL -- it helped me better remember how the characters move, what their presence was actually like.

I

[kunstarniki.livejournal.com]

An interesting phenomenon is occurring. I have been posting The Confessional over at FicWad as well as at FFN. A reader by the name of fyre_byrd has begun reading the work there. Bear in mind, this reader is getting only Nooj's side of the story. Well, she is seeming to get a completely different take than those of us who are engaged in the Quartet. For example, she thinks Nooj to be an excellent judge of human nature. Now, isn't that fascinating? I have told her about the Quartet and invited her to read you other three but I do not know if she is planning to do so. "The world is so filled with a number of things, I'm sure that we all should be happy as kings." Or words to that effect.

Re: I

[kjswritinglog.livejournal.com]

*laugh* That doesn't surprise me at all. Nooj seems to believe a lot of things about himself that aren't completely true: that he's an excellent judge of character, that he can hide everything he's thinking and feeling, that he has total control over his mental and physical reactions... but if you have no basis for comparison, of course you'd think that his perceptions reflect reality.

What I wonder, if I may ask, is whether you knew that Nooj is more fallible and transparent than he thinks before RyRy started writing from Gippal's point of view. Were these difference between Nooj's perceptions and reality always your intention, or have our interpretations changed the meaning of your original text?

I

[kunstarniki.livejournal.com]

Of course you may ask! I have been writing Nooj for more than a year to the exclusion of all other characters so I think I have a pretty good grasp on how he thinks. I have dealt with him at various ages and under a number of circumstances. I know he thinks very highly of himself and is not inclined to let reality stand in the way of his self-esteem. He cannot afford to. With the stresses etc. he has undergone, he has to hold on to what seems good and honourable in himself or he will disintergrate before he can find a place to die. When I say I wear the skin, I mean precisely that. I am writing this thing from his brain, seeing through his eyes and understanding as he understands. Right now, I can discuss the disconnect between reality as it is and as he perceives it. When I am in his skin, his reality is mine. Weird, huh? I was much the same when I painted. I hope I have not convinced you I am totally insane.

Re: I

[kjswritinglog.livejournal.com]

No, not at all. That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for explaining!