This is just a quick note to let you know that I’m out of town today, and in the spirit of being on vacation, I’m just going to share a cartoon from one of my favorite sites, Inkygirl.com

(Posted originally at Writer Unboxed.)

So while the ocean in the picture above is replaced by a river, the sand is replaced by dirt and rocks, and the palm tree/hut thing is replaced by towering redwood trees (we’re camping), that –I’m sure–has been me relaxing this entire weekend.

I hope your extended weekend (or just regular weekend) was a fabulous one.

Has a month passed by already? That must mean it’s time for the second installment in my Excel for Authors workbook. If you visited here last month, you already know that the first worksheet, a production tracker, tracked word and page count and gave you completion stats based on that input.  Here’s a link to my article about that: http://jeannieruesch.com/wordpress/?p=3375

I got a lot of requests for the production tracker and some wonderful comments about how useful it is. Thank you to everyone who took the time to let me know it was helping.

Today’s worksheet deals with chapters. It will track page totals for you. I have a tendency…okay, a STRONG tendency, to put more than one scene in a chapter. For that reason, I’ve broken this worksheet down by chapter and scene.

You input whatever you have named this chapter (prologue, 1, 2, “Sitting on the Boardwalk”), the scene number (1,2,3…), beginning page and ending page. The worksheet will then show you how long your scene and chapter are so far (highlighted section) based on that data.

Did you see that last little column? Intensity. This is a marker I learned from another Happy Endings author, Katrina Stonoff.  In her article “Can You Write A Sellable Second Draft?” Katrina talks about assigning a number to show the intensity of a scene. I found that to be invaluable in making sure there is a good mix of heightened emotion and rest time. You can read her article here:  http://jeannieruesch.com/wordpress/?p=2995

Using a scale of 1-10, with 1 being “ho-hum” and 10 being “out of this world” intense, you can see how your book flows. There’s even an “Intensity Meter” for a visual reference. One note: For me, anything that’s a 1 in my intensity column is an automatic review to amp it up.

That’s the easy part though. To go further with this worksheet, you’ll have to dissect your scene.  I use this worksheet to remember what’s happening at any given point in my story.  Have you ever been writing away and wondered how much of the back story you told in XXX scene? Or forgotten to write down how you described that secondary character and need to find it? If so, then you might find this worksheet useful.

 The questions I ask:

• Where does it take place?
• Who is in the scene?
• What’s happening?
• Emotion – Here’s the toughest question of all. List a one word description of the primary emotion in this scene.
• Edits needed – make notes of things you want to look at in your next pass.

The great thing about this worksheet is that you can use it for as much or as little as you want. If you only want to track the story, just use that half. If you want to see how your chapters are flowing, page and intensity wise, then complete that portion.

This is simply another aid to help you remember to:  orient the reader to place (WHERE), clearly identify WHO is in the scene, think about WHAT’S HAPPENING (and where you want it to begin and end), focus on the primary EMOTION of the scene, and make notes about things you’d like to change or amp up.

These are the questions that work for me. If you prefer a different batch of questions, change them. Tweak the worksheet so it works for you.  This is simply another organizational tool. And available for free to anyone who would like it on my website:

http://www.laurieryanauthor.com/  

Click on “Author Resources” and you’ll find the “Excel For Authors” workbook there. I’ll be updating it monthly as I add new worksheets. Next month – characterization.

Feel free to leave a comment or ask a question here. Or, if you’d like some additional discussion or assistance regarding this worksheet, I’d love to hear from you. My email address is laurieryanauthor@gmail.com.

Have fun getting organized!

written by Laurie Ryan

This blog will serve two purposes.  1.  It will let others know that they are not alone in their fear/dread/utter torture of sending query letters, no matter where they are on the writing journey. (You know you’re out there, just like me!) 2.  It states my intent, putting it out there so that I have no choice but to actually do what I say I’m going to do.

It’s time for me to start the query process all over again.  Yikes!  The thought of it makes me cringe while at the same time I have a bit of a nervous excitement in my stomach.  Because of the first part of that previous sentence, I’ve been procrastinating for at least 3 months.

