Revision Pains Etc

I have been revising Dark Falcon for the past week or so. I'm overwhelmed now. I really, really want to finish this revision by the end of the month. That was going pretty well, but the past couple days have been gunk. Maybe it's allergies... but my head just won't work. Not the best time to edit, you know?

I'm optimistic about Dark Falcon, but I need a beta reader. Trouble is, I'm not actually sure how to get my manuscript off my internet-less Windows 98 and onto this one (a Vista).

I've also been writing a short story I've tentatively entitled "The Goblin Queen". It's my own take on goblins, Faye, and Otherworld, so that's always fun.

My interest in Twitter has been revived as I now have more opportunities to sneak on.

I'm not really big on writing scripts, but I may collab with my brother again for ScriptFrenzy. He gets to mess with the formatting that way.

My 18th birthday is coming up (yay!) This may sound weird, but I want to head out to the zoo and practice my photography for the occasion.

:D SD

P.S. I have discovered I am a geek: This summer's superhero movie lineup has me freaking out. ...And Cowboys & Aliens.

Finished Draft Woes and Longhand Binges

So I finished Dark Falcon with I think it was 73K. Have read through it a couple times since November. There are a few issues. It needs expansion in some places, and a lot of (rather difficult) research in others. Somewhat overwhelming amount of supporting characters. Can't think of any major revisions to the story though, and it's been bugging me whether or not that's a good thing. I spent so much time planning the story out in September and October, that I may have actually gotten it right in November.

Of course, I hope this isn't the wrong intuition.

While I work out this small conundrum, I have been writing another story (August 16th) longhand. It's made great progress, but I'm still sorting through any multitude of options for the story. (I always hated Choose Your Own Adventure stories. There would be pages I just could never find. Not that this story is one. Just feels that way.) Spent all of the last three days working on it.

Have to say, because I'm writing in time-coded sections, writing longhand has been easier for August 16th. I did once have this crazy idea about making it anchronological, a whim since abandoned.

Hope everyone is having a great 2011, and does anyone else find some stories just flow better in longhand?

:D

Researching for Nanowrimo

How tall would a wall have to be to break Humpty-Dumpty?

It's not easy. You've got to sit down an think about all the vague exploits and hijinks that will happen, character details that you often forget to pay attention to, and all the while, you're sure that there's something that you haven't remembered.

Wikipedia's always a good place to start, but it's not a story-solver. After that, there's the Reference Desk on the Nano forums. People are more than willing to share their wisdom. Only problem is pretty much every other person on Nanowrimo is asking questions too. At that point, you might try wading through the different forum posts, which very often does turn up useful information.

Of course, if you've some VERY specific inquiries to make, you have to take on the Google beast or the labyrinth of your library. This is not for the faint of heart. In 2008, I was writing about a woman who had sustained a severe traumatic brain injury. I wanted to know what her chances of recovery were from different specific scenarios. It wasn't easy. A lot of the information I needed was locked away on websites that required $800+ dollars a year for access to their articles. So I spent the first half of October piecing together the information for myself using diagrams of brains and TBI patient resource sites.

You can make an inquiry with a specialist, or perhaps someone on Nano, but usually you're in a hurry. Come November, you realize what it was you really needed to research back in October. You're falling behind on word count, and no one's answering your Reference Desk post. None of scientific/medical lingo really makes any sense to your literary mind anyway.

In the end, you might even find you wind up leaving this information out all together. Your story might no longer make sense, but that's what revision's for, right?

Of course, when you do get the information you need, it can put your story together or break it to pieces. But even then, it's hard to be completely sure your story is believable.

It must have been a writer deluged in this sort of exhaustive research who first said: "Write what you know."

Not that, I think, anyone ever takes this advice for more than five minutes together.

Nano!

So Nanowrimo's around the corner again. I've been doing quite a bit of planning. I now have my own (albeit Jurassic) computer to work on. Yay! There's a tiny snare this year. That's that we're moving. I'm keeping myself convinced that it's no big deal (Denial is a powerful thing). My sister's even signed up to do it with me this year. That's kind of cool. She's writing a mystery-suspense, think.

I'm writing urban fantasy-- but it's superheroes! I've decided to call it Dark Falcon.

I've a synopsis posted here http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/209666

And here's a better view of my book cover

(kind of an awesome winged ninja) :D

So for the next few weeks I'll be haunting my Twitter and Nano forums.

How's everyone else doing this pre-Nano season?

A Melodramatic, Exaggerated Breakdown

I love irony. I really do. I try to put it in my stories, I look for it in movies, news, life,etc.

Sometimes irony is just plain frustrating.

