All Comments on 'Life Less Lived Ch. 08'

Lol

This is a romantic/drama novel, segregated off from other genres under Novels and Novellas, and written in 14 parts. I have been trying to finish this story since I started it in late 1991, early 1992. I dropped it for many years and started writing it again from scratch in 2010, came close to publishing it in 2015 and 2017 and finally grasped the nettle of publishing it in its 14 chapters, while still tackling writing chapters 13 and 14 which had always defeated me. By publishing before complete, it gave me up to 10 days to bite the bullet and complete the blessed thing, which I have.

A short story may just one thread, a novella, maybe 3 or 4, this has 6 threads and, a challenge for a male writer, the threads are all navigated by strong female characters. I know, an impossible task bound to fail, but hey, safe predictable stories give little and get back less, so to risk all could be worth it.

A novel gives opportunities to flesh out characters, one of whom is Daniel, deliberately left as the main male lead but also a closed book to us and possibly a deceitful one, but we are all bright enough here to recognise red herrings when presented, but isn’t this one of the requirements of a multi-thread novel?

By contrasting Marina's anonymous life in the city, with Daniel's full and responsible life in the country, helps move on the narrative between the two; the talk about Daniel's courtship and background of his wife shows more of Daniel's apparent innocent attractiveness to women and this unforeseen marriage proposal to Marina highlights his vulnerability when it comes to the only two women he professes to have loved.

In Chapter 9, much of the drama which has dictated Marina's life thus far is put in perspective and the drama to come is about to be triggered by Daniel and Marina's next actions.

All very complicated, but I like to regard the content as "rich". But if your preference is short and sharp, hey, there's plenty of one trick ponies to read instead.

But I am confused. Is Dan also with the reporter or is there another character that I have lost track of? I look forward to the next chapter. Thanks.

There are 6 threads and the Jessica thread is quite obviously a red herring, with a good number of coincidences (someone at home, lingering finished relationship, "Sweatheart” endearments, timings of meetings etc) which add a little confusion, which amused me to put it in there, but there are little clues of divulgence that would have led a careful reader to be increasingly aware that her relationship with the so far unnamed lover is pretty well limited to only one possible character who has already been mentioned. More divulgences emerge until revealed around chapter 12, I think.