Now, for a little background, I’m multi-published with The Wild Rose Press.  I’ve been blessed with great reviews and even won WisRWA’s Write Touch Readers’ Award with my most recent book, Mistletoe Rules.  I’m not trying to brag, just stating that even with positive reinforcement behind me, I’m still nervous.  I haven’t sent out a query letter since 2007!

This is a new book that’s never left the safety of my computer except for the eyes of my brother and my critique partner.  Both said they really liked it.  I love it.  (We should all love our own stories, otherwise what’s the fun in writing them, right?) I’m hoping this will be my break-out book.  That’s a lot of pressure to put on the little (well, long) darling, isn’t it?

What happens if no one else likes it?  What if they think the plot is completely implausible?  Hate my hero or heroine?  Don’t like the setting?  Think my villian is stupid?  The list could go on—it does go on, but I won’t bore you.

It would be so nice to achieve some bits of success and have that make the worry about our ‘babies’ go away, but as I’ve heard from many authors in every stage of their careers, it doesn’t get better, darn it!

So I’m stating here that this week and in the weeks to come, I will have no less than 5 query letters out at a time.  If one of those dreaded rejections come back, I will promptly send out another one so I can give this newest baby of mine the best possible chance to succeed that I can. 

And if you’re putting off something in your life, writing wise or personal, I challenge you to face it and do what you can to end your procrastination. 

Good luck!

Stacey Joy Netzel

www.StaceyJoyNetzel.com

This Saturday, I was able to attend the monthly meeting held by my local RWA chapter (Sacramento Valley Rose.)  Since I haven’t been able to attend more than one meeting all year, it was a breath of fresh air to be surrounded by other writers and women who have a passion for those things I love.  This meeting was what we call a three-page read, where members can submit their first three pages to be read out loud for comments, feedback and opinions.  This is the first 3-page read I’ve attended and it definitely won’t be my last.

I had a writing sample – the first three pages of my suspense novel– read out loud.  Since it’s a very different genre from historical romance, I wanted to get honest thoughts on how I started off. Was it too creepy? Was it over the top? Was it as emotionally gut-wrenching as I hoped it was?   The feedback I got was terrific,  both the suggestions offered to make things stronger (it’s amazing how one word can change a sentence) as well as the strong emotional responses the audience had to the pages.  It thrilled me to see that they reacted just as I hoped they would.

But beyond the work I submitted, I also got to hear what others were working on, to offer feedback and thoughts on what I was listening to.  It’s a tremendously valuable exercise, to help you hone your own skills as well as truly give back to others in the community. But not only that, sitting in a room with a bunch of other writers was fun.  It was a simple day, spent talking about writing, listening to how talented my chapter mates are, and feeling truly connected to the community.  One of my chaptermates called the RWA experience a “sisterhood.”  And I truly believe that.  Every day, I’m amazed by the support, the help and the outreach provided by everyone involved — no matter where they are on the publishing ladder, they continue to participate, to share and to provide resources.

The other thing I was reminded of is that no matter the stage of the publishing game we’re in,  there is always more to learn AND just as important, there is always something we know that we can share with those who don’t.  Sometimes it’s simple things like providing a definition for a word (like foreshadowing),  sometimes it’s offering a perspective we’ve gained.  But this community of writers is constantly evolving — we are constantly changing, and it’s important to remember that we’re part of that cycle.  We learn, and we should teach.  And if you’re not doing both, then you’re missing out on terrific opportunities to really connect.  To help.  To be a part of something bigger.

It’s easy to focus on how much we as writers have to learn. I think that every day — how much more there is to know, how many more steps ahead of me to take.    I think the world of publishing is sort of like an obstacle course.  You start at the beginning, and work your way through the different obstacles,  gaining strength, confidence and a more sure-footed path as you go.   But no matter how many more steps or obstacles lie ahead of you, there is always someone behind you crossing those obstacles you’ve crossed, learning how to conquer new ones.  You’ve been there, you can share your experiences to help them get through the tough parts.   So as you forge ahead, don’t forget to look back, too– and see who needs your help.

Happy Endings is pleased to welcome Linda Epstein back again this month!

LINDA:

You’ve finally completed your manuscript! Perhaps it’s your first. Perhaps you have a drawer full of them. Now all you need to do is find an agent. You’ve queried a handful or you’ve queried a truck full. Either way, you’re not getting the response you want. Most agents don’t even respond to your query. Some respond only to give you a form rejection. Occasionally you get a nice rejection. But ultimately, rejection is rejection. You re-write your query letter. You send out another handful or another truck full of queries. Still: no luck! What are you doing wrong? You just know if it was just given half a chance that your manuscript could be a best seller. So why aren’t you having success?

