Lois’s answer to “Is there a short story or something between the Orphans of Raspay and the Physicians of Vilnoc? Th…” > Likes and Comments
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Thanks - I'll stop looking now. But I'd really love to know about Rybi...
Sometimes hidden backstory never sees print. To produce well-fleshed characters, authors must imagine a history that sometimes is not even well-articulated in notebooks or jottings, and only lives in the author's head.
There are parts of what has happened to Pen and Des outside of the novellas that I think I am glad to not have covered in full in a story. For example, I am glad to have only the information that they provided to N. over the course of mostly Penric's Mission, of the time during which Pen's mother and the Princess Arch Divine died and while dealing with his personal losses, Pen's medical abilities were so abused that he was driven to attempt suicide. I don't really want to know more about such a painful period in his life.
I agree with Jerri. On the other hand, there's plenty of room for relatively cheerful stories in Penric's past life as well as in his future life. I'd be happy to read more about his early years with the princess-archdivine. I suppose even Desdemona's past life (before Penric) could have story potential, although we probably won't go there; we just get brief references to it from time to time.
There has to be SOME stress or trouble to drive a story, I suppose. But that particular time in Pen's life was very tough. I was interested to learn about it during Penric's Mission, but don't really need all the details.
On the other hand, I trust the author in this case. If Lois decides to write about some aspect of Pen/Des I will read it (and eventually listen). There was a time in Mission when if the book had been by some other author I might have given up. Eyes are so VERY important to me. But I stuck in there and LMB made it a very good part of the series. Mission might well be my favorite, or at least the one I think is "best".
Yes, there has to be some conflict or difficulty to make a story, some problem to be overcome, but I like a story to have moments of happiness in it too. My own favourite so far is "The prisoner of Limnos", which has a good story and a variety of good characters.
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Donna
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Aug 08, 2020 03:21PM
Thanks - I'll stop looking now. But I'd really love to know about Rybi...
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Sometimes hidden backstory never sees print. To produce well-fleshed characters, authors must imagine a history that sometimes is not even well-articulated in notebooks or jottings, and only lives in the author's head.
There are parts of what has happened to Pen and Des outside of the novellas that I think I am glad to not have covered in full in a story. For example, I am glad to have only the information that they provided to N. over the course of mostly Penric's Mission, of the time during which Pen's mother and the Princess Arch Divine died and while dealing with his personal losses, Pen's medical abilities were so abused that he was driven to attempt suicide. I don't really want to know more about such a painful period in his life.
I agree with Jerri. On the other hand, there's plenty of room for relatively cheerful stories in Penric's past life as well as in his future life. I'd be happy to read more about his early years with the princess-archdivine. I suppose even Desdemona's past life (before Penric) could have story potential, although we probably won't go there; we just get brief references to it from time to time.
There has to be SOME stress or trouble to drive a story, I suppose. But that particular time in Pen's life was very tough. I was interested to learn about it during Penric's Mission, but don't really need all the details. On the other hand, I trust the author in this case. If Lois decides to write about some aspect of Pen/Des I will read it (and eventually listen). There was a time in Mission when if the book had been by some other author I might have given up. Eyes are so VERY important to me. But I stuck in there and LMB made it a very good part of the series. Mission might well be my favorite, or at least the one I think is "best".
Yes, there has to be some conflict or difficulty to make a story, some problem to be overcome, but I like a story to have moments of happiness in it too. My own favourite so far is "The prisoner of Limnos", which has a good story and a variety of good characters.
