ducks . . . redux

They are slimmer and trimmer ducks now. They have a new (I would not necessarily use the word, improved, but at least editorially mandated) back story which one (that would be me) hopes makes the editorial mandator happy.

She cheered them on. And after an all night session of duck regimentation (which I am getting too old for) she sent me a lovely hot cup of cyber- tea. I enjoyed it immensely -- almost as much as I enjoy a real one.

And now, thanks to other joys of cyberspace, Spence and Sadie are already across the pond and printed out and waiting for her to read them. How are they? I have no idea.

I have no perspective on them anymore. When you change an element of backstory, you basically change someone's whole life. The events may stay the same, but the reasons for them are different. The characters reactions are different. They make different choices. They get different outcomes.

It frankly wouldn't have surprised me if Spence and Sadie had taken one look at their altered back story and decided they didn't suit. He might have said, "I'd rather join a monastery given what I know now." And she might well have said, "Who's that guy I dated last year trying to forget you? I think he'll do after all." (I have the strangest feeling that there is a guy like that somewhere in the new chapter one. If there is, I'll have to go check and make sure I get rid of him, because one thing I'm sure of is that he never appeared again.)

Characters in books are rather like children. They're yours. You raise them until they're five. You civilize them a bit. And then you send them off to school and all of a sudden there's a new influence in their lives.

They have teachers with different expectations than yours. And teachers must be pleased. The comparison stops there, of course. Because with kids, they are the ones who have to do the changing and fitting in with new expectations. And with characters, sadly, the author is still responsible for their behavior.

So I hope Spence and Sadie are living up to expectations. I hope I remembered to get rid of the other boyfriend. We'll see.

In the meantime, the ducks are flying south.