First of all, and I’ve said this here before, you must do your research. As the submissions manager at The McVeigh agency I can tell you that it’s extremely irritating getting queries from people who are writing in genres we don’t represent. So make sure that you’re sending queries to the right agencies. You’ll greatly increase the chance that an agent will be interested in your work when you query the right agencies.

Even though you may be sending the same basic letter out to a bunch of different places, each query should be individualized to each agency. Make sure you follow each agency’s submission guidelines. They aren’t all the same. And don’t (I’ll shout it: DO NOT) forward your query to multiple places. We can tell it’s been forwarded. So after getting over the fact that I’m already annoyed, I’ll start to read the query. Is that how you want me to be when I’m reading your pitch? Already annoyed?

You’ve worked hard on your query letter. You’ve had people read it for you. You’ve gone to query letter writing workshops. You bought a book about how to write query letters. You’ve done Internet research on the topic. So here’s my question: why haven’t you listened?! Just follow the basic, simple advice about how to write a query. Don’t make it too long. Don’t make it too detailed. Don’t make it too cute. It’s a business letter. Be professional but not overly deferential. I promise you, you are not the exception to the rule, so just follow them!

Do everything you can to have your manuscript be the best it can be. Get help with it if you need help. Go to writer’s conferences, if you can, to make some personal connections with other writers and to hone your craft and meet agents and editors. If you’re not in a writer’s group or don’t have other writers to talk to about your work, find one. There are many online communities that can get you started if there isn’t anything local to you.

My final words of advice: Don’t hope. Hope will get you nowhere. Don’t rely on luck. Luck is an illusion. Being a successful writer is about working hard at your craft and staying true to your commitment. Continue submitting. Keep learning and keep improving your writing. At the end of the day, a well written manuscript will sell itself.

First things first… I promised books, and I haven’t forgotten!  AND the box arrived safe and sound, which I’d begun to worry about…  If you’re name is listed below, please email me at writer@elizaknight.com with your snail mail addy and your book preference.  In a perfect world, I could give you all the exact book you want, but in this case, I’ll have to do it first come first serve, and the last person will get the last book.

Laurie Ryan, Janel, Lavada Dee, Suzi, Sue Brandes

The five books (of which each winner will recieve one) are:

1.  Harelquin Showcase: Sin City Wedding, by Katherine Garbera & The Forbidden Princess, by Day LeClaire

2.  Killing Me Softly, by Maggie Shayne

3.  Enemy Lover, by Karin Harlow

4.  Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense:  Smoke Screen, by Stephanie Newton

5.  Ellora’s Cavemen Anthology:  Dreams of the Oasis Volume IV

Sometimes I feel a bit like a monkey on a typewriter...

NOW… onto my blog for today!  I am talking about DEADLINES… its a dreaded word to some.  Sends some of you running and screaming, but its a word that holds a lot of clout, and one you ought to live by if you are seriously persuing a writing career.

Did you hear that last word?  CAREER.  If you only write as a hobby, and you have no intentions of getting published, then writing on a deadline, isn’t something you need to worry about.  BUT if you’re like 99.5% of the rest of us, who have dreams and aspirations of seeing our name on the cover of a book, then you need to learn to write by a deadline.  It doesn’t matter if you are pre-published or at any point in your career.  Setting deadlines is something that you should be doing.

Why?  There are a couple of reasons…

1.  A publisher will set a deadline for you to turn in your book and your edits.  If you miss it, you’re in trouble!

2.  If you don’t set a deadline for yourself, you leave yourself hanging in the wind, you give yourself an excuse to not finish, or to take entirely too long to finish.

How do you set a deadline and stick to it?  Easy.

~How many words can you reasonably write in a day?  I can easily write 2500. 

~How many days a week do you write?  I write 5-6 days a week.  You should be too.  If you are seriously persuing a writing career, then each day you should be adding NEW words to a project, even if you were only able to hop on your computer for 15 minutes.

