Betwixt-and-Between Proofers

So where the heck is

Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between?

I know, I know, I'm sorry.  The best laid plans of mice & fairies...

I'm in that proverbial waiting game right along with y'all.

I've got a couple more people scouring it for errors.  The typo kind, not [I hope!] the story-logistics kind.  So far story-wise hasn't been an issue at all.  That is not including the initial run-through and suggestions made by Anon*.

So, I'm at the mercy of others.  Not any sort of complaint.  After all, they're doing me a huge favor by proofing it.

I want you to be able to have it as soon as possible.  So just hang in there.

The day WILL come...




...meanwhile, the days of the hardcover Peter Pan's NeverWorld are now numbered.  Soon only the paperback version will be available.  So if you want the extra pictures by way of the dust jacket, now is the time to order one!

* Barrie enthusiast and my faithful reader and #1 fan

To Error By Era...

I talk a lot about the wonderfully wacky and wow-ing 21st Century. We’re able to get guided directions, find out that name of an actor we can’t remember with a few touches of a finger, receive emails, shop, check the weather and a whole host of other sundry tasks all in the palm of a hand. And that’s just smartphones! Surely I needn’t go on about the other technology marvels that may as well be fiction!

But I’ve often wondered what it’s done TO our fiction. Certain elements common to all sorts of tales are now not going to fly. Once upon a time if a character wound up in unfamiliar territory, it meant “lost” and the panic would ensue. How to rectify the situation? Ask that kindly old man who turns out to be a sexual harassment creep? Break out the map (if one is even along!) but have no street lights to read it by? Keep walking and hope for a cab? The possibilities are endless. And yet many of them are cut short because nowadays, said character could just look up how to get back home on the “phone,” a device that does nearly everything other than be a telephone. Oh sure, there are ways around it for authors to thwart the character. The batteries are dead. The device  itself got lost two days ago. Or...

I’m not saying that technology had ruined fiction, just that it’s given us storytellers more on the plate to have to contend with and thus makes it not so easy to create havoc and tension in the events of a story without having to cover other bases.

Go back even further, to beyond when a cellular phone had just been that and that only, a telephone. No texting, no pictures, no maps, no Angry Birds (no I don’t play)... Even then, there’d been a huge dynamic shift from something like Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. If they’d been able simply to CALL Marion Crane on her cell phone in the car, it would have turned out much differently. Yes, yes, it’s probable that she’d not answer or what have you, but any way it’s sliced, there’s a huge change in how the whole situation is perceived.

And that, then, affects how and WHEN authors craft a story. It makes me think of my own “epic” novel What If It’s a Trick Question? One day my #1 fan Anon wrote to me and told me exactly what year the book takes place. I’d been surprised. It didn’t have a specific year so much as an era. Jeremy, the main character, has a cell phone. Okay, sure. He plays video games... yet it’s before the Wii and motion-control gameplay. I could bring in other examples, but you get the idea. There are certain elements that can or cannot be in the story, also to the extent of his station in life (and what could be afforded and such.) It had been quite easy to figure out, since I essentially aimed at the time period during which I wrote it.

I didn’t have to worry about whether this time overlaps the particulars for quite some time, you see? Until Anon goes and figures out all the math accordingly (from story data) and also from the calendar. [The book takes place over the course of a month, each chapter is the subsequent day.] Anon located which year the dates matched up to the book and told me WHEN it happened. Interesting, no? Given that the world of the book is a fictional version of Chicago, it didn’t matter to me so much when the calendar aligned... I’d aligned it with the events/circumstances of the book. Again, it had been a time frame. If it hadn’t been meant to be a real city, did it have the same cycles of days as us?

That's the rub of writing what (at the time) is contemporary - advances render the book into a bygone era. But that’s the essence of this post. Things we now take for granted must factor into new storytelling. Why can’t she just use her cell phone? Did they record it in HD? Why is he using TAPES? Don’t they have security cameras placed at the top of the lampposts or something that would show the killer? Well, once upon a time all these didn’t apply.

Just one more way in which authors need to keep up with the times -- and it can be argued that such techno newness is ruining the options in a good book. What would Agatha Christie do with DNA matching?! From another angle, though, it opens up a lot more, too... always a trade off, Isuppose.  For when writing in a past era you've got to REMEMBER (or research) what could/couldn't be done and what did/didn't exist.

We’ve got a lot more to contend with and control and make up excuses for (if you’ll pardon the expression) as to how it all went down in our stories.

I've Got It Covered?

I believe I have the back cover of Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between, the interquel in the life of the eternal boy.

