"Seven years old is an awkward in-between age, caught between being an infant and being a young person. The world sees only a child, while the seven-year-old is torn between the simplicity of early years and the exciting promise of adulthood. Responsibility beckons, innocence calls out."
This is what writers need to understand when they write about children in this age category. In learning to "grow up", they have to figure out what aspects of their innocence to let go of and what parts of it can stay.
A lot of it is quite conscious, too. Active decisions we all make at different points in our lives. I remember there being a specific moment, perhaps when I was about 10 years old, when I abruptly realised that I didn't really 'play with toys' in the same way. Something that had been integral to who I was had come to an end.. Which was sad, even at the time, but a lot of those skills I'd learned while bashing MASK and Transformers into each other then evolved into storytelling techniques I still use today. So it all flows somewhere!
In a sprawling epic that's hit on slavery, sexual assault and followed a victim to the moment in which he was shot in the head, this may be the most grim chapter, yet.
The "silver lining" is Fleur didn't live long enough to be traumatised for life.
Rexan's death is not anticlimactic at all. He's been a good and honorable man who we've gotten to know, and his being torn apart by a random area spell, in fact, ups the tension. He's the highest tier (hero) character to die onscreen.
And then Lykasra gets splattered a few paragraphs later.
I mean, it's the climax, and not everyone should get out alive. Sucks to see them go.
Along with poor little Fleur.
*Sung to the tune of the Beatles famous melody* There goes the sun, la-da da-da. There goes the sun, and I say, it's fucked up!
Glad Rexen's death played out satisfyingly. If that's the right word.
The real meanness in this chapter is the way there are several near misses, and then it still ends like *that*. For every heroic rescue, there's still that ultimate fate waiting for Rexen, Lykasra, Fleur - not to mention hundreds of other people who just got drowned/disintegrated/zombiefied/dropped from half a mile up.
If this chapter is about the death of hope, I guess the next question is: how do you resurrect it?
I'll be interested to find out. With the magic wielding megaship having read Kaenamor's journal and taken their skill up to the point of randomly killing everyone around, flattening the entire city, and, oh yes, THE SUN WENT OUT, you've come very close to painting yourself into a corner. At the moment I don't have any good guesses as to how you're going to turn this around. Just here for the ride, now.
I mean the other "silver lining" of the chapter is I guess PB won't be casting many large spells now that the primary power source is gone?
"Seven years old is an awkward in-between age, caught between being an infant and being a young person. The world sees only a child, while the seven-year-old is torn between the simplicity of early years and the exciting promise of adulthood. Responsibility beckons, innocence calls out."
This is what writers need to understand when they write about children in this age category. In learning to "grow up", they have to figure out what aspects of their innocence to let go of and what parts of it can stay.
A lot of it is quite conscious, too. Active decisions we all make at different points in our lives. I remember there being a specific moment, perhaps when I was about 10 years old, when I abruptly realised that I didn't really 'play with toys' in the same way. Something that had been integral to who I was had come to an end.. Which was sad, even at the time, but a lot of those skills I'd learned while bashing MASK and Transformers into each other then evolved into storytelling techniques I still use today. So it all flows somewhere!
In a sprawling epic that's hit on slavery, sexual assault and followed a victim to the moment in which he was shot in the head, this may be the most grim chapter, yet.
The "silver lining" is Fleur didn't live long enough to be traumatised for life.
Rexan's death is not anticlimactic at all. He's been a good and honorable man who we've gotten to know, and his being torn apart by a random area spell, in fact, ups the tension. He's the highest tier (hero) character to die onscreen.
And then Lykasra gets splattered a few paragraphs later.
I mean, it's the climax, and not everyone should get out alive. Sucks to see them go.
Along with poor little Fleur.
*Sung to the tune of the Beatles famous melody* There goes the sun, la-da da-da. There goes the sun, and I say, it's fucked up!
Ha.
Glad Rexen's death played out satisfyingly. If that's the right word.
The real meanness in this chapter is the way there are several near misses, and then it still ends like *that*. For every heroic rescue, there's still that ultimate fate waiting for Rexen, Lykasra, Fleur - not to mention hundreds of other people who just got drowned/disintegrated/zombiefied/dropped from half a mile up.
If this chapter is about the death of hope, I guess the next question is: how do you resurrect it?
I'll be interested to find out. With the magic wielding megaship having read Kaenamor's journal and taken their skill up to the point of randomly killing everyone around, flattening the entire city, and, oh yes, THE SUN WENT OUT, you've come very close to painting yourself into a corner. At the moment I don't have any good guesses as to how you're going to turn this around. Just here for the ride, now.
I mean the other "silver lining" of the chapter is I guess PB won't be casting many large spells now that the primary power source is gone?
Yup, Mid-Earth gets off easy.
That's rough.