In writing a story, a few things need to be clear to the author right up front. What’s it all about? Who’s narrating? And whose story is this, anyway?
I can easily miss the point of all this when I start out. For instance on The Eidolon Stone, the narrator was this disaffected guy who had really had a bad life, and he was telling this story from his point of view.
I wrestled with my first few pages until I realized that this isn’t his story. This is Kate Winston’s story, and although Nick Peroni plays a major role, I was having to jump through hoops to allow him to narrate events he couldn’t have known.
So, I’m dumping what I had to this point and starting over, clear about who is talking (a third person narrator who is free to know more) and I know whose story this is.
It’s the little things. 🙂