Cause and Effects
Sometimes I look back over my method of writing and notice things that I do unconsciously in my stories. Sometimes those are good things, sometimes they're patterns I need to break out of. But today I was thinking about The Keeper, and the similarities it has to my other fantasy novels.
There are blunders that the characters make, and plot twists, of course, that occur because of those mistakes. In this day and age, one might wonder why anyone would do something so stupid, even though these mistakes make the story more exciting. I don't always plan these events but they arise from perfectly genuine errors. One of the natural causes of these missteps stems from miscommunications.
Today, in our world, we are a phone call away; a ham radio, a text, or a chat that would prevent a lack of communication. But in the world I've created for the Cho Nisi residents, the people are miles apart. Even if they had carrier pigeons, the birds would do little good to help them. Homing pigeons would fly a message from one place to another, each place having been their home at some point in their lives. A carrier pigeon would do no good if the recipient was riding horseback across the mountain or on high waters at sea.
A human messenger could be used, but if he was on foot or on a horse, in an emergency he very well may deliver his missive too late.
No. Whoever needed help, or saw that action should be directed in a different direction than previously planned, would have to solve the problem on his own. Hence, we have miscommunication, a stumbling block of error, and a perfect setup for a new beat in the story. I love when it happens because it expands the storyline and gives me new options to pursue.
Just a side note on #writing.