I said before that I had an idea for it which my best friend Laughter suggested. It would have been great and even felt reminiscent of a location in the book. Sadly, though, I couldn’t find anything worthy. No, that’s not me being high and lofty. Let me explain... So you’re not in the dark, Laughter’s proposal had been a Banyan Tree. Mind you, he thought I could use such a tree for one of the illustrations. But no such luck. Those that arose didn’t require one. So I decided it could be on the back cover, as you know. 

Well, first there’s getting a image that I liked and could use. I had a few. All right, so... the real problem had been that no matter how I positioned one of these trees on a rectangular cover, it only looked like a pile of, well, dung. You couldn’t see the glory of the mysterious trees. Just a twisted mass of browns and not at all appealing. So I changed direction entirely.  (Note: These are but examples, not the photos I tried.)

The task of composing a back cover blurb felt daunting... until I realized that “less is more.”  So I thus decided it shall have naught (in terms of words) but the tagline I came up with many moons ago. It’s here on the blog if you want to hunt for it!

I narrowed down my photos, discovered which one looked best rectangularly without losing the essence or best parts of the photograph and started fiddling. I tinkered with it on and on... until I... well, I guess you can say inspiration struck. I tried it out. Voila. Just what the cover needed! Or at least I think so... I’ll give you a hint: It’s a callback.

I’m going to pass it along to a few people and see what kind of reception it has.

First up is my buddy Laughter. Not entirely sure who will see it next, but it’s a good bet I’ll ask for opinions of fellow Barrie-borrower Andrea Jones (author of Hook & Jill) and Pan-fanatic Anon.*
.
In the meantime, I’ll be doing the other Foreword and such...

*Barrie enthusiast and my faithful reader and #1 fan

Wendy? Yes!--Why not!

Madeline Zima (not) as Wendy

Can it be--yes--no--it is--the fair Wendy!
- Chapter 11, "Wendy's Story" Peter and Wendy

No, actually.
But couldn't it be?
It's Grace, the youngest girl on The Nanny.
It's one of Bart's favorite shows.
And watching an episode,
he said this reminded him of Wendy.
I'm inclined to agree.

In a Barrie related picture of another sort, both Andrea Jones and Anon* have seen my initial illustration for Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between.  Andrea says Yes! and Anon remarked I don't know why not! to the question of whether I should continue making the pictures along this line.  Good to know.  Got a thumbs up from Bart, too.

So I guess I'll proceed!

* Barrie enthusiast and my faithful reader and #1 fan

HAD BEEN Working On It, Am Again

Well, today Andrea Jones asked about the progress on Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between.  She also typed to me that she's been "talking it up."  How very wonderful of her!  Thanks, Andrea!

I've recently been emailing with a fan who's delighted to have found someone so obsessed with Peter Pan.   The eagerness to read the interquel leaps from the typing.

Anon* has been curious about the progress, too, I believe.
Well then!  I suppose I should really get on that, eh?  I've checked a little into how best to make it available... and decided I needed to have a concrete page count and such.  And there's no way of knowing that until I finish with the revisions.  Which, I admit, I put on a backburner.

Well, I'm firing it up again.  In fact, I began this very night.  I chose to tackle the easier of the suggestions made by Andrea.  She noticed an over-use of the word combination "had been."  So  I looked.  I figured it would be a good way to wade back into it.  She'd been right.  63 instances.  Some places just needed a good tweaking, some written over with extra Barriesque comedy and some just plain thrown out.  Well, it's now down to 14.

So it's on to the other reworking...
I'll of course keep you posted.
For it seems as if there are some people waiting to read this novel!

*Barrie enthusiast and my faithful reader and #1 fan

The Two Cents of Jones on the Interquel

As I already had reported in this post, Andrea Jones (author of Hook & Jill) loved what she had read so far of my interquel, Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between.  [If you're not familiar with the details of this book or want a recap, click here.]

I’m happy to now report that upon having finished reading, her appreciation of it has only increased. During our “playdate” this past weekend, she congratulated me on how I’d successfully created the transition from the baby Peter to the boy Pan. I’m relieved, to be honest. I knew Andrea would have not only a great critical eye, but an invested interest in keeping it in tune with Barrie.



What fun to see her smile when she pointed out her favorite bits (both humorous and solemn) as she went over her notes. How gratifying to know that my ideas had merit, that the ways in which I’d solved the inherent dilemmas proved to be not just viable, but satisfying. I did have to clarify one part, but only for Andrea’s sake at the moment. Within the story itself, it's meant to be like the charmingly ambiguous specificities so deliciously typical of Barrie.

