It's late Sunday night

[ksmith]

...and once again a few sentences in the old synopsis are giving me fits as I try to translate them into actual book.

Is it possible for politics to get *too* convoluted? Maybe not, but the first few chapters of this thing will need some extensive rewriting.

And one gov't ignoring recent past history as they muddle their way into another gov't's revolution isn't completely unheard of, is it?

Comments

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I enjoy writing about all the political machinations. But when I first sit down and really start figuring out who's on which side and what does so-and-so really want...I have to come up for air once in a while to keep from confusing myself completely.

[karentraviss.livejournal.com]

One thing to keep in mind about politicians is how much they don't plan. Cock-up over conspiracy every time. They'll lie like a hairy egg to get off the hook, but very, very few are competent enough to be wholly Machiavellian. They can manage chunks of it but usually not big schemes, so they lurch between plan and reactive panic.

Trust me. I was a spindoc. Would I lie to you?

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

One thing to keep in mind about politicians is how much they don't plan. Cock-up over conspiracy every time. They'll lie like a hairy egg to get off the hook, but very, very few are competent enough to be wholly Machiavellian. They can manage chunks of it but usually not big schemes, so they lurch between plan and reactive panic.

I remember a similar cock-up line from a John le Carre/David Cornwell (Cornwall?) interview. Makes everyone on the pointy end of the stick feel quite secure, I'm sure.

I think I can explain this by the fact that even though folks are machinating all over the place, some get killed, others get found out, and things are rapidly going to hell in a handcar.

Machivellian plots, like combat plans, only hang together until first contact with the enemy.

Trust me. I was a spindoc. Would I lie to you?

Hmmmmmmm...