The learning curve

It's been a fascinating exercise re-writing Auroradawn.  This is the novel that I had a near miss with with Random House Children's Books back in 2005.  Back then it was written as a young adult book, and I thought it was pretty good.

But now I don't.  I can see lots of clunky sentences, and lots of things that I haven't explained properly.  I'd gone a fair way with world-building, but there were still major things that I hadn't worked out.  I'm not particularly interested in history, so I hadn't bothered to work out the history of the planet and its settlers.

In the re-write I've got more clarity.  I've decided the Great Families arose from the families of the original settlers on Vedrana, who in turn were chosen for the settlement team because of their particular skills or knowledge. So far, so good.  But I still haven't decided on the full political structure of the planet.  Clearly the seven Great Families are very powerful, but are they all-powerful?  Do I have a feudal government, or are they part of a democracy?  I don't need to know for book one, but I have a feeling that it might play a part in the as-yet unwritten book three.

I'm also deepening the main characters, working out their hobbies and interests.  And the narrative now includes more of their internal dialogue.  I have a much better idea of what makes them tick this time round.

I'm still on a steep learning curve, revising and honing the story ten years after that publisher showed interest in it.  And in the process I'm realising how much more I've learned of my craft.  Now as I write I'm conscious of where my characters are in their Hero's Journey, what stage of their quest they're on.    I know the need for multiple tests of my characters in a novel, and the need for a rollicking good Supreme Ordeal.  Oh, and I've learned to throw in cliffhangers at the ends of chapters too.

I've come a long way, but I'm by no means done.  There's always something new to learn, and that's what makes writing a lifetime study.