I had revised two or three sections--small sections--and was feeling pretty good about myself and my revision when I came to chapter nine.
Dun dun dunnnn.
Take a look at the picture. Chapter Nine has a particularly tricky scenario--my characters were in a blocked-up Refuge underground, and I rescued them by pushing the Easy Button. Instant save. My characters got out by someone digging them up.
Way too easy. Hey, that's why its called the Easy Button! I pushed it so I could get to the other side of this brick wall I had, to smooth sailing, sunny skies. I didn't have time to think up a clever scenario--it was NaNoWriMo, and the heat was on.
So now revision is threatening me. "You push that Easy button again and I'll feed you to Frank," it says. Revision is urging me to revise the situation, to beat back the brick wall--while the easy button is sitting pretty smack in the middle. Procrastination, as you can see, is chuckling evilly on the other side of the brick wall. "I've got him this time!"
Anyone else want to smack Procrastination?
But procrastination is winning. You can't just beat back a brick wall--I'm clueless for ideas on how to revise this situation. Procrastination is knocking on one end, while Revision is threatening me from behind. What do I do?
Well, first off, I have to be stubborn. There's no way this thing is going to budge--and so, armed with the Sword of Stubbornness, I'm racking my brains for answers. But none are coming.
Okay, so the whole purpose of that disturbing illustration and its accompanying post is this: do YOU have any ideas? Any way you can help me out? I promise to write a post about this once I'm done! ;) Honest!
To quote the illustrious Aragorn (aye, LOTR seems to pop up all of the time these days),
"What say you?"
I'd suggest something but it's hard to say without knowing more about it.
ReplyDeleteHows about them signaling for help by lighting a fire and having the smoke drift thought a small crack in the ceiling to where the searchers are digging? There's the ever popular starting an avanlanche in the right place to get them out.
ReplyDeleteLike Pingpong, because I don't know all the circumstances, I have no particularly useful suggestions... perhaps instead of being dug out, they dig down/around and find an underwater river, into which one intrepid member of their group dives, and just as he is about to drown it sweeps him up to the surface again, where he can go bring help for his friends. >_> Not the best of suggestions, but 'tis all I can think up at the moment.... heheh, I love your illustration, and eloquence in describing your predicament in facing procrastination. Oh, and I want a silvery cape of revision. >_>
ReplyDelete-whisper
heh chat me sometime and I'll see what I can come up with... Id be interested in reading it.
ReplyDeleteI'd suggest explosives.
ReplyDeleteI really can't give ideas without knowing several factors, such as equipment the group probably has, equipment I can get away with giving them, technology level, skills, special training, etc.
@Whisper
ReplyDeleteI recieved it as a gift, and so I am using it for revision. It makes be feel like a bishop. >_> Legend says it was some sort of a graduation cape for some tall soul...
Okay all, here is all of their resources etc. :)
There are three people. My main character, his mother, and his friend. Circumstances led them to this cave, and driven by desperation and danger behind them, they actually fell into the tunnel leading to the Refuge (which is deeper underground). The tunnel then collapsed almost atop of them, and they made their way into the Refuge beyond. Contained in the Refuge are bookshelves lined with books, a small glass dome, chairs, tables, a sword, and various small articles found in an ancient Second Era dwelling-place. There is fire and a substance that burns long and brightly. The entire Refuge is lighted by firelight. My protagonist and his mother can use the sword with some skill. The technology level is middle-age.
Now, here is some of the scenario that I have.
1) They are still alive after two days (albeit hungry and thirsty from lack of food and water), which means that there must be an air outlet somewhere in the Refuge. It is deep underground, so it is not coming from above. (so that means, Pingpong, though your idea was excellent, the scenario is working against it)
2) I could probably get away with getting them a pack of water by dragging it in their with them. I don't know how this would help, but it would help the characters withstand a longer time period.
3) There is a larger tunnel leading out of the Refuge, but partway down it too has collapsed from age and decay. I cannot tell you more without giving out major plot spoilers as to the reason for that tunnel.
Keep in mind that the Refuge is man-made. It isn't natural.
Does that help? ;)
The ventilation shaft, they could climb through the ventilation shaft.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm...perhaps. I shall think on this. Would a place like this have a ventilation shaft? Those are discoverable on the surface.
ReplyDeleteBut remember--it is not on the ceiling where they are getting their air. So the air is not coming from above--most likely, it is coming from a crevice that is nearby, that is leaking from a tunnel.
If the people who built were smart and thought ahead, there would be both a ventilation shaft and secondary escape tunnel.
ReplyDeleteAre ye insulting my characters? ;)
ReplyDeleteThe escape tunnel was the tunnel that collapsed. I cannot further give my reasons why, without revealing some major plot, but there is an escape tunnel, and the tunnel INTO the Refuge is so well hidden, it was almost impossible for anyone to find it.