The part of my story which I had been most worried about - for I thought it might be construed as too outlandish - she liked very much. Quite the opposite of my fear, Andrea thinks it’s “very Barrie.” I suppose it is, since the primary idea for it grew out of something he wrote anyway. And thinking on it further what happens ‘there’ is not unlike shenanigans he might have had with the Llewelyn Davies boys in the Gardens. Hosah.

Official Cover of the Novel



Perhaps you recall I’d been struck with an idea for another bit to add to the end. I had meant it to strengthen an idea/theme and create another tie-in to Peter and Wendy. I had sent Anon* the new section (along with the entire last chapter) and had hoped to hear it worked. The truth is Anon didn’t notice the new part at all - which I took to mean that it fit well. Andrea’s copy of the book did not include this new paragraph, so I read it to her. She looked pensive for a small while and then replied that I didn’t need it. It lacked an impact or reason for being there. She went on to say that the ending to the novel is perfect just as it is and she didn’t want to see me ruin it. Imagine that! Both Anon and Andrea think the ending is marvelous. Just what an author wants to hear!

Don’t think, however, that all of her comments had been glowing. She did have an issue here or there - such as the amount of characters introduced all at one time. It seemed overwhelming and confusing, so she suggests that I spread out the introductions across the story. I concur. A good observation and one with an easy enough fix, which will not just alleviate the problem at hand but allow for better pacing and discovery (as to what the characters' functions are) throughout. I welcomed each of her critiques. I’ve already attended to one of them. It seems I abused the word ‘quite’ rather heavily. So I examined each one and decided if it had been necessary. For I could not banish it altogether as Peter Pan might, since in some cases no other word will do. Plus, it does appear frequently in Barrie’s works. But she’d been (ahem!) quite right. I managed to eliminate two-thirds of the offending word.

 1st draft of the Tagline design

To finish up, Andrea wants to see Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between published. She thinks highly enough of it that it should be included among the tales of the eternal youth. I accomplished what I set out to do. I’ve filled in the missing pieces to the puzzle of Peter Pan’s past with the flair of Barrie. Andrea’s summation in one line, as if it were her blurb on the back cover - Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between is bright and shiny like a new…tuppence.

So I will work on the revisions... and I suppose the fate of this novel has been decided. Eventually I will get it “out there” so that others may enjoy it, too.

And please don’t take any of this post as self-congratulatory. I’m thrilled that Anon and Andrea like what I have done. I’m just as amazed that it’s well received as they are with how I worked it all out.

* Barrie enthusiast and my faithful reader and #1 fan

I Finally Caught Wind of This...

Well, I can cross another classic that I probably should have read a long time ago off my list of To-Be-Read. If memory serves, it’s a particular favorite of Anon.*

Yes, folks, somehow The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame escaped me before. Other than a few bits and pieces I’d gathered over the years and what little I knew of it from the Disney cartoon, I’d never been formally introduced.

I took to it immediately. For Grahame brings us delightful characters, full of life and bearing both a severity and a cuteness. As I went along, though, I started to think it would be nothing more than a few random escapades strung together. I don’t mean that as a bad-mouthing, far from it. For there are plenty of marvelous ‘nothing but strung vignettes’ out there, such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. But two-thirds of the way through or so, The Wind in the Willows starts to come together.  Without the separate scenes, we’d never get the sense of who these charming critters are, the depth of their relationships nor even necessarily care about what happens to the ancestral home of Toad.

Like Peter Pan, Toad is neither wholly likeable nor wholly condemnable.  On the other paw, I found that I loved all the characters equally. They’re a great batch and there’s quite a dynamic to their interactions. I especially liked the “foreboding” quality given to Badger... only to discover the truth about him, which then turns out to be multi-layered and any apprehension felt toward him is revealed as well.

It’s also interesting that I cannot decide whose story this novel tells. I suppose everyone’s first thought is Toad. But he’s really just the catalyst to get all the others in motion. Not always true, though, since Mole is the first we meet and he sets out to have a very rare walkabout and finds himself in a whole new world of adventures. So is it his tale? One mustn’t forget the tail of the Water Rat, however. For without him, Mole probably would never have come across Toad Hall or had the gumption to meet Badger. So, all in all, it’s an ensemble piece.

I found a couple of bits curious, though. The horse doesn’t seem to mind being, well, a horse. In a world of suited critters who drink tea and own books, he seems to be just a cart horse. At first I thought he wouldn’t even be given the opportunity to speak. Mole, however, does talk to him (though we are given no dialogue.) There are other horses as well, but they, too, are just cart-pullers. There’as a line in the book that sort of sums it up. ...since the horse had complained that he was being frightfully left out of it, and nobody considered him in the least. It’s not a flaw, per se, just a “hmm.” The fact that Toad has hair to comb also jarred me.

