AQATSA: Canon is what I say it is
Sep. 2nd, 2011 11:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
inverarityIt's funny how when I'm writing the first draft, I feel like I've hit another milestone each time I add another thousand words to my total, and now that I am in editing, I celebrate each time I reach another thousand words cut. I'm now down to 269,000 words with AQATSA, which means I've cut about 7,000 words from the early first draft. And this isn't by making major revisions; the snippet I posted a few weeks ago is the largest single block of text I have deleted. Mostly it's just been a phrase here, an unnecessary paragraph there, and word-level editing to tighten up sentences.
So, the second draft of chapters 1-13 is 7,000 words lighter than the first, which suggests, if the pattern continues, that I should be able to cut another 15,000 words easily. Which would make the final draft ~254,000 words. Let's see if that prediction is at all accurate. This assumes of course that no major hacking occurs. So far the most major structural revision I have made is moving a couple of scenes to an earlier chapter.
My betas are both rereading the entire series, which is a good thing since I haven't done that in too long, and will definitely be doing so before I begin book five. I seem to recall that Rowling once admitted that she had not reread her own books before writing the later ones, which has been the cause of many accusations of plot holes and inconsistencies on her part.
I did so do the research, I just ignored anything I didn't like
If I screw up, I will at least come up with a No Prize explanation, dammit.
Speaking of these, I've been somewhat amused to see the growth of tropes assigned to Hogwarts Houses Divided at its TVTropes page. Particularly the Did Not Do the Research section that suddenly popped up.
Well, I'll admit I didn't double check what color the dots on the Marauder's Map are, and I might have misremembered a glass ceiling in the Slytherin Common Room. (It definitely gets light from the lake, which implies windows; and who's to say they didn't redesign the dungeons?) I think all the other "errors" are actually inferences about which canon is silent, or at best, is ambiguous since it's based on Rowling's interviews (which I treated as canon in HHD only when it suited me). I don't know of any canonical statements that it's impossible for ghosts to move on or for someone to get special dispensation to start Hogwarts early; it just never happens in the books. The stuff about the envenomed Sword of Gryffindor and confiscating wands? Sure, that's one possible interpretation. Mine just happened to be different.
While Alexandra Quick has inspired far more disgruntled nerdrage just for existing than HHD, I think the only arguments I've ever heard concerning AQ outright contradicting canon is some readers who've questioned my use of the Fidelius Charm, and also Ms. Grimm's transformation of Alexandra and Larry into rats in book one. I think the latter is another area where canon is ambiguous: we don't know it's impossible for someone to retain their human thoughts when transformed into an animal (if Animorphmagi remain themselves while transformed, then clearly magic does allow the possibility of a human mind in an animal body). As for the former... well, I took some liberties. Hey, I'll bet Dumbledore or Voldemort could "tweak" the Fidelius Charm to work a little bit differently, so why not Abraham Thorn?
So there. I hereby grant myself a No Prize.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
re:
Date: 2011-09-03 04:04 am (UTC)--wodcdre
no subject
Date: 2011-09-03 04:58 am (UTC)But, in all fairness, I tend not to put store in the Potterverse knowledge of someone doesn't correctly capitalise/punctuate 'Muggle-born'. I read through the DNDRs, and there are very few of them that actually have canon fact to the contrary, so your suppositions aren't wrong, exactly.
And yes to re-reading stories for continuity. I was trolling my author page earlier today and came across a half-dozen stories that I wrote and couldn't remember what they were about from the title. I can only imagine the details to be forgotten in a continuous series.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-03 05:06 am (UTC)The Fidelius Charm is a complex and powerful Charm that takes a specific piece of information (the secret) and implants it into a being's soul. The one whose soul houses the secret is known as the Secret-Keeper. (HP Wiki).
Regardless, there's no reason that a no-prize should be given for THAT one, since canonically there's nothing inconsistent about it. As for people who just rage against an American Magical World--screw them. I mean, really, what the hell? Why the rage, people? jeez.
~DarkSov
no subject
Date: 2011-09-03 01:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-03 06:26 am (UTC)The Fidelius Charm
Date: 2011-09-03 01:08 pm (UTC)Which to me is another example of "Rowling didn't say it could work like that, but she didn't say it couldn't..."
Re: The Fidelius Charm
Date: 2011-09-03 02:39 pm (UTC)(b) I think that was ingenious, in the same way as Dumbledore hiding the Philosopher's Stone inside the mirror was ingenious. The cool thing is, Alexandra can't reveal any of the identities because she doesn't know them. The dangerous thing is, if she becomes aware of the identity of anyone in the Thorn Circle, she is the only one in the world who can share that information with anyone. Thus the constant check-ups by Diana Grimm.
I don't see any contradiction of canon.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-03 03:29 pm (UTC)As for AQ and the Fidelius Charm...while you might not have contradicted the letter of the text, I'd say you did contradict its spirit. I think it's implausible that you can have a secret sealed inside you when you don't even know what that secret is.
IMO, more important is the whole "if you die, the secret dies with you" thing. If it was really that easy to permanently hide something, every dark wizard with a wand and a brain would find some random Muggle, Fidelius them, then kill them. Hell, if Voldemort had done that for his Horcruxes, he would've won.
The Fidelius
Date: 2011-09-03 04:23 pm (UTC)I mean in HP Bellatrix and Narcissa forget about Grimmauld place when the charm is performed so wouldn't members of the circle forget that that fact once it was concealed. I love the series and am not trying to nitpick it was just a random thought that passed through my head if this was covered somewhere I am sorry.
Re: The Fidelius
Date: 2011-09-03 04:26 pm (UTC)I had Ben Journey remembering that he is a member of the Circle, but unable to tell anyone else until Alexandra identified him.
Re: The Fidelius
Date: 2011-09-03 05:12 pm (UTC)Re: The Fidelius
Date: 2011-09-06 01:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-05 09:17 pm (UTC)When is AQ set? If Alex was born in 1996, when the old rule applied, you are compliant. Otherwise, you will have to add a chapter to the back-story where the American Wizarding Congress was so busy with Thorn's attrocities, that the rule change was held up in comite.
Interviewistas will continue to hate HhD whatever you do. "Dumbledore made the rule change, therefore it applies to the whole World and Space and time." In vain you will plead "Thorn used a dark forbidden version of the Fidelius from ancient times."
Of course the practical problem with castig that spell is it stops Abe recruiting new members and sics him with an "Only two sith" rule from Star Wars prequel.
I transferred the natter to the discussion page for now; it might belong on the YMMV page.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-05 09:32 pm (UTC)Or set it in the present: the British Ministry has unearthed Dumbledore's last testament which demands that America adopt the new wand rules. It is held up in comite because eertone is too busy with Thorn's attrocities. Chang talks with another Senator and mentions LAST Time.