You see, whenever my mother tells someone that I write, she nearly always adds that I'm too shy to let anyone see my work.

I then reply it's not ready. I'd b willing to show off a polished manuscript, but I've yet to get there.

However, I have semi-polished several chapters of The Restored. I need my mother's input, as the library critique group is not meeting as the library caved in last year. So I asked her to read a few chapters. When she didn't have time for that, I tired discussing some issues I was having with her, but she wasn't listening to me.

Frankly, I'm frustrated and concerned. I mean, how much do they really believe in me? They think I'm too shy to have life, I guess. I know I can write stories. But just because I'm not sending out my rough-hewn, unfinished manuscripts to be deleted by every agent and editor in the hemisphere doesn't mean I don't want to be published!

Write a Book, then Write It Again... And Again.

You have a story idea. Maybe something inspires, maybe you had this amazing dream. Maybe you just love a particular concept and have built upon it.

What are you going to do with it?

There are plenty of options. A screenplay, a comic book or strip, poetry, your alter ego, a novel. Maybe even inspiration for a painting. Still, most people do nothing.

Assuming you're a writer too, you went the fiction route (and probably the alter ego).

I believe I first attempted to write a book when I was seven or eight years old. My story wasn't bad in the premise. It reflected my own life, books I'd read, and recent news events.

Unfortunately my effort was abandoned for one major reason: I had no clue how to write. I believed that all paragraphs had to be exactly 4-6 sentences long. And I'd never heard of margins or the fact you could leave off dialogue tags.

When I discovered how to format, maybe a year or two later, my stories finally escaped being mere doodles on notebook paper and became words. (Notebook paper remains my favorite media.)

I won't pretend to have been a prodigy. My first efforts were probably much like everyone's. You should know the problems.

As I wrote my ideas began to develop and became better. They would change so quickly that often I would just have to start the story over. (They were innately long. I still struggle to write short stories. Or just finish a work at all.)

After that, there's actually not a lot. I wrote, and wrote, and wrote, and wrote, and wrote, and wrote. In between, I read mounds of books and drew character art. I never went to a workshop and my only book on writing was my grammar book. Other novels formed my style, etc.

Now, I consider myself born a story-weaver and dreamer, but I only call myself a writer because I've devoted myself to an unknown quantity of fiction. (I've probably passed the Million Words mark).

These past two and a half years, I've learned a lot about maturing my stories from the internet and Nanowrimo. Literary agents, other publishing people, and experienced creative writers have blogs that all have given me advice I desperately needed.

What remains is to create a polished manuscript and eventually find someone willing to publish it.

So how about you? Where have you come from as a writer?

P.S. This is my first attempt at this kind of writing post. Please feel free to give advice on where I have failed.

Thanks to Write a Better Novel for inspiring this post.

Busted

I did in fact manage to finish Nanowrimo just over 50K (yay me!). Since then however I have been experiencing several issues with my right wrist, namely it's more or less strained/busted. Therefore, I have strict (and, unfortunately, well-founded) instructions from my mother to write or draw, at least with that hand. I'm slightly ambidextrous, but I write so much more slowly with my left hand that it's never more than a page or two a day. Sigh. I did make a photo-manipulation for my other blog inspired by a story I can't really work on right now. And I have such great new ideas! I'm writing those down though. Hopefully, my wrist won't be strained like this come Christmas. I was hoping for some fancy pens and ink. Maybe a journal too :D.

Almost finished with Nanowrimo. I had originally intended to write 75K, and it looked like I would for awhile, but I started to get a little behind, but figured I would be able to make it up later. Then I got sick and couldn't write very much at all for a little while. When I finally did get started again, I knew I wouldn't be able to get the 75K and so started working with the 50K goal. My word padding I built up there went into holidays, and a few days ago, I started having issues with my wrists so that I don't write as fast as I was. Right now, I'm just under 47.5K. I was tempted to just quit, but by then I was over 40K, and that wasn't acceptable. So... given that I don't hit 49,999 words at midnight tomorrow, it's looking like I'm still going to win even though I didn't think I would make it for a couple days there.

It has been different, but I'm glad that I tried and that it's paid off. I'll see you at the finish line? S.D.

I'm Just As Stubborn

I'm sitting here at the computer desk. I've been up three hours and have about three paragraphs to show for it. I'm tired, bored, and uninspired. I know what I want to write in the next chapter, but I've got to get them there first. The writer's block just isn't going away.
Got up to make a new copy and started wondering: Is this story any good? If it is, would anyone ever buy it? I've got other stories I could be working on, so why stick with this series? We both know it'll probably just wind up on a memory stick my sock drawer.