One vignette that I’d been looking forward to and which did not disappoint is the Piper at the Gates of Dawn. I absolutely love his mysterious nature. The whole chapter is compelling and really gives a sense of the sheer magical presence of this character.

As I’ve said, the novel culminates in a grand scheme and daring adventure. It ranks up there among the best laid plans of...er, well, moles and men. Just the sort that one can easily bring to the mind’s eye.

And speaking of the mind’s eye, I have to admit that I couldn’t get Disney’s version of Toad out of my head as I read. Just this character. For I didn’t really remember their other depictions very well, with the exception of mole, of which I’d been mistaken (as my vague notion of his design turned out to be their drawing for Badger!) To be honest, when I did re-watch the cartoon, I’d been just short of actually appalled. For I thought they got each of them quite wrong. Rat, especially. That’s just my opinion, sure, but they just didn’t, for me, match up nor live up to their personalities or descriptions. Except Toad. And to be even more honest, I fell asleep about halfway through. I woke up for the end, though, and as can be expected, Disney changed it. They have Toad soaring off on a new obsession - an airplane. In the book Toad learns his lesson and does change his ways. Without this development, I think the book would have lost a lot of its power/message.  Also interesting to note is that the word "mania" for Toad's wild escapades is not used in the novel as it is in Disney.  I rather missed it, I must say.

And so there you have it, I am now among those who have visited the Wild Wood of Kenneth Grahame - and what a marvelous place it is!

* Barrie enthusiast and my faithful reader and #1 fan

Can You Quote Him on That??

There’s a quote that’s plastered all over the internet...

Never say good-bye because saying good-bye means going away and going away means forgetting.

This quote is attributed to one of three sources:

Peter Pan, the character.

Peter Pan, the story.
Sir J.M. Barrie, the author.

As far as I can tell, the quote does not belong to nor come from any of them.

It’s rather peculiar. “Everyone” thinks it to be Barrie (or his work.) And yet... as said, it is just not.

I had thought it came from Spielberg’s movie sequel (as a line of Tink’s) and that everyone has been erroneously mixing it up with the original. So, with a sigh, I let it go.

Well, the other day my #1 Fan Anon came across it and asked me about it. I gave my idea on it. But Anon felt sure that it is not in Spielberg’s film. Anon also didn’t think it came from Barrie’s book or play. I did some poking around (thank goodness for the “find” feature in text documents!) and that’s correct. It’s not in the book. Truthfully, I didn’t check the play since I do not have an ‘electronic copy’ of it. But I also felt pretty sure it’s not in it, as did Anon. Plus, I hadn’t been at home so I did not have it readily available.

Someone I once knew who has seen the Disney version too many times assured me it's not to be found there either.

So I posed the query to Andrea Jones, another Barriephile and author of the Hook & Jill Saga.  She hadn’t actually run across the quote yet. She didn’t have any knowledge of it being a la Barrie. She commented that it's like someone trying to sound like Barrie and that it smacked of something Julia Roberts would be made to say. She suggested some possible sources, such as the ‘other’ Pan books in existence, but no real stock had been put in them as an answer. (So it remains possible that it’s from one of them, but then, that would obviously not be Barrie himself, so it doesn’t stand to reason that people would attribute it to him. To Peter Pan, however...maybe.)

Left with no other option short of reading all those other books, I decided I would have to consult the world premier Barriephile - none other than the great Andrew Birkin. Once again, Mr. Birkin had been kind enough to respond. Yet he, too, is stumped by this quote!  He doesn’t have any idea where it would have come from...as he also knows it’s not in the book nor the play. He went on to say that as far as he knows it is not a quotation from ANY of Barrie’s works. He gave an interesting thought on it, though: Who would be saying that line to whom?

So what’s the deal? How did this quote arise? If four (including Anon) “Barrie fiends” cannot muster up the place of origin, then how on earth (or in the Neverland) did it ever get so erroneously and wildly popular?

Actually, there is one lead. From Anon, who presented this as a semblance of this quotation. It’s a series of lines from the Spielberg film.

...one of the Lost Boys (I think it was Thud Butt) said in that movie: "Don't leave us, Peter, and don't say goodbye." Then Too Small says "What's goodbye?" And Ace says "It's going away, that's what it is. Forgetting about us all over again."

It’s definitely related to it, that’s for sure. And it’s likely where it does come from... but it only adds another layer to the mystery. Why, when and how has this amalgamation of lines from Spielberg’s movie been wrapped up into a single “wrongful” quote?

And so... I am here to tell you that this “Never Say Goodbye” quote is NOT from J.M. Barrie. Unless someone out there can prove me, Andrea, Andrew and Anon incorrect!

