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!