~So if you commit to 5 days, writing 2500 words each day, that’s 12,500 a week.  That means I can finish a FIRST draft in about 7-8 weeks.  Not bad huh? 

FIRST DRAFT DEADLINE:  8 weeks.

I give myself 3 weeks for edits usually—1 week to walk away, and 2 weeks to read through it, delete the crap, add in emotions, suspense, action, etc…

Throw in about 7 days that I might play hookie, and I’ve got a book complete in 3 months–and I’m a stickler for it!  My deadline for myself is Sept. 1st, and I’m gonna make it!

You might be saying, “Hey!  I can do that!” 

You might have calculated a different number–maybe it will only take you 2 months to finish, maybe 6 months, or maybe a year.  But you’ve just set your deadline.

Once you have that deadline set, STICK TO IT!  No ifs, ands or buts!  Take the time each day to sit at your computer.  WRITE new words.  WRITE your word count!  I’ve got 3 little kids and a business.  Believe me, I know how hard it is to sit your butt in that chair and write.  But you can make it happen.  My word count happens with the combination fo 2-5 different writing sessions each day.  But when I commit to writing during those sessions, I am writing–not plotting or editing. 

I do my plotting while I clean, cook, shower or workout at the gym.  I even start “writing” scenes in my head sometimes, so when that next writing session comes along, I hit the keyboard with fingers flying. 

I’ve heard from some writers, and sometimes I even do this myself:  when they finish a project and move into editing phase, they also begin writing a new project.  When I write a novella, this is easy for me to do, because a novella I can finish in just a few weeks, but a novel… I need at least a week break before I dive in to the next one.

I want to hear from you!  Do you set deadlines?  Do you stick to them?  How long until you finish your next WIP?  Do you sit down at your computer and write NEW words each day?

CHEERS!  Happy writing, reading and editing!

Eliza

Eliza Knight is the multi-published author of sizzling historical romance and erotic romance. Eliza also writes historical fiction under the name, Michelle Brandon.  While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain, and enjoys cold winter nights when she can curl up in front of a roaring fire with her own knight in shining armor.  Visit Eliza,  www.elizaknight.com ; www.historyundressed.blogspot.com ; www.authormichellebrandon.com

PS.  I’ll be teaching two workshops in September, and there is still time to sign up!

1.  Supermom:  The Art of Juggling Motherhood and a Writing Career: http://fthrw.com/workshops/wkshop_2010_09.php

2.  Edit Your Book in a Month:  http://www.heartsthroughhistory.com/month.htm

Forewarning: This blog has very little to do with writing. In fact, any attempt I make to connect is pretty bad.

Recently, I took a day and played hookie with my sister-in-law — away from work, kids, family — just two women, doing what they wanted to do. We decided on visiting the state capital, wandering at a leisurely pace that wasn’t dependent on toddlers, potty trips or anyone else but us. As we arrived at the capitol building (in Sacramento), I was struck as I am every time about how beautiful it is. And we appreciated the grounds, the beautiful trees, and noticed something odd: Star Wagons. Those trailers that you usually only see in Hollywood were lined up alongside one block of the capital. And as we approached, we noticed big, fat cabling, boxes and lots of interesting things that one wouldn’t expect to see.

As it turned out, that day, the TV show The Mentalist was filming at the capitol.  Now, I’m a big fan of the show to start, so I was excited.  I’ve been to a couple of different film studios before on tours, seen filming, sets, etc — so that wasn’t a surprise.  But what amazed me was discovering that the scene we were seeing shot from was about a 5 second scene, of the characters walking through the rotunda in the middle of the capitol building.  That’s it. Walking.  From one end to another.

And yet, it took hours to accomplish.  From the laying down of cardboard pieces taped together (to minimize sound) to the yards of cable laid, to the cameras, to the crew, to the lighting, to the rehearsals to filming multiple angles, looking for just the right lighting.  We were lucky enough to be able to stay pretty close to where the filming was taking place and spent a lot of time talking to some of the crew members.  I have to add — these folks were some of the friendliest, nicest people I’ve met.   I have no idea who these guys were on the crew, but at different times of the day, they were very busy.  *smile*  And in the times they weren’t, they were friendly and willing to answer questions and chat with us.