One more notch in the long list of generally accepted errors regarding the story of Peter Pan.

“Shall we still be respectful subjects of the King?” John inquired.

Over the holiday Bart, my parents and I went to see a movie. It seemed as if it would be a challenge to find a film that all four of us would agree upon. Fortunately for us just such a movie fit the bill:

The King's Speech.

We all loved it.

The King's Speech is based on the true life account of King George VI, who had a stammer his whole life... and the one man (amid a myriad of others who tried) who had been able to help him correct it when the throne is suddenly and unexpectedly his. It has top-notch performances from Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter.

It's what I would call an "old school" movie. By which I mean (in the very good sense) nothing really happens other than excellent dialogue and 'character' driven development - all set in a visual feast. No fast paced invasions. No races. No wacky special effects. Just plain old specifically-focused storytelling. Quality stuff. I highly recommend it.

There’s just one thing I don’t understand. Especially since it’s a true story. I don’t want to spoil it for you, so suffice to say - why don’t they (the prince/King and the speech therapist) employ the method used first in the film? Hmmm. I wonder why not. Oh well.

One other note about it. My #1 fan Anon brought it to my attention and I’m glad for it. For otherwise I would not have remembered! There is a Peter Pan reference in the movie. Once my memory had been jogged I do recall smiling internally and externally when it came on... but oddly it went out of my head by the end of film. Maybe not so oddly, since it proves to be a testament to how engaging the film happens to be.

The Peter Pan bit:

The future king's wife reads from Peter and Wendy to their daughters. As an extra bonus bit of trivia-reminding (provided by Anon) Princess Margaret knew Barrie.  How very fun to nod to that part of history.

Thanks again for bringing it (back) to my attention, Anon.

And really - do see The King’s Speech. It deserves the praise it has received.

* Post title, of course, is a line from Peter and Wendy.

Not Too Flighty!

In case you were wondering about the status of my Barrie interquel Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between, Andrea Jones is still in the process of reading it. She’s quite a busy woman and yes, that’s the truth, despite the cliché.

Anyway, since it’s been a little while, I’d been wondering myself. As I had something else to bring to her attention, I thought I’d inquire about my novel... admitting to being paranoid (a la: did not hearing from her mean she’d soured on it suddenly?) Not the case at all. She replied (with a “spoiler” removed):

Yes, I still love B&B, no worries! Peter hasn't yet arrived in the Neverland, just got back to Kensington Gardens after his pow wow in.... Which concept I love, by the way. Wonderful.

(Eternal) Boy! Had I been glad to hear that! You see, the concept she’s commenting on is the very one that I’d been wary about. Perhaps you recall in previous posts I’d been a bit worried that the idea would be too outlandish. I always did and still do like it, of course, but my fear had been that over-exposure to it (while composing) made it more acceptable to me. But it rather seems that I do not have cause for worry. For both Andrea and Anon enjoyed it. (it did require some cutting and tweaking as per Anon’s perusal, but the idea itself had not been rejected.)

So it’s great to know... quite a relief, actually, that two Barrie-fanatics are on board.
Just wait until Andrea gets to the Neverland!

Another Barrie-ophile Says...

Well, folks, Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between, my interquel to Barrie, is in the hands of Andrea Jones, author of Hook & Jill. And I mean that literally. A print out has been sent to her. Wondering about her opinion? Here’s her initial reaction to having read some of it:

The style is just so... Barrie!

And that quote (used with permission) came with a statement of loving it thus far.

It looks like Anon is not alone in that assessment. I certainly hope the rest of Peter Pan’s early adventure is to Andrea’s liking. (Well, of course I would.) And even if she does have some issues with it, I look forward to those as well. Since she’s got such a handle and great perspective on Barrie herself, it can only serve to make it an even better book should it need another draft.

Thanks, Andrea!

99 Pages Off a Done Man's Chest

Well, just moments ago I put the last word into Peter Pan: Betwixt and-Between.  Yes, it's now finished for the second time.  Hosah.

I'm quite glad of the revision, for it's definitely a smoother and more engaging book than its previous incarnation.  A little of the credit goes to the characters.  When called upon, they really came through for me.  A lot of credit goes to Anon, who showed me the turbulences along with heaps of encouragement.  Toward the end of the process a scene greatly improved because I tinkered it out with Anon via email.  (I shared it as per it containing the result of a particular good suggestion.)  Much must go to Barrie and a bit to James Fenimore Cooper.   And lastly, I suppose, to whatever it is that makes me write.

The second word tally is one shy of ending in a 100.  It just qualifies for a novel at 50,099.  Not that it should be ascribed any sort of significance, but I cannot help but think of the upcomming centennial of the publication Peter and Wendy.  It's just one year away and here I am one word shy of 100.

