Hopefully this will be my second published Jack Martin novel.
My first draft's are very rough, since I just write the damn thing, powering through to the end and not worrying about anything other than the narrative structure. So when I come to re-write I usually have a lot of work still to do. But I think if I rewrote as I went along I would soon get bored, lose the natural pace of the tale and lose my confidence in the project.
This book uses the Indian wars as a backdrop and for research I've been reading Dee Brown's excellent Bury My heart at wounded knee. Obviously it's important to get as much factual information as possible in order to allow the story to breathe. Though one of the major plot elements demands some artistic licence but I hope for the large part to remain faithful to the actual times and attitudes.
(Illustration 1832 Indian Creek massacre)
There's the rub - Should I use racist attitudes that would have been prevalent at the time? Or should I substitute words and phrases with more modern, less offensive variations? I suppose the answer is to be true to the era but in these overly PC times I worry that the subject matter would not be suitable for the modern publishing industry.
Ahh well, have to see what happens.
I'm going to ignore it for a fortnight now and take a break - recharge before going back to it and getting it in a state that is fit to send to my publisher. I feel it's better to take a break between drafts in order to distance the author from the work and enable returning to it with a fresh mind. I've lived with Mr Arkansas Smith in my mind for the past month or so and to tell you the truth, I've grown rather fond of him.
After my break I'll be back to put him through the mangle again but hopefully we'll both emerge from the other side smiling...
Nuff said.
5 comments:
I say go for historical accuracy. The high-time of PC was the early-to-mid 1990s. I think people are savvier these days and can understand the difference, with the unfortunate exception of the book-banning/burning crowd.
Yeah I don't really want the book to feel too post modernist so I'll keep as close as possible to the attitudes of the times.
I agree with that, especially when you're writing dialogue between characters. But you may run into trouble with editors determined to make their mark!
It's one of the points I make in the lead article in the current Black Horse Extra, if you want to know more.
Pleased to hear you're at work on your second western, Gary, and it's always informative to hear of others' working methods.
Titles . . . yes, a lot of agonizing seems to go into them as perhaps it should. The biggest problem is to come up with something fresh, catchy and still "western". As you may know, The Tarnished Star has been used at least twice previously. But like recycled western covers -- does it matter?
No I guess it really doesn't. I'm thinking of calling my third book Jaws of the lost ark. LOL
If Harry Flashman can still in 2008 be "not too bothered with saving a parcel of niggers" and "suspect that for the women at least, slavery is an improvement", you should be OK XD
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