You get the idea. I’m really wrestling with the third EDGE book. The issue of whether the two first person POV’s has been laid to rest. Readers have said it is working. The new problem is that two of my readers have never read the first two books. Which is actually not a problem, but a good thing because it is telling me that I need to find a way to recap the action in the earlier books. I’ve been trying to feather it in through internal dialog, but it isn’t working as well as I’d like.
In book two THE EDGE OF RUIN, I had a stroke of genius (if I do say so myself). The entire first chapter is people reflecting about the protagonist whom the reader has not yet met. We get a sense of him through other people’s thoughts and through their eyes. We learn about the web of relationships. Then in chapter two we actually meet this man, and voilá the recap has been done.
So, I’m looking for something similar in this book. I need to explain that alien invaders that disguise themselves as gods are in our world, there is an alien weapon that can kill them, that a paladin is a unique human who can use this weapon, what are the important relationships without just flinging a bunch of references that leave readers feeling like little boats being jumbled in a sea of names.
I’m considering opening with (I hope) an interesting scene about scientists trying to understand this weapon in the hope of making more of them, and then go to a therapy/counseling session where my protagonist who is under a _huge_ amount of pressure can talk about all the demands on him.
I have no idea if this is going to work, but hey, it’s worth a try. So, after having a “celebration of spring dinner” with friends tonight and watching episode two of Game of Thrones I’ll get back to work tomorrow.
Wish me luck. Writing really is such a high wire act.
