Crisis On Singular Earths

[alexandraerin]

So, I just got a question in my Formspring alerting me to a continuity error/plothole in Tales of MU... I've edited the previous chapter (445, when Callahan announces her absence) to close it up. As I said in my Formspring answer, this is the sort of thing I worry about with the time difference between real world and story time getting bigger, and one of the reasons I want/need to pick up the pace.

See, I wrote chapter 445 back in May of last year. At the time there were good reasons I wanted Callahan to be out of town for the weekend, reasons which still hold true. I also wanted the opportunity to skip a melee class so that I could get on to the weekend a little bit more quickly, so I had her trip starting on Thursday. In the intervening time, I forgot about the second part, and what's more I decided separately it was important to show the melee class so I could show Mackenzie's progress and have Callahan make her offer. So I had two sets of plans made seven months apart that came to contradictory conclusions, resulting in a conflict in the text.

When I'm not updating steadily, I spend a lot more time going back through the archives and looking at my rare and arcane notes to try to avoid things like this... "Wait, what did I say they were doing in the next class?" I won't be surprised if more such discontinuities pop up when I go through the chapters to collect them. Hopefully they'll all be things I can patch up with a slightly altered line here and there.

I'm perversely better at remembering things that are happening in my stories than I am at remembering things that happen to me in real life, but it's kind of a balancing act, as I don't feel the need to have every plot thread tied up neatly before the next one arrives, and I certainly don't think it's realistic to have the protagonist keeping everything that's happening in the front of her mind at all times... but if she's not thinking about something, there's a good chance that I'm not thinking of it, either.

Anyway, that's what happened with that.

Comments

[silverai.livejournal.com]

You mention you've edited that story, but when I click on the link, that chapter still has Callahan saying she'll be away?

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

Ah, it was edited, but it got reverted somehow. I've restored the revised version.

[silverai.livejournal.com]

This paragraph says Thursday good, Tuesday bad:
"“The God of Pain has departed,” Callahan announced. “We’ll be meeting back here on Thursday and we’re going to start really mixing things up. Just so everyone knows, I’m doing a workshop or conference or some other excuse early next week, so no class next Tuesday. Emo Kid!”"

And this paragraph says see Steph on Tuesday:
"“And you tell Johnson I’ll overlook it this time,” she added, “but if I don’t see her curvy ass in class next Tuesday, I’m going to have to mark her absent. Now go do something about that face.”"

Callahan also says "You’ve got a week to do some remedial reading. I really strongly suggest you do it.”" but that can be perhaps overlooked as meaning Thursday week.

PS, Love your work! Been reading since about chapter 50 to 100-ish days, and I think it's simply marvellous.

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

Drat, i must have grabbed the wrong revision. Thanks for catching those!

[cluudle.livejournal.com]

There've been a number of homework assignments of Mackenzie's that have gone missing or have had mysteriously altered properties or deadlines. I think it was Elemental Invocation that I noticed that for, for when you recheck things.

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

There's one elemental invocation one that had the deadline changed by circumstances but otherwise yes, that's the sort of thing that I know has been creeping in more as the story gets further strung out.

[silverai.livejournal.com]

Oh, I was wondering about what happened to that thing she was supposed to research and then present to the whole class because that one professor objected to having to teach about local stuff and Mack was talking about something and so got picked on, I think it might have been the history one? She semi-looked up stuff in books/avoided looking it up by soing other stuff a few times. I'm still curious about that, but the rest of the story is still so awesome that I'm not disappointed by it not happening or anything, just curious.

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

I haven't forgotten about that, though it's possible Hart has. :P The assignment was for a day to be specified later, if he ever gets around to it.

Mackenzie's delving into local history isn't going to be left behind, in any event.