Okay – as I mentioned here – I’m rereading I See Me, Oracle 1 in preparation for writing Oracle 2. I’ve written and released Dowser 4 as well as written Dowser 5 since having Rochelle and Beau in my head, so I wanted to acquaint myself with their voices before really digging into the next book (though I already know the plot, the players, and the locations). I’m going to pin this post for awhile and link all the read-a-long posts at the bottom for easier navigation. Please feel free to comment, ask questions, discuss things with each other, etc. below.
*SPOILERS* *SPOILERS* *SPOILERS* *SPOILERS* *SPOILERS* *SPOILERS*
I See Me (Oracle 1) is an origin story. I adore writing origin stories. But it’s also a love story. The scene where Rochelle and Beau first meet haunted me for over a year before I gave in and wrote their story. I’d taken a lot of notes and sketched out a few scenes, but it wasn’t until I was halfway through the first draft of Dowser 4 that I See Me demanded to be written, needed to be written then – for timeline reasons – so I set Dowser 4 aside and devoted a few months to R&B. So … an Origin story. I loved the idea of an adept growing up not know anything about magic – how would that be possible? Under what circumstances? What would the ‘human’ world think magic was? Who would be the first to understand/find/interact with that person? And … a pure romance. Under what circumstances could two people come together and bond so completely that they began to believe in ‘true love’ and ‘love at first sight’? Ideas that almost anyone who hasn’t experienced the phenomena sneers at these days. Anyway, more on that later. 
CHAPTER ONE – thoughts/notes/quotes: Opening line: I wanted the book to immediately begin with a hint of the conflict to come. In the first draft of I See Me every chapter began with dialogue, each scene opened somewhere in the middle of the action to continually drive the plot and story forward. In later drafts I tweaked that setup somewhat for clarity and grounding (adding setting, etc, upfront). I worried about the possible slow start and build of this book for readers who were coming into this universe for the first time through this book (and didn’t understand that magic was at play). But I hoped that readers of the Dowser Series would figure out pretty quickly who the ‘bad guys’ were and be intrigued by their interaction with Rochelle in these early chapters. Notes
- Colours, shades of grey, and black/white. Rochelle views the world in a VERY specific way – for her almost everything is perceived as some shade of grey. It’s important to note what she sees in colour, and what she renders in B&W.
- Names: only people of some importance have actual names. This is another way Rochelle keeps herself distanced from people.
Favourite Quotes
Other people wanted to be haunted by my imaginary friends so much that they willing paid hundreds of dollars per sketch. My shrink would point that out as a silver-lining, but I’d prefer working at McDonald’s over delusions, any day. – I See Me (Oracle 1), Chapter One Today was my birthday. Today I would be free … well, as free as my mind would let me be. If I could just render the shading of the blade’s edge perfectly. – I See Me (Oracle 1), Chapter One
I See Me (Oracle 1) read-a-long
Chapter One (above)
What were your thoughts, comments, and/or questions on Chapter One?
I read the Dowser series first and just started I See Me last week. I have to admit that the first pages of Chapter 1 seemed to drag on and didn’t really pique my interest much.
However, once I got to my favorite quote from Chapter 1, the story started becoming more intriguing to me and thoughts started to sprout in the back of my mind as to how/why/ where this story would weave it’s way through to books I’ve already read.
My favorite quote from Chapter 1 is definitely: “Today, the man’s hair gleamed with the moonlit inky blackness that surrounded him. He was standing by a pile of stones, or maybe a stone wall? He wasn’t ugly, nor did I think he was evil, but he was blackness. Could I call a figment of my imagination evil?” I love the inference of evil and blackness and the unknown. I was suddenly hooked to the story and wondering who the man was? Was he a character from the Dowser series? A new form of evil? Was he really evil at all or something else entirely? Suspense of the unknown really jumped out at me here…. which I think is heightened by the rather down trodden and tragic life so far of Rochelle.
I almost highlighted that quote myself today! I won’t comment further because I don’t know how far you’ve read 🙂
It’s good to know for certain that Rochelle sees mainly in B&W. When I first read the book, I kinda guessed that she did, but then there was enough reference to color that I was left wondering the whole time. Having that tidbit opens the door to further wonderings and deeper understandings of the who’s and why’s around where she does see color and what not.
“I was shaking, clinging to the bar like the lifeline it was so that I wouldn’t collapse to the floor. So I didn’t show my weakness to the press of people around me. So they wouldn’t know how broken I was. How utterly broken.”
This was my first real glimpse into her inner-turmoil, the first real bit that made her a relatable character.
Not to complicate, but In book one Rochelle feels surrounded by shades of gray, with bits of colour coming through … Specifically when she is seeing magic (but doesn’t know she is). However, note that the Brave is FULL of colour. As is Beau.
She can see colour, of course, but it most of her life – pre Beau – is gray. She herself makes note of this on the bus in Portland.
She translates the hallucinations in B&W as a way of claiming them, but also inspired by Blackwell himself. Same with the tattoos, of course.
I don’t think this will be so marked in book two, BTW, which is set more than a year after book one.
I think this bit is actually what led to the confusion in the first place. And then I must’ve missed the self-revelation, or just didn’t comprehend it as thoroughly as I should have.
Also, with the tattoos – they seem important, but I don’t recall any mention/depth after the first handful of chapters. And even then Rochelle never talked about them, or never wanted to. Will there be any insight on them in the future? Why the ivy on the one arm, and wire on the other? What significance do the objects play, and why are some pierced and other not? etc…
I wouldn’t say you missed anything. My notes are just that, my insight to a character who’s voice I’m about to delve into again. Re: Tattoos. Note later where Beau and Rochelle are talking while he’s driving the Brave. So, yes. Without giving you any spoilers Dowser 5 and Oracle 2 will add some enlightenment in that regard.
Oh, I love that bit you quoted. Rochelle may not be a superhero but she is insanely brave and resilient.
sometimes just being brave and/or resilient is enough to be a superhero, if only to one person. 🙂