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Goddess
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GODDESS - Read Along
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Looking back on my process with with this third book, it’s like I wrote it in one breath. I had so many threads to tie together, and so many characters whose arcs needed completion that I flew through this book. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it, and I knew I only had about a hundred thousand words in which to do it, so I put my head down and wrote it practically stream of consciousness. The pace shows that.
I open Chapter One at breakneck speed, pretty much daring the reader to catch up with me. There isn’t even a beat in between Dreamless and Goddess. They’re almost like part one and part two of the same book, and my editor didn’t have a ton of notes for me. Since it was the third book in a series, they let me run with it almost as is. It’s like a fever dream, which fits with what Helen is going through with all of these overlapping selves that she is re-experiencing. Trippy. That sums this book up, and it sums up how I felt when I was writing it.
One of the biggest things I’ve noticed doing this read along is how much my style of writing has changed. My books used to be so chatty. Everyone is talking to each other pretty much all the time. I studied theater in college which means I read a lot of plays. I read everything from the ancients like Sophocles’ Oedipus, up to modern-day writing, like Angels in America. Plays are, obviously, stories told in dialogue format, and I guess that got drilled into my head. Over the years I learned that I am no playwright, and dialogue isn’t exactly my strong suit. I switched away from this conversational style of writing that I had in my first three books. I try to do more of the storytelling in the plot and in the descriptive passages, and less inside the scenes between the characters. People talk to each other, there’s no way to avoid that in a story, but I feel less comfortable now writing a scene with a ton of dialogue than I used to.
It’s harder to write descriptive passages. Dialogue is sort of an easy out, or at least it is for me, because I always hear characters yammering away in my head when I’m trying to write a scene. Moving away from a conversational style means more work for me, actually. I still listen to my chatty characters but then I try to take out as much dialogue as possible. I ask myself: how can I write this scene using the least amount of dialogue possible and still accomplish my goal? I think it makes for tighter writing, pacier storytelling, and a more interesting read.
With this process in mind, I wouldn’t even know where to start with these chapters of Goddess. I’d have to excavate two thirds of every chapter and do a complete rewrite. The kicker for me is I keep thinking that if these books were ever turned into a movie or a TV show, the writers would then be asking themselves how to turn all that internal work I did in the descriptive paragraphs back into dialogue. I guess writers are all like Penelope, weaving by day, un-weaving at night. I’d say it was ironic, but that’s not really Irony in the sense that the Greeks used it. It’s just writing.
I'm a little behind, but I just finished the audiobook for Dreamless and am excited to catch up on Goddess! There were so many details I forgot from the previous book. I remember even less from this one. It's almost like I'm experiencing the story for the first time.
Gabby wrote: "Omg!! How are we on Goddess already?! Where has the time gone??. Not much longer now until Scions has released, so exciting!!"I'm not ready for this read along to end! I already know that I'm gonna sob when I finish rereading Goddess, but I can't wait for Scions to be out. Only a couple more weeks I can't believe it!!!
Gabby, I received a message from you but I'm not able to reply. please help!
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I sent you a friend request, see if that helps! :)
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Rules:
• General group rules: please be polite, no rudeness or bullying will be tolerated.
• At the top of your comment, mark what chapters it is that you are talking about, and then tag your spoilers. To do this, write < spoiler > (your comment will go in between the tags < / spoiler >. There are no spaces between the symbols. A successful tag should look like (view spoiler)[this! (hide spoiler)]
• Have fun!
Readalong Schedule
This read along will begin once the read along for Dreamless concludes on the 5th of September.
5th - 12th of September: chapters one - four
12th - 19th : chapters five - nine
19th - 26th - chapters ten - fourteen
26th - 3rd of October: chapters fifteen - epilogue
This schedule is just a guide for the readalong discussion, but it does not strictly have to be followed - we understand everyone reads at their own pace! This is why we are firm on the use of tagging your comments with the chapters you are commenting on and using spoiler tags. This way you can read and write your thoughts down and participate in discussion, without spoiling it for anyone else.
Giveaway
Anyone who participates in this discussion will automatically (unless you decide to opt out) be entered in to a giveaway, with the prize being a Starcrossed/Scions themed bookmark sent from Josephine Angelini herself. The winner will be selected and contacted shortly after the end of this individual read along.