My only answer to this dilemma? I'm passionate. I love these stories and these characters. I can't expect it to be any good on the first try, or even the second. Sure it might be epic fantasy, not very original, and too short; but it's mine. I'll keep writing and resist the urge to open another document. And I just might finish for once.

So I'm still here. And I'm going to get to writing. And I'll pull myself out of this funk I'm stuck in.
Maybe, just maybe, the Chinese chicken leftovers will survive.

See? I'll show the writer's I'm just as mule-headed as it is.
:P S.D.

The other night I couldn't sleep at all. Which is pretty miserable, but it turned out for the better. I was wide awake at 6:00 a.m. and able to get up to write. (I have been sleeping past noon, as my dad works nights so I stay up with my mom.)
But anyway, it's nice to be working on The Restored again. Even more nice is to be able to blog something on here.
I have been working on a faerie story longhand, sacrificing my fountain ink pens for a noble cause. I just about thought I'd fallen in love with the blue one LOL.

Question: Do you like it when there's a prologue setting the story's conflict up, or do you prefer when it's explained later?

Still Learning

Recently, I reread some of my older writings.
In particular, two versions of a story since abandoned and two versions of a story in the making.
And I noticed something: I've gotten better.
My writing has come a very long way in just a few years, which makes me wonder what it will be be like five years from now.

But I did try and decide some things I could specifically improve. That was descriptions and pulling the plot together.
Still... it's nice to know I'm better than I was. I'd hate to be stuck in a rut.

Super Powers

Did I mention I've been writing longhand lately? It's not too much fun (read hand cramps). I was noticing that I seem to revise much better if I've got the first version right next to me and I'm rewriting on a different paper/document.

Haven't been on the pc too much lately (for the same reason I'm writing longhand).

My story is set a few decades into the future (somewhere between 2040 and 2060) and is a spin-off of some superheroes stories I've worked on before (set in present day).
Anyway, the idea is that the superhero organization mentioned in the other stories has collapsed and given rise to new ones. The new ones are corrupt, bureaucratic, and competitive with each other. They also focus more on treaties with equally corrupt governments and political parties than vanquishing villains (that's become a side job). The public's unaware of all this since the media is their pawn.
The protagonist is a teenager whom the dominant organization has labeled a serious threat to themselves; she hides with a small group of supers who've been blackballed as "antiheroes" because of their noncompliance w/ the hero organizations.

That's the set up but I'm not sure beyond that.

Space Trilogy & Current Status

I just finished reading the Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis. I really enjoyed Out of the Silent Planet, and Perelandra was breath-taking and insightful. That Hideous Strength was hard to read and I felt it was something of a departure from the other books. By itself, it was a complex and interesting yarn. The character Ransom was great. In fact the only thing I didn't like about That Hideous Strength was that I kept waiting for Ransom to show up. And when he did, a lot of time was still spent on N.I.C.E. and Mark (by the way, I keep wanting to say N.I.C.E. like the the town in France, not the adjective).

But I started reading the first two over again. I told my brother he should read Out of the Silent Planet, because Ransom reminded me a little of his own character. I don't know if he will though.


I did write down a couple of story ideas I had been pondering. The first one has been in my mind for over a year. It's about a girl who can shape-shift into a dog, and infiltrates a supervillian's home by posing as a pet. The other is a little more recent. It's about a greyscale world where a few precious things are in color. I haven't gotten much farther than that though because my mom wants me to "rejoin" the world or something. If I hadn't gotten the fine off my library card so I could get books, I might have gone insane by now. Reality is too prosaic for me. I kind of feel like Belle in Beauty & the Beast in that way.

And I have to write an end of the year paper for school. I decided to write about C. S. Lewis. I started working on it today, but my brain kept shutting down on me, unfortunately.

After I write this paper, school will be over for me, thank heaven. I'm still sticking to my goal of finishing The Restored by the end of it, even though I haven't done any work on it for nearly two weeks, compliments of my mother. (Yes, I'm venting. There.)

S.D.

Get a Grip

Currently Listening: Crystal Clear by Jaci Velasquez

Since ScriptFrenzy is over and was a success at 101 pages. I'm wanting my Nano but know I have to get The Restored done. At 18,000 words currently and summer ahead, I think I'll be able to do it.
Today I was informed via tweet if I wanted to generate more blog traffic, I must post more. It was one of those Duh! moments, but I really don't have much of interest to talk about.

The one topic I can thinking of (that's not smart quotes vs plain quotes) is character development. I made a lot of progress in that way yesterday. Might as well share some of my revelations.

I was really trying to get a handle on my character Lindsai. Lindsai, I'm thinking, is relying far too much on herself. She thinks she has to be a support for everyone else to the point of neglecting her own feelings and emotions.