I shall, naturally, read it through as a whole again.  Especially since I tinkered around in the middle bits here and there after the revise-through.

And then (as you probably know by now) it's off to Andrea Jones, author of Hook & Jill.  I'm looking forward to her critique of it.  She has such a wonderful perspective, approach and understanding of Barrie's world and I'm eager to share what I have wrought with the pieces of imagination I had available.

Then what happens?  Que sera sera.

It's Panning Out

Last night, (or the wee hours of this morning if technicality is your thing), I finished the minor rewrites to my interquel Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between. Faithful reader and fan Anon had been kind enough to give me not only critiques of the story but editing remarks as well. This sort: combine these sentences, add a comma, please clarify... I’ve gone through all of them now. In most cases I took Anon’s advice and sometimes did exactly as suggested while in others I rewrote the lines entirely. I even cut out whole sentences. There's something quite satisfying about deciding to axe passages.

Now I can move on to the major revisions, the kind that will alter the story structure a bit. Actually, I have already tackled some of these changes along the way. While editing and looking right at a part that is known to be getting an overhaul, it only made sense to plink away at it then. I imagine the minor changes would have gone much more quickly if I didn’t fiddle around with the story aspect as I went along, too. Plus, I had already redone two chief chunks of the tale before handling the little bits.

At any rate, I can already see that it shall be (and is) a much better novel than it had been at first draft. I’d be worried if that were not true! I even managed to strengthen some ties between Barrie’s two books. Anon had wondered why I didn’t include one of Peter Pan’s skills in the mix. I hadn’t wanted to make a one-for-one back history. After all, at least some parts had to remain indigenous to Barrie lest I would ruin their impact, especially the scene where Pan demonstrates that particular skill in Peter and Wendy. But as I revised, I realized that this skill had actually been included all along and apparently neither one of us noticed. I simply re-tooled what had been written so as to subtlely hint at what happens in Barrie’s. As it now stands, Peter Pan will have developed this ability as time goes on… and thus in Peter and Wendy we are shown how well. It also gave Pan a little more fuel to his emotional fires and woes in the Betwixt-and-Between novel.

So all in all, it’s shaping up. Soon enough it will be off to Andrea Jones, author of Hook & Jill. Even though there is no actual appearance of Captain Hook in this tale, she has agreed to take a look at it anyway. (Yes, that's meant as a tongue-in-cheek comment.) What luck to have access to such an esteemed Barrie enthusiast.

Thanks Anon, Andrea, and any who want to read this book!

Leaf It Alone?

I've just been doing a little thinking about how to fix a particular event in Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between. I had the suspicion that something had been wrong with the playing out of it. Anon flagged it as well, and also pin-pointed exactly why it didn't work. I gave a suggestion back, and Anon deemed the idea better. Well, I've expanded on it a little bit since then... and as I said, I'd moments ago been tinkering with it.

What is it? It's Peter Pan's outfit. He essentially comes to be naked in Kensington Gardens. Yet we know he wears leaves in the Neverland. I believed I'd bridged the gap. Then, I went poking around on Neverpedia and I came across this line: 'In the play, Peter's outfit is made of autumn leaves and cobwebs.' I must have caught Peter Pan's forgetfulness, as that detail seemed new to me. (I tend to concentrate on the novel since I am working in that medium and it's Barrie's 'fixed' form of the story.) Yes, I did then recall it as part of the play, but could not shake off the "hmm." So I hunted the novel. Nope. No mention of cobwebs. (And for the record, it's now "skeleton leaves.") No reference to cobwebs in Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens either. As in the word itself does not appear in both books.

Chalk it up to another of Barrie's own tinkerings. But it got me to thinking... could I, or even should I, use cobwebs as part of the story in Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between? To be honest, cobwebs give me the creeps. And the thought of wearing them...eech. But then, Pan is not my second name, and he's the one who would be sporting the spider spun spats. (Okay, they wouldn't be used as spats but I love a good alliteration.) If I do use it, it will serve as an extra bridge, no? To the play in addition to the two books. When it makes sense to do so or can provide helpful information, I like to incorporate the play or screenplay.

And while I'm on the subject of his outfit... I find it a pity that most people equate Peter Pan with a tunic, tights and a hat with a feather. A suit of leaves with juices that ooze out of trees (and cobwebs?) is much more intriguing.

Anyway, I've give the scene a little more thought...

The photo is a close up shot of Jeremy Sumpter's costume in the P.J. Hogan movie.
The other is a Disney costume. [They have (or had) several versions of a 'Peter Pan' outfit, most of which don't look like their cartoon.] I do like the rather large leaf aspect of the costume shown, though.

