Frustrated by my crappy dialogue efforts in chapter 6, today I skipped ahead a few chapters to write a different scene. The writing went well and I completed 500 words, but as I wrote more and more I realize that the scene was highly dependent on Van and Hitomi's relationship and how it developed during the intervening chapters. I mean, I wrote it based on their relationship as I think how it should have progressed to by that point, but as to whether or not they decided to get there or to another direction entirely is dependent on their interactions with each other up to that point, and by chapter 6 they haven't yet made those decisions or even knew these things are coming!
Earlier when I was considering if I should skip ahead, I did think about this possibility. But I was--and am still--unsure if this is A Bad Thing because I am making tons of assumptions about the characters, and the round peg characters will be totally incompatible with the square hole scene. Or if this is A Good Thing since I'll have an idea that the characters should become square pegs and in the intervening chapters they need to do x and y to get there.
What I do know is that I need to keep writing. Not to allow myself an excuse to shrink away from difficult writing situations, but I think at least at this point in writing DS, I should commit any possible scenes and ideas down on paper so they are all there, and then when I have more content I will be able to convert and rewrite to make an actual story.
Well, that's the plan so far, anyway.
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
On. A. Roll.
With a glass of Negroni by my side the evening pile of work seemed to go fast. I am two-thirds through chapter 6 first draft, found my missing Esca drawings on a harddrive, updated my fanfiction.net profile (last updated in 2008!), uploaded a "bookcover" image for DS (this is a great new feature), signed up for beta-reading on ff, updated my character sheets and notes in Scrivner (still have 6 more handwritten notebooks to convert), and synced Scrivner with SimpleNote.
Speaking of SimpleNote, I haven't used it in a while and I logged into this note:
2012: Be Awesome!
1. menigioma protocol
2. triathlon
3. gym 4x/wk
4. finish Deeper than the Sky
5. plan events
6. homecooked meals gourmet style
7. 115lbs
I did not accomplish a single thing on that list.
It doesn't mean that 2014 won't be awesome though.
I read through the first 5 chapters of DS that were released, and damn, was the writing terrible. I had to skim through some passages, I didn't really want to read them. Ah well, the only way to get better at writing is to write.
The storyline and ideas are fine, though, and I found a few interesting details I had forgotten that I put into my notes so I'd remember those little bits later. I didn't realize I had so much backstory about Escaflowne and the start of Fanelia, and I'm sure there are tons and tons of backstories in those handwritten notebooks. I think I even sketched some maps and clothing styles.
I really want to finish ch6 and also a much later chapter that I finally solved the puzzle of presenting the story, but sadly, it is way past bedtime and I should really head to bed.
Speaking of SimpleNote, I haven't used it in a while and I logged into this note:
2012: Be Awesome!
1. menigioma protocol
2. triathlon
3. gym 4x/wk
4. finish Deeper than the Sky
5. plan events
6. homecooked meals gourmet style
7. 115lbs
I did not accomplish a single thing on that list.
It doesn't mean that 2014 won't be awesome though.
I read through the first 5 chapters of DS that were released, and damn, was the writing terrible. I had to skim through some passages, I didn't really want to read them. Ah well, the only way to get better at writing is to write.
The storyline and ideas are fine, though, and I found a few interesting details I had forgotten that I put into my notes so I'd remember those little bits later. I didn't realize I had so much backstory about Escaflowne and the start of Fanelia, and I'm sure there are tons and tons of backstories in those handwritten notebooks. I think I even sketched some maps and clothing styles.
I really want to finish ch6 and also a much later chapter that I finally solved the puzzle of presenting the story, but sadly, it is way past bedtime and I should really head to bed.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Working on Chapter 6
After putzing around on the storyline, I finally have some real content that I want to write. I am pretty excited since this fanfic is never far from my mind all these years--mostly feeling guilty about not finishing the story.
In the intervening years though, I've entered my 30s, and I hope that I will still be able to write from the perspective of 25 year old Hitomi and Van.
Some house cleaning stuff:
- will need to update this website, not sure if I still have the main graphic anymore
- re-read the first 5 chapters
- clean up my notes from these years
- read the Compendium again for facts, although I don't think I'll need to re-watch the series since 1) it will take time, 2) I'll be too tempted to do a bunch of other things that are not writing, 3) I probably still have so much of it committed to memory since I am a ridiculous fanatic.
