A Day Of Faces

Writing chapter 58: Vertigo

And we’re back on Locque. One regret I have in ADoF is that the story whisked us away from Locque, thereby reducing the time we had to explore its culture, society and people. Arc 4 brought us back to the world, very deliberately, but it was in some ways too late – with Kay already deep in her mission, there’s no space in which to experience ‘normal Locque’.

This is something I think is really important in adventure fiction, and which often gets forgotten in on-going series. It’s critical to retain the links to the ‘real world’ (whatever that may be, in the context of the story), as it’s that which gives context to everything else going on. (more…)

By Simon Jones, ago

Writing chapter 57: Psyche

Here we have a character who suffers a terrible handicap, leaving him with only a single superpower. I thought this would make for an interesting theme to explore: that of focusing on what you’ve lost, rather than on what you still have.

More time gets spent this chapter on the long-overdue confrontation between Kay and Cal. Ever since hints started to get dropped about Cal manipulating Kay and Marv the story has been building up to this moment. The obvious raute would have been a big fight, or at least a highly charged confrontation, with lots of suppressed thoughts bubbling to the surface. It’d start with Kay or Marv raising the subject and forcing Cal to tell the awkward truth. (more…)

By Simon Jones, ago

Writing chapter 56: Conscience

There’s all sorts of slightly peculiar stuff going on in this chapter. It starts with what seems like a good ol’ ADoF action sequence – perhaps even the logical climax to the Cal and Holt fight that we were denied previously – and instead transitions into a bit of speculative sci-fi world building as we witness how Red handles crime, and then we get to witness the wonders of super advanced medical technology. (more…)

By Simon Jones, ago

Writing chapter 55: Cancer

This entire chapter is one of exhilaration and reckless optimism, building on Kay and Cal’s incursion into the Aviary at the end of the previous. Here they make their boldest play yet, and get away with it. What they’re not ready for is a problem from their past, one which they’d unwisely forgotten about.

A reader commented on Holt after finishing the Arc 3 ebook: “As much as Holt’s mind may have been expanded by his recent travels, surely he’ll revert to type at the first opportunity.” Well, ‘Cancer’ is where Holt doesn’t fail to disappoint – he’s deliberately emblematic of a particular mindset and generation; one which refuses to reconsider, and which dismisses out of hand any evidence which counters their existing world view. (more…)

By Simon Jones, ago

A Day of Faces now available literally everywhere

Arc 1 cover v2
Arc 2 Ebook Cover v2
Arc 3 ebook v1

UPDATE: ADoF currently isn’t available in ebook form. It’ll be back at some point, bigger and better. Sign up to the mailing list and I’ll tell you when that happens!

The A Day of Faces ebooks have been available for a long time via Kobo, Amazon and Nook. Due to me finally pulling my finger out, you can now also grab them at Smashwords, Apple iBooks, Inktera, Baker & Taylor, txtr, Overdrive and Scribd. And, no, I’ve not heard of half of those, either. (more…)

By Simon Jones, ago

Writing chapter 53: Orbit

For the longest time, a vague notion existed in the ADoF plot document which involved space travel. An early outline for Arc 2 included this:

While on the trail, the police start suspecting and move to arrest her, but she’s rescued by a Human. A completely normal Human, who is somehow on Locque and looking for Cal. Human has amazing technology, including space travel, and whisks her away (more…)

By Simon Jones, ago

Writing chapter 52: Stimulus

Last time I observed that Arc 4 has swelled to twice the size of previous arcs (I’m writing this particular diary retrospectively).

‘Stimulus’ could quite happily have marked the beginning of Arc 5, if I’d chosen to delineate it that way. I may still decide to split it that way when I create the ebooks versions, keeping each arc roughly the same kind of size. (more…)

By Simon Jones, ago

Writing chapter 51: Interlude #8

I’d like to say this was planned from the start. I really would. Truth is, this twist was a fairly late addition to the story.

The plan had always been for Furey to have an unknown side, and that ‘Rose Furey’ wasn’t her real name. She was intended to be a bit of an enigma, even something of an overly-familiar trope (self-constructed, in her case), who would then be turned upside-down around about now. The specifics were always a little fluffy, though. (more…)

By Simon Jones, ago

Writing chapter 50: Symbiosis

There’s a bit more exposition in this chapter than I’d like. It’s one of those pivotal chapters that reconfigures the story and points it off in a brand new and unexpected direction, and I feel like I did that somewhat less gracefully than I’d have liked.

That said, it’s also serving as something of a breather, giving readers (and the characters) a moment to sit back, relax, and have a break from the continuing tension. Essentially, Kay and Marv have been on the run in one way or another for about two whole arcs and haven’t had proper downtime since leaving the farmhouse at the start of Arc 3. They deserve a moment of peace and reflection. (more…)

By Simon Jones, ago