or
Was it a curve ball, a slider, a screw ball or a fast one right across the plate!
Probably since I could read, I've always wondered where authors get their inspiration for a book and all of the prose in-between the covers. Does it just come to him like magic? Fall from a tree on his head like Newton's apple? Or is he or she having an innocent amorous affair with a lovely muse in a coffee shop? -- and can we assume that lulls in the writing coincide with trouble in paradise?
For instance, what was RFC doing when the idea for his control links came to him? Was he trying to kickstart one of those complicated stereo systems, HD combinations, cable tv and trying to make sense of all of the tangled mess of cables, wires, male and female plugs? That surely would explain why his control links work as they do!
Relax, this time I'm interested in how we readers assimilate storyline as it's pitched to us. For instance, and I'm a bit sheepish about sharing this, but I'm sure I can trust you all to keep a secret...
In Flag in Exile, I really thought Honor would be permanently beached by the High Ridge government. I thought she was going to be totally drummed out of the navy. Then RFC had her join the GSN -- "Uh oh," I said to self. "I can read this pitch for sure." Storyline included a sentiment of Protector Benjamin's regarding the actions of that idiot Janacek's decision to withhold information from Grayson to be a breech of their mutual treaty?! Another "Uh oh self. I was right. He's winding up and RFC is going to have Honor drummed out of the RMN instead of killing her off. She'll be an Admiral in the GSN and... and... Grayson and her beloved Star Kingdom are going to go to war... with each other!!!"
"Why, that sneaky author," I thought. "You're not going to kill off our beloved Honor, but this is worse!" Initially, I thought it would be interesting. I loathed the way Honor was treated by her own beloved Star Kingdom in lieu of being given the recognition she so deserved especially in considering all of the blood and tears she had shed for it. Everyone kept dumping on her everywhere she went and all she wanted to do was the right thing for her Star Kingdom.
I don't typically harbor a grudge, but I still carry a slight one -- still simmering on the back burner -- against the Star Kingdom. If any readers switched allegiance and defected to Haven at that point in storyline, I certainly would understand. Which is why the spite in me was all for the two of them going to war.
Until I realized that Honor would then have to choose. Would she choose to fight against her beloved Star Kingdom, being also a citizen of Grayson and now an officer of the GSN carrying with her her usual baggage of duty to a fault?
Or what if her Star Kingdom makes it even worse -- sees the error of their ways in their time of need -- and tries to recruit her back? Who would Honor then choose to fight for? She loves them both? By the circumstances of this pitch, she is rightfully currently under duty of the Grayson flag?!?
And on top of it all, the RMN would now have to fight an adversary armed with its own weapons. Déjà vu anyone?
Arrrrrgh!
Alas, thankfully none of that happened. RFC threw me a slow ball instead. Since I wasn't looking for it, I swung at nothing but air. But you get the idea. What pitches of RFC's did you misread? We can keep a secret.
I think roseandheather was the only one that totally read one of RFC's pitches and hit it out of the park. She totally saw the Haven-Manticore alliance. SHAZAMM girl! Either you got mad skills or RFC pitched underhanded to a girl.
Which pitches did you see or misread? Was it a fast ball, a slider, a nasty curve or a really phucked up screw ball right across... ... the outside corner of the plate?!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
And!... bones appétit from a hexapuma!