Jan 13, 2013

Chapter 4 – Munich, June 2011

Chapter 4 has now been moved to 'Good Stuff' together with various improvements that people suggested. One change is that 'Ferdinand' has been changed into 'Maximilian'. A small change, but as somebody said to me, he's going to get beaten up at school if he's called Ferdinand, which I wouldn't wish on him.
On the other hand, my favourite Ferdinand didn't get beaten up at all. But that's fiction, sigh. Nevertheless, if you have children I thoroughly recommend this book for them.
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4 comments:

  1. Anonymous15/1/13

    Dear James,
    It is easy to follow and quite amusing. Reading the bit about the train pass I could not help laughing because this is exactly what will be happening to me tomorrow morning.
    I am looking forward to more of your story.
    Anne.

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    1. Unknown16/1/13

      Thank you Anne, and I'm glad it amused you. The nightmare of trying to make sure my offspring have their train passes on them so that they are not bullied by the transport companies secret police is burnt into my soul!
      James

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  2. Lotte18/1/13

    Hi James,

    I'd like to give you some feedback about your chapter 3.

    Firstly, it is always perfectly clear who is talking. (As long as you introduce all three persons before this dialogue appears in the completed novel.)

    Secondly, it reads like a "true story", the acting persons feel like "real people". Even if it is highly improbable for a person to change his job from university professor to train conductor. But, on the other hand: Did you ever hear the story about the cardiologist becoming truck driver? (http://bilder.buecher.de/zusatz/27/27947/27947527_lese_1.pdf)
    Don't worry about "not much happening" in this chapter: readers love to read about the ordinary life of the characters in a novel. And they need some rest from crime and murder happening ;-)

    Thirdly, as this seems to become a "patchwork novel" with chapters set in different times and places I do not see why the chapters should not be told in different styles (pure dialogue, personal narrative etc.). Even if it is kind of a challenge to the reader it is also rewarding to view things through different perspectives.

    Good luck with your story, I'm looking forward to the next chapter,

    Lotte

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  3. Unknown18/1/13

    Dear Lotte,

    Thanks for the input. I look forward to checking out the link. What I have heard from my eldest son who works on the night trains (yes, I'm ruthlessly exploiting my children)there are a very mixed - and sometimes extremely highly educated - group of people working as train conductors and they decided to do this for a wide range of reasons, including (as in Franz's case) disgust at the way their original job had developed.

    I think to aid the casual blog reader it would make sense to produce a who's who in the novel so that this patchwork approach to writing the chapters is easier to understand.

    James

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