It’s really tough to see the pics clearly, so sorry about that.  We only had a camera phone and these folks move fast, so it was like trying to capture a blur.  But the image to the left (lower) is the lead of The Mentalist (Simon Baker) as he waited to retake the scene.

It was fascinating to realize that what ends up as a three-to-five second portion of an entire show can take an entire day to film and get just right.  It’s not so different, really, from what writers do.  Most of good writing is about rewriting, and I think that must apply to filming as well.  So much of what we see of a TV show or movie is about the setup behind the scenes and the relentless drive to make sure the final product is as perfect as it can be.

In any case, it was such fun to gain a different perspective on a show I love, to see a different view of something.  And I’m glad that we scraped our plans for a tour and watched the filming instead — it’s definitely not something you see every day.  We were told by one crew member that scenes from seven different episodes were being shot while the crew was in Sacramento, and it was also suggested that the scene we were seeing would appear in episode one.   But in any case, if you’re a fan of the show, in the upcoming season, if you see Patrick Jane and company walking across the Sacramento state capitol building?  I’m just to the left. Off camera.

So what about you? What’s something unexpected that came out of a day you had planned differently?

It’s been an interesting two weeks. Life sure is different on the other side of the publishing table. While revisions were fairly easy for me (they should have been, I’d been editing the darn book for 12 years!) it’s odd to suddenly have a deadline.

But there’s one thing I didn’t prepare for…reactions from the people I know and love.

Most are truly happy for me. Some cried, some shrieked with glee…others seemed  a little jealous. That I wasn’t expecting. How do you respond to, “Will you remember me now that you’re a famous author?” Well gee…

Some went so far as to ask how much I’d make. A few seemed disappointed I wouldn’t have my books in brick and mortar stores.  I guess you can’t please everyone.

I won’t let them bring me down. I’m still me and I will continue to be. And if I change, each and every one of you have the right to slap me upside the head

~Maggie

Do you know how many keys are on your laptop or computer keyboard?

I do.  My new one has 99 and my old one has 87.  Yes, I counted them.  And no, it wasn’t because I had nothing better to do or was trying out a new procrastination technique.

It has to do with a two-year old, curiousity mixed with a head cold and a forgetful grannie.

Now that I have your attention, I assure you that you need to stop and draw in a breath of air because it is going to whosh out of you when I proceed to the next part.

Grandson in two minutes of unsupervised mayhem tore all 99 keys off my NEW laptop this last week. 

You can breathe again.

My reaction wasn’t quite that tame.  See I run an Amazon Marketplace and synopsisdoctor.com, interact with both my crit groups and my support group, write and edit daily and must have my Facebook fix multiple times every day.  My life centers around my laptop all day long.  In his defense, he was feeling like crap and couldn’t communicate that fact to us and he definitely qualifies as a typical exploring two-year old.  Would have helped if I’d closed the darn lid (*grrrr*).  The convergence of all those factors made for a heart-stopping, Oh-My-God moment.

With a new work in progress, an edit in progress, book inventory in progress, launching my new synopsisdoctor.com in progress, suddenly being without my laptop was a killer.  I could go into sobbing detail about organizing all the keyboard parts and how much like a puzzle that is.  I could lament that I have to go find a screwdriver to pop these darn frigging keys off and he did it with stubby little kid fingers.  I could complain about the 23 broken plastic hinges that have to be replaced or the fact that I discovered my glasses don’t work nearly as well as I thought.  I could even complain about the two week wait time while repair parts come in.  But I won’t.

Because the real problem was  my fault.

I hadn’t backed up my work in ages.

We tend to think of our computers as indescructable and yet we know they are not.  I’m betting you’re like me and have a redundant backup plan for all your work – multiple places to store, print and save, and download.  And yet I hadn’t done it. 

It wasn’t THAT detrimental this time.  I just had to figure out how to balance my fingers on those little pads underneath, and oh yeah, remember which key was which to get myself into my files and email the critical ones to myself for access on my old laptop (which coincidentally is missing 3 keys for the same reason – yes, I’m a slow learner.)  Overall, it was just a couple days of downtime to get myself reorganized so my work life could continue.

Don’t let that be you.  STOP right now and go back up your work by whatever method you so choose.

That is all for today.  Must go now and  figure out why my glasses don’t work.