Finished From Done

Well, Anon has given a thumbs up to the rewrite of the fairies' "explanation" of the Neverland. Hosah! There are some tweaks suggested, but none of them were in order to Barrie-ize it. Thanks very much, Anon!

Onward to the revisions of the story part...

Then it will be off to Andrea Hook & Jill Jones to see if she likes it as much as Anon.

From there... well, it all depends on how much or little Andrea suggests. :)
I've also been asked by another fan of Peter Pan's NeverWorld to have a gander at this new (or old, depending on how one looks at it!) Pan adventure. It would be wise to take him up on his offer, so chances are I will when I'm once again satisfied with the book. Plus, Bart will be reading it in there somewhen as well.

(The title of this post is also the title of Chapter 16 of Peter Pan's NeverWorld.)

It'll Show Up Where Now?

Here's what's going on in my world of Peter Pan...

Still working on the revisions. I've been dilligently honing the other "speech" part of Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between to better fit into Barrie's style. Every time I think I'm done with it, I find a new word or whole sentence, perhaps even a new idea to tweak into it. Usually just a word or phrase here and there. But it's going nicely. If I don't have it quite yet, I have it just so. Anon's critiques have been most useful, as I've said. This particular reworked section is a both pivotal and delicate, and Anon is familiar not only with Barrie's style, but how this book works in cohesion with it. Which is a roundabout way of saying I've decided to have Anon have a look at this scene's rewrite. Afterward, I'll continue on to the rest of the novel. It should be a welcome change to tinker around with actual story bits again. (Rather than "explanatory bits" for lack of a better term.)

Also, I just had a talk last night with someone delightful... and cutting to the chase, Peter Pan's NeverWorld will be showing up in an unlikely place in the near future. You might even say it's a little bananas to be there, but the owner is fond of me as I am of him, and he wants to foster my plight of Pan. I'll keep you posted as things develop, but I will say clues are in this paragraph.

Doing it Write!

The rewrites are going well.
So far I’ve only done the one section. I’ve gone over it and over it again, sometimes as many as five tweaking/redoings a day. If it doesn’t sound like much to be just done with the one part, then consider this: It’s pretty much the crux of making the concept of the book work as a whole. I didn’t have to rework the ideas, but rather had to get it to sound more like the ambiguous specificity of the original stories. In other words, it needed to be more Barriesque than it had been. It's a challenge to write 'as'/'like' Barrie in the first place, so to get wild ideas such as these to come out sounding like him is even harder.

Fortunately, I seem to have done a good job. I gave it to Anon to have another gander. The verdict?

Wow. MUCH better! :D After only the first paragraph I was already impressed! It felt like I was reading something new from Barrie! I think he would be proud!

Ah, good. Now I can proceed with the rest of the revisions, knowing that I’m back on track. Next up… the fairies’ description of the Neverland…

Flying High.. and Don't PANic, It's Almost Right

Anon finished Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between,
my interquel adventure, a little while ago now.
We’ve been discussing it back and forth via emails.

Here are just a few comments that brought me joy:

Oh. My. God. :D :D :D :D :D
This gets better and better! While there are still some problems, this REALLY feels like Barrie's Peter Pan!

Wow.... O_O I did not expect that....
This chapter opened up looking like the kind of heartless fun that I remember and love, and then --

Now I REALLY want to finish this thing tonight

Overall, an EXCELLENT final chapter to the book! Could hardly have been better if you tried

As for the book overall? Aside from [ … ], it was VERY much what I'd hoped for!
In some ways it was even MORE than I'd hoped for, as it pointed things out that hadn't even occurred to me, and made me curious about others! It really DOES feel very much like "Chapters 7-20" of Peter Pan In Kensington Gardens, the Peter Pan book with no ending!

The “problems” and “Aside from” spoken of are mainly the same ones that I have mentioned as possibly being problematic in other posts regarding this book. However, it’s also still the case that it isn’t as if these things cannot be smoothed out. Especially since Anon had given me some great suggestions. And the “did not expect that” refers to something that shocked in the good way.

Anon also had some issues along the way which wound up working themselves out. For instance, Anon thought Pan seemed too poilte. But as I pointed out in our email-ing, the boy Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens is quite different from the one in the Neverland. Without giving too much away, it's the events of this novel that shape him into the cocky, rude and horribly self-absorbed boy that we somehow love in spite of all that.

Having someone so well versed in the world of Barrie certainly helped quite a bit. And it’s not just the re-tuning to make those sections more Barrie-like. Anon came up with some delicious tidbits to add as well as ideas to further the impact.

