Yikes! With temperatures below -20'C and a wind, this is the coldest I've ever been. I've been to Nebraska and South Dakota in winter, but those states were being nice to me. I know the Prairies suffer through colder, but I'm not a Prairie boy. Today was cold enough to make my eyeballs ache.
At the same time, it was startlingly beautiful. The sun was blinding, the sky a crisp blue, and the ground gleaming. I can live with winter like this, as long as the wind doesn't howl. Give me cold but bright days over drizzly, grey and near-freezing any day of the week.
Except after February 2.
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Dana Porter Library at the University of Waterloo, under clear skies. |
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The Modern Languages Building. |
Prologue Places and Title Changes
Regarding my mother's comment to my post yesterday, she needn't worry about honest criticism. I have spent the last sixteen years craving criticism; it has helped me grow as a writer. And as she is a published author (with more on the way), her opinion is one I strongly respect.
It's interesting to hear that the prologue might not be needed for the story, however. I brought it in after some readers complained that the Marjorie elements and Rosemary's reaction of throwing books against the wall came out of nowhere in chapters eight and nine. I thought that, showing the point in Marjorie's story where Rosemary throws the book against the wall would set this up, and introduce us more strongly to Marjorie earlier. But maybe it isn't needed. I'll have to think about this one.
I've given some thought to the suggestion of making the chapter one title the title of the book. The Girl Who Folded Herself is a nice turn of phrase and, while Rosemary and Time is cute, there is precious little time travel in this story to really justify it, don't you think? It's almost more appropriate for The Young City. The Girl Who Folded Herself refers directly to Marjorie and her ability to fold herself out of existence. It calls up images of paper, and that ties in nicely with Rosemary and Peter entering the Land of Fiction.
Unfortunately, there is another book with a similar title: David Gerrold's The Man Who Folded Himself, now back in print. Ironically, this story is all about time travel. Check out the excerpt online; it looks to be well worth reading.
Would using a modified version of this title be plaigerism? Is it more appropriate to the story than Rosemary and Time? Any thoughts?