1.  Symbolism

Something important is going to happen in your plot.  You already know it.  But the reader doesn’t.  You may want it that way.  But equally well, you may prefer to whet the reader’s appetite, to heighten the anticipation, to quicken the pace.

One way of achieving it, is to say it straight:

Had she known what Ben was intending, she would never have agreed to go out with him in the first place.

“Make it simple”, isn’t it the first thing they teach us at Creative Writing 101?  And most of the time, they have a point.  If you want to say something, say it straight.  Nevertheless, if you’re writing a more literary piece, you might prefer to employ a more subtle technique: symbolism.  Symbolism works because, if applied correctly, it can change the readers’ mood without their even realising it.

Just think back to DH Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers. The author chose to foretell the protagonist’s mood and fate using an ash-tree in the garden. His father’s drunken rages are “droned in a piercing medley of shrieks and cries from the great, windswept ash-tree”. The tree would be foreboding when Paul was afraid to go home and “a friend” when he came home from work after an exhausting journey. On a perfect morning, green fruits of the ash-tree would “twinkle gaily down on a little breeze”.

Nature is a perfect source of symbolism. Also in Sons and Lovers, timid Miriam hates the party and is subsequently surrounded by sheaves of shut-up crocuses. She loves Paul, and so it’s not surprising that: “… one rift of rich gold in that colourless grey evening seemed to make him stand out….” She is afraid of life, love and sex; and DH Lawrence illustrates it beautifully in a scene where Miriam is too afraid to allow birds peck grain from her hand. Symbolism is a versatile technique.  Not only does it alert that something is about to happen without giving the game away, it can also make a point.

Original metaphors, personification, even colour, are all powerful tools when constructing symbolism. Action can also be symbolic: if a married woman suddenly changes the way she dresses or cuts her long hair, we know something is afoot.

Symbolism works because life is full of it: sunny beaches imply holidays, muscles strength and health, white coats in TV adverts inspire confidence, while a clean toilet is a mark of a good housewife. Just try to think in images about the emotions you want to put to paper, and watch the magic!

2.  Umberto Eco’s Intertextuality

This technique involves “choosing ingredients that are tried and tested, which provoke in the reader a sort of intense emotion accompanied by the vague feeling of déjà vu that everybody yearns to see again”.  Umberto Eco postulates that intertextuality may be responsible for the success of many cult movies.  Casablanca, for example, employs themes from myth, legend, war and intrigue.  The main protagonist is a melange of heroes: tough guy, successful businessman, adventurer, incurable romantic, damaged lover. Star Wars is built on a classic hero challenge: “Your father was a great Jedi, Luke. You, too must learn the ways of the Force.” There are forces of dark and evil, a master, a leap of Faith (“Trust the Force, Luke”). And at the end, the student becomes teacher.

This does not mean that we should plagiarise or churn out clichés.  But we should be aware of the motifs that have the power to enthral, and we should use them in our own work.

3.  Integration

Select themes and settings that are uniquely suited to your plot as well as your characters. Wuthering Heights is the perfect example of how brooding moors can affect dark passions, and the surrounding wilderness is mirrored in Heathcliff’s temper. The Prince of Tides relies on a complex code of ethics and personality of the Bible Belt to carry off its plot. The Witching Hour takes place in New Orleans, the city of voodoo and passion.

4.  Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is the difference between feeling surprised and feeling cheated. Coincidences happen in real life all the time, true, but to employ them in writing is considered a cop-out.  Nowhere is this more obvious than in detective novels: the murderer cannot turn out to be the protagonist’s twin brother, conveniently introduced in the last chapter.

A perfectly normal person cannot suddenly go insane. A gun introduced in the first chapter must be fired in the last. So stick to the rules and fulfil the unwritten contract between you and your reader. 

Foreshadowing inserts a ‘plant’, a seemingly meaningless phrase or description whose significance is only appreciated in retrospect. One of Agatha Christie’s novels is narrated by the killer, although we only discover that in the second last chapter. We don’t feel cheated, however, as she gave us plenty of hints, e.g., “I did what little had to be done,” – at the time, we think the narrator is trying to revive the murder victim, but in retrospect, we know he’s covering up his tracks. In Jesus of Montreal, it’s the title that foreshadows the plot, so we are not surprised when in the end the protagonist’s organs give people life and sight.