A New Point of View.

Gaah! Has it really been a month since I last posted here? Where does the time go??

At any rate...

Greetings, Patient Reader!

If you're reading this then you're incredibly wonderful and I love you for sticking with me through thick and thin. This Themistocles novel hasn't been easy. (It's been in progress since 2005--that's over seven years now!!!) When you take on someone larger-than-life like Themistocles however, you feel rather obligated to get things right. The man was in many ways the Ancient Greek equivalent of Winston Churchill (well, except Churchill didn't go over to the enemy's side after the war was over), and tackling his life story can be rather intimidating.  Luckily I've had support along the way, and hope that someday I can announce right here that the novel is finished and ready to turn into an agent.

At any rate, after talking to various people about how to tackle such a charismatic person, it was suggested to me that perhaps it might be easier to explain Themistocles through the eyes of someone who knew him. Someone who could appreciate his greatness but also see his faults. And so--without giving too much away--I've decided to try a new POV, and so far have had some success. Not only is this new POV more balanced, but it gives me a chance to explain the customs and beliefs of the Ancient Greeks without clubbing the reader over the head with too much exposition.

Of course, it's still not that easy. Motivation and urgency are the things that keep readers happy, and I want to make sure that my new character has both, because that way a lot of other factors fall into place, making my job as a writer easier.

So wish me luck, Awesomely Patient & Supportive Readers! I'm going to try a new direction with my novel, and hopefully it will pay off, or at the very least educate me on the best way to write a story. :p