I've started on chapter 6 though it will take another few hours of work to finish the first draft. I think this time I'll attempt to write the story and then do the editing separately, to try to preserve the inertia of committing the story down to paper. Let's see how it goes!
In the intervening years though, I've entered my 30s, and I hope that I will still be able to write from the perspective of 25 year old Hitomi and Van.
Some house cleaning stuff:
- will need to update this website, not sure if I still have the main graphic anymore
- re-read the first 5 chapters
- clean up my notes from these years
- read the Compendium again for facts, although I don't think I'll need to re-watch the series since 1) it will take time, 2) I'll be too tempted to do a bunch of other things that are not writing, 3) I probably still have so much of it committed to memory since I am a ridiculous fanatic.
I've started on chapter 6 though it will take another few hours of work to finish the first draft. I think this time I'll attempt to write the story and then do the editing separately, to try to preserve the inertia of committing the story down to paper. Let's see how it goes!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Hello Again 2
Is it weird that although I've away so long, rarely a week goes by when I don't think about the unfinished story?
But this summer and fall I've been better about actual work on the story. I think I just needed to practice? The story is much tighter and better for all this time away; I just wish it hadn't taken me so long! But I'm prepping to try NaNoWriMo for the first time, and I am pretty excited to write actual story again. The 50k words that come out may not be good, but at least it's a second start. It is definitely my goal to finish DS.
I'll also be updating this blog, probably ramble on about the characters like I used to. It's like I should have written an Escaflowne dissertation or something.
Today I was GISing for "Fanelian sword screenshots" and realized that out of the handful of returns, almost all of those pictures are from this blog. Kind of weird...
In preparation for the month of writing, here are two lists that the NaNoWriMo people recommended I make:
1) What makes a good novel to me?
- believable characters
- detailed, accurate setting
- quick succession of crisis buildup
- happy endings
- unexpected romance
- sympathetic character flaws
- lots of character development
- little details in the story that turn out to be important
- magic
- brilliant prose
- food
2) Things that bore me or depress me in novels?
- malicious evil characters without motivation or redeeming qualities
- modern prose style that is obtuse
- unreasonably dramatic conflict between characters (esp when they can just communicate to resolve misunderstanding...)
- weighty moral themes
- feeling of author purposefully jerking my emotions around
- lots of poetry
- main characters who are too good
- conversations that are too witty, esp romantic banter
- psychological horror
Since my old friend Sapphirefly posted a photo of herself (and also a book! I think part of the impetus is that!), here is a photo of me. I'd say it's a fairly accurate portrait :)
But this summer and fall I've been better about actual work on the story. I think I just needed to practice? The story is much tighter and better for all this time away; I just wish it hadn't taken me so long! But I'm prepping to try NaNoWriMo for the first time, and I am pretty excited to write actual story again. The 50k words that come out may not be good, but at least it's a second start. It is definitely my goal to finish DS.
I'll also be updating this blog, probably ramble on about the characters like I used to. It's like I should have written an Escaflowne dissertation or something.
Today I was GISing for "Fanelian sword screenshots" and realized that out of the handful of returns, almost all of those pictures are from this blog. Kind of weird...
In preparation for the month of writing, here are two lists that the NaNoWriMo people recommended I make:
1) What makes a good novel to me?
- believable characters
- detailed, accurate setting
- quick succession of crisis buildup
- happy endings
- unexpected romance
- sympathetic character flaws
- lots of character development
- little details in the story that turn out to be important
- magic
- brilliant prose
- food
2) Things that bore me or depress me in novels?
- malicious evil characters without motivation or redeeming qualities
- modern prose style that is obtuse
- unreasonably dramatic conflict between characters (esp when they can just communicate to resolve misunderstanding...)
- weighty moral themes
- feeling of author purposefully jerking my emotions around
- lots of poetry
- main characters who are too good
- conversations that are too witty, esp romantic banter
- psychological horror
Since my old friend Sapphirefly posted a photo of herself (and also a book! I think part of the impetus is that!), here is a photo of me. I'd say it's a fairly accurate portrait :)
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