A number of readers have commented on the detail that I have used in describing the environment and history in detail. My purpose in doing so is to set the various different scenes and make them more real. They also describe how Charlie has been inspired by Scott's interest and is given the incentive to study.
i have been pleasantly surprised by how many of you actually follow my historical descriptions and have written to say how interesting they find them. I'm pleased that the features mentioned arouse your interest as well as that of Scott and cCharlie.
There is no need for readers to taking in the minutia that I detail but I do try to bring the places alive by most of my references which I hope are quite accurate.
Just as Scott and Charlie show are not interested in football, I don't expect many of you to be turned on by history, so please don't hesitate in skipping anything that you feel is boring. My yarn is meant to be fun to read, not a drag.
updated...27.01.12 - 08.00
my interest is in writing about the reactions of the various characters to differing circumstances. Setting the scene in chapters 1-3 leaves little room for direct interaction and direct speech so as far as I am concerned the meat of the story does not yet start.
I'm trying to set the scene and introduce the two main characters so we'll know more about them as they conduct the plot.
I'm not good at writing action stories and this one, by necessity, has quite a bit hence no scope for scoring yet
Feel free to submit your points but the reader who is very interested in whether the watcher has a stable enough platform in a dead calm sea to take photo's must just bear with my licence.
I Could have described the glassy surface of the water but what the hell! I didn't and lots of you would have thought i was trying to emulate Conrad (very badly).