I was just thinking that of all of them, Peter is the one whose role is set from the beginning of their reign -- he's the High King, and the leader, the ultimate authority. So he has to instantly become a man and a leader at age 13 (or however old we think he is). The others, especially Lucy, have more time to grow into their roles, because their roles aren't clearly defined in the beginning -- what do assistant kings and queens do, after all? In LWW, Lucy sees Peter after the battle and thinks that he looks much older. That massive weight of responsibility would have to be difficult to accept, even for someone whose moral sense and instincts are so good. So maybe part of the reason he seems so good is that, unlike the others, he can't afford to show weakness or indecision.
Shaking up -- you mean Susan in mourning? Sigh... I have gotten bogged down in backstory of minor characters. The next chapter is all about Susan sitting down to Christmas dinner with Harold and a lot of people who are separated from and/or estranged from their families -- Peggy's boarders, Diana and her brother, and Lucy's friend Marjorie. But I'm not sure how much of the reasons for those separations/estrangements I should work into the story, because that would take the focus away from Susan. And with Pearl I would have to actually get into her head, and there's only one other place in the story, aside from the epistolary section, where I've deviated from Susan's POV. I might solve that with a backstory chapter posted separately.
I've also realized that there are really two parts of the chapter, the first part being about how this motley group come to be together on Christmas Day and the second part being about the day itself. If I want to keep doing things in strictly chronological order I would have to go back and insert the first section as a new chapter before the Midnight Mass chapter. So I'm trying to figure that out. I've already considered and discarded the idea of inserting little flashbacks throughout the chapter. Suggestions welcome....
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Problem of Peter
Date: 2015-01-27 12:16 am (UTC)Shaking up -- you mean Susan in mourning? Sigh... I have gotten bogged down in backstory of minor characters. The next chapter is all about Susan sitting down to Christmas dinner with Harold and a lot of people who are separated from and/or estranged from their families -- Peggy's boarders, Diana and her brother, and Lucy's friend Marjorie. But I'm not sure how much of the reasons for those separations/estrangements I should work into the story, because that would take the focus away from Susan. And with Pearl I would have to actually get into her head, and there's only one other place in the story, aside from the epistolary section, where I've deviated from Susan's POV. I might solve that with a backstory chapter posted separately.
I've also realized that there are really two parts of the chapter, the first part being about how this motley group come to be together on Christmas Day and the second part being about the day itself. If I want to keep doing things in strictly chronological order I would have to go back and insert the first section as a new chapter before the Midnight Mass chapter. So I'm trying to figure that out. I've already considered and discarded the idea of inserting little flashbacks throughout the chapter. Suggestions welcome....