My character Brenneth is a cynic. This was quite a shock to me. I hadn't a clue. In fact, he was on the the brink of insubordinance yesterday. Also, not expected. I love it when my characters surprise me though because now he's a much stronger character.


Oh, and I got to introduce my character Emerelda too. Goodness, that girl reminds me of my sister, except her threats aren't empty--they got a pitchfork behind 'em. I was half-afraid she was going to shishkebab Will before the the story was a third way through. I know, however, that it's just a front. Em is half-human, half-woyd. That means the humans are actively seeking to kill her and the Macians shun her. She's not going to be friendly to anyone she suspects might turn her in. Once she trusts Will, she'll improve.


That's about it for me. I must get to the actual writing now,
S.D.

Story Artwork

I love drawing character art for my stories. As of late, I've been drawing the characters for the novel I'm trying to finish, The Restored.

Oh, and I got my mom signed up and on deviantArt, so if you're on there, go look up M2S4J2.

Art for my Characters:

Lindsaille

Will




Bhari



Emerelda



Cherapha

I had best get to writing now :D Catch Ya Later! S.D.

Out of My Mind

I have been getting this strange feeling lately: I am (completely out of the blue) compelled to finish, edit, and polish The Restored. I get this feeling that I need to finish it. The Restored is supposed to be the first book in a series about a fantasy world.
But this is a strange feeling for me. I think I'm going to go mad if I don't get it finished. I've only felt this way during Nano, and still, that was only getting to "The End."

I'm going to have to throw myself into this to save my mind.

Signing off, S.D.

POV Troubles

I don't really like first person anymore. At least when I'm struggling with the character. See, my character Meredith and I are having problems. I'm ready to blame it all on her, but I'll be bigger and admit it's partially my fault her character is not coming across on paper well.

It could have something to do with the fact I'm writing longhand. It's all kind of messy on binder paper, so I feel disorganized. Anyway, I just can't find a voice for her. It's very annoying. I think I'll give it a go on the computer if I can ever get the time. It's tempting to stop writing S.T. and work on Meredith instead (on the computer), but I can't let myself do that.

Off to face the sludge, S.D.

April 5th

So my brother an I supposedly have 19 pages. I'm not so sure about that, but if he says that each line is a page then...

We have short pages.

Anyway, I finally talked him out having the protagonist and SC swallowed alive by an elephant. And a gory scene where tigers kill a baby elephant. Pheww! I was Not looking forward to writing that.

But instead now, we have a scene where the MC falls into a fungi pit and meets the SC there. Okay, that works for me. It IS his story after all, and a conceivable idea.

However, I am still working on my own projects. That is, S.T. and another story called Meredith that gave me writer's cramp last night. I now remember why I like writing on the computer so much better thanks to Mer.

I need to get more sleep. But not for now. Right now, I believe I has a heart-wrenching explanation by my MC to write for S.T.

P.S. I have had my suspicions confirmed about scripts. It's a lot like writing an outline--very dry. I hate writing outlines. Synopses and outlines are my bane.

And so it begins

This year, I am in fact doing ScriptFrenzy. Only I'm doing it as my brother's writing partner.
See he has this idea called Coconut Island that he was trying to turn into a novel, but I have always told him it should be a graphic novel. And I also advised he use ScriptFrenzy to accomplish said graphic novel.

But I got to thinking and now I'm helping him write it. He's in charge of coming up with it all, and I have my input as well. He'll come up with what we're writing and then we'll get it all down. We did that this morning and I found it worked rather well, in spite of (or perhaps because of), my semi-comatose state.

Anyway, we have nine pages, and I'm on ScriptFrenzy as AravisGirl and he is Corin_ThunderFist. I drew his profile picture. Rather snazzy, huh?

Letting Go

I was working on a story named "S.T." for now. And I've been working on it for awhile now. This would be my third or fourth draft actually. It's one of the few stories I believe I mostly finished before I moved onto the rewrite or something else. Anyway, I wrote about 11 pages on the computer and this incredible thing happened-- I wanted my mom to read it. And then I ave it to my dad. Drew the line at my brother (he the caricature of the dorky obnoxious teenage boy) though. So it's obvious my story had entered the stage where I was able to share it with the outside world. And my parents really liked it. My dad even said that he knew I had the dedication to be a writer but now he knew I had the talent (*internal teary-eyes*).
Anyway I was glad I let them read it. I had let go of the story, having put what I had into it.
The one downer is now they want me to finish it!

P.S. Also I was not a nervous wreck about it, as i have been before. Could it be I'm more confident? 0_o