----Original Message Follows---- From: "Scott Schultz" <scott at cjhunter.com> To: "'SKZB List'" <dragaera at dragaera.info> Subject: Future Narrative Gimmicks Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 12:58:35 -0700 >> Not everything Steve has reported on was dictated by the wise-cracking >> young assassin. Some of it was created by a wordy old scholar. >> > Then there was the nebulous third-party observer who related Athyra. Steve is playing with different narrative methods "recently" in order to best illustrate the theme of a book as well as keep himself entertained by the writing process. We have the typical first-person narration by Vlad, the "guest narration" by Kiera in the guise of a conversation with Cawti, a case of third-person narration of Savn's story (yes, this is Savn's story even though it features Vlad in a supporting role) and of course the historical meanderings of Paarfi. What sort of narrative ideas might Steve use for future books just to spice things up? Iorich - This is an epistolary novel, except that the "epistles" in question are not letters, but court records, transcripts of court sessions, and various bits of investigative evidence. The sub-text is that Vlad stays one step ahead of the investigators while conducting his own Sherlock Holmes/Sam Spade/Nick Charles (imagine Cawti as Nora, there's a laugh!) type of investigation. Anyone who thinks Steve doesn't read Holmes ought to go back and check out Tazendra's commentary on the interpretation of boot tracks. All she needed was to say that she'd once published a small monograph on the subject... ***************************** CSI: Adhrilanka? (ducks as various rotten vegetables are lobbed in his direction)