And so, it’s back to wordsmithing for me… Although I am going to take a little bit of break first. But I’ll get to it soon enough. So anyone else who is looking forward to the “lost chapters” of Peter Pan’s life, just hang on for a little while longer. Once I’m done with the rewrites, I’ll be sending it off to Andrea Hook & Jill Jones.

And what’s on the agenda after that? I’m not sure. I certainly am not lacking for ideas, thank goodness. I have a few things I can go back to as well as a few new projects to begin. As of yet none of them are leaping out at me. But I expect one of my characters (or a new character) to come knocking before I’m ready to return to the page.

I can, however, say that as of right now I do not expect to be returning to Peter Pan. I’ve had enough of him for a while. But there’s plenty more to write about the boy… so I’m not done with him yet.

Oh... the pic is the "tagline" for this book.

He Writes... He Scores... With Some Time-Out

Well, my “faithful reader” Anon has begun

Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between.
So far, it’s very well received. WHEW!

How can I not be pleased with being told it "DEFINITELY" feels like we're back in the world of Peter Pan? Anon also said that it doesn't feel like a new book. Rather, it feels like Chapter 7 of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. (i.e. the next chapter of it, as if it actually came next.) Thanks, Anon! Glad you're enjoying it.

Anon does have some minor issues, though, but that's to be expected of the first read through of something so near and dear to the heart.

You might recall I’d been a tad worried about the one section of it - I said it might seen too outlandish. To my relief, Anon doesn’t hate it or think it too strange. Then again, the general feeling is that it doesn’t quite fit. That is to say… yet. For it’s not as if it can’t, it just doesn’t seem so quite right at this point. But from Anon’s comments/comparison to Barrie (on this part as well as another) I know just how to fix it so that it will thus become much more Barriesque. Thanks for the inadvertent suggestion on how to make it work, Anon!

Anon is only four chapters in so far… and there’s a lot to come in the next ten. Here's hoping the "wonderings" and "issues-that-might-not-be-issues-after-all" turn into a genuine love of the book!

For the record, I'm going to make the necessary revisions before I pass it along to Hook & Jill author Andrea Jones. No sense in giving her something to read that can use some polishing, eh?

I'll keep you posted.

Putting Down the Pen on Another Pan

Woo!
Last night I finished writing
Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between.

For those who do not already know:

This novel is an interquel.

That means it's a sequel to one work, but a prequel to another. You see, there's a major gap between Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (really part of the novel The Little White Bird) and Peter and Wendy (aka Peter Pan.) In PPiKG, Pan's "origin story" by Barrie, he is an eternal infant living among the birds and fairies in the famous London park. But the next time we see him, he's a young boy fighting pirates in the Neverland. One could just chalk it up to Barrie changing his focus for the character. Sure, that's true. Yet reference is made in Peter and Wendy as to the first adventure having happened. That means story-wise, we have a major chunk missing. How did the little boy who wouldn't grow up...er... grow up to being a boy? And how did he get to the Neverland? Thus, I've pored through Barrie's works again and devised that very story. Those and some other ponderous elements are made clear.

I must, of course, read through it all again and make any necessary revisions. And I've got a few very minor details (such as which birds specifically) to fill in... but otherwise it's a completed book. It clocks in (currently) at 53,533 words. Naturally that will change. It's a short novel, but then, so are Barrie's.

Before I unleash it, I am going to have (at least) three people take a gander at it first. Not just anyone, either. Andrea Jones (Hook & Jill) will be delving into it for me. Since she's quite versed in Barrie's world it can only behoove me to get her opinion. Her obsession has the very helpful advantage of a feminine perspective as well as masterfully manipulating Barrie without sacrificing any of his integrity and themes. My faithful reader Anon will also have a read. Anon rivals my own obsession with Pan and Barrie and also matches my insistance on the meticulous details. Anon has been anxious to read this tale since I mentioned it. And of course, Bart.

I really am curious what they will think of it. I'm hoping it doesn't seem completely off the mark to them. Not that I doubt the work. I am very pleased with it. I just wonder if since I've been dealing with and living with it for so long that I'm more readily accepting of some of the ideas, characters and events in it. After all, I am more than touching a subject that is both delicate and difficult - namely the wherefore of how Peter Pan...er, grew up, so to speak. There's the chance that at first experiencing this adventure it could seem too outlandish. But I do feel it remains true to Barrie's universe while expanding it just that much further.

At this point, then, I am not entirely sure of this novel's fate. But I will be sure to keep you posted.

*Yes, that's the cover I've devised for it. The photo is of a walkway gate in Kensington Gardens. Bart took the picture when we visited London and the "world" of Sir J.M. Barrie.