At the moment I am writing using pen and paper. I'm re-doing my outline and one thing I've learned is, I need an outline.
There's nothing wrong in what I've written, but at the moment none of it hangs together. It doesn't help that I wrote some of the scenes for one storyline, only to alter the plot and not edit those scenes straight away.
Maybe that was the problem...(and before you ask, it was the problem.)
I think that I should have just started from scratch with the new plot and not tried to bring in what I had already written. I got lost. Very lost.
Now I'm going to write a detailed outline, and then write a list of scenes. Then, and only then, I'm going to start to write on the computer again.
Writing the outline down on paper, helps me to see the story more clearly. So for the next week or so, the word count won't increase, but hopefully I will make progress.
If I change my mind about the story line again, I'm going to go back to this stage immediately rather than trying to continue and adapt what I have already written.
Thursday 28 January 2010
Monday 25 January 2010
Starting again
Not completely from scratch, but I have deleted a large proportion of what I had written. I'm now down to about 8k words and more may vanish as I go.
The storyline in my head didn't match the one on the page. I thought that they did, but by going through what I had written scene by scene and summarizing them, I found out otherwise.
I deleted all the scenes that were not right. They still exist, just not in my main file and I probably won't look at most of them again. I will simply write the scenes from scratch.
I'm going to write out the story line again and make a list of scenes. I'll then write those scenes. The ones that stayed are from the beginning, which has received the most attention and they did follow the story in my head.
My word count has gone down, but I made progress.
The storyline in my head didn't match the one on the page. I thought that they did, but by going through what I had written scene by scene and summarizing them, I found out otherwise.
I deleted all the scenes that were not right. They still exist, just not in my main file and I probably won't look at most of them again. I will simply write the scenes from scratch.
I'm going to write out the story line again and make a list of scenes. I'll then write those scenes. The ones that stayed are from the beginning, which has received the most attention and they did follow the story in my head.
My word count has gone down, but I made progress.
Thursday 21 January 2010
Progress
Not much maybe, but I am getting back into things. I really did get stuck, so I took a break and read some blogs and books and things.
http://www.timothyhallinan.com/writers.php is a great piece on actually getting through the tougher times and finishing your book. It has helped me enormously and is the reason I'm back to writing again.
In fact, I'm not actually writing parts for the book at the moment, but I taking stock of what I have written and really getting into making sure that it works. I know I started this by myself, but reading that other people get like this too really helped.
So at the moment I'm writing about the book and making progress.
http://www.timothyhallinan.com/writers.php is a great piece on actually getting through the tougher times and finishing your book. It has helped me enormously and is the reason I'm back to writing again.
In fact, I'm not actually writing parts for the book at the moment, but I taking stock of what I have written and really getting into making sure that it works. I know I started this by myself, but reading that other people get like this too really helped.
So at the moment I'm writing about the book and making progress.
Monday 18 January 2010
The weekend
I actually started to read my pages this weekend. I got about one-third of the way through, which seems to be normal for me. Let me explain.
The beginning of my novel is not too bad. It's the part I've spent the most time on. The rest of the book just sits there, unread. It's not that I'm trying to make the first part perfect. It's just better to read than the rest of it. So I don't read the rest and it never gets edited and it never gets better, so I never read it. Are you seeing a pattern here yet?
I need to re-write some scenes. I need to add in new ones. I need more complications and conflict. I just can't seem to write them. I'm not sure what I should do at the moment. I could try to push on and actually tackle the rest of the book or I could take a break and start something else.
I need to write and at the moment I'm not writing anything. I'm making lame excuses to avoid it at all costs. Ridiculous really, but right now that's how I feel.
The beginning of my novel is not too bad. It's the part I've spent the most time on. The rest of the book just sits there, unread. It's not that I'm trying to make the first part perfect. It's just better to read than the rest of it. So I don't read the rest and it never gets edited and it never gets better, so I never read it. Are you seeing a pattern here yet?
I need to re-write some scenes. I need to add in new ones. I need more complications and conflict. I just can't seem to write them. I'm not sure what I should do at the moment. I could try to push on and actually tackle the rest of the book or I could take a break and start something else.
I need to write and at the moment I'm not writing anything. I'm making lame excuses to avoid it at all costs. Ridiculous really, but right now that's how I feel.
Friday 15 January 2010
Thursday evening
Last night I did what I had predicted I would, I slept and I needed that sleep. The consequence is that there is no change in the progress of my book and there probably won't be until the weekend.
It's unlikely that I will do much today, so tomorrow will be the first day that I will actually be able to sit down somewhere quiet and work on the scenes.
It's unlikely that I will do much today, so tomorrow will be the first day that I will actually be able to sit down somewhere quiet and work on the scenes.
Thursday 14 January 2010
Flu
I have not posted recently because for the last week I have been in bed with the flu. Today is my first day back at work and the first day that I have felt human again.
The consequence of this is that my current word count stands at 45080 words, just over half of the end total. I have printed out all of the individual scenes and now I have to go through them all, editing and rearranging them.
I find this a daunting task. It doesn't scare me, but I am really not looking forward to it. I am hoping to start tonight, however I am a little worried that I will not have the energy left after a full day back at work. I still get tired quickly.
I am resolved to do some editing this weekend. Even if it's only to go through one or two scenes. I need to get started. I know it will get easier once I start. And I know this because of a short story that I once wrote. I had real trouble getting up the courage to re-read it and to begin editing, however once I started, it went really well and the second draft was so much better than the first.
Also, I need to add in more scenes. Currently missing are the subplot(s). These just don't exist. Well one has been started, but all I have done is introduce a character. The actual plot is still missing.
More detail still needs to be added as well. Most of the conversations are just talking heads with no action attached. Hopefully at the end of this, I'll be much closer to the 80-90k words that the novel should reach and the scenes will finally all be in the right order.
I'm hoping to get this all done before the end of January, but as I just lost a week that could be pushing it slightly. I haven't given up on getting it done by then as there are still just over two weeks to go, but I wouldn't put money on it.
I am content with what I have done so far. I wish I had done more and some of that is due to me, the rest though is due to ill health and I can't control that.
The consequence of this is that my current word count stands at 45080 words, just over half of the end total. I have printed out all of the individual scenes and now I have to go through them all, editing and rearranging them.
I find this a daunting task. It doesn't scare me, but I am really not looking forward to it. I am hoping to start tonight, however I am a little worried that I will not have the energy left after a full day back at work. I still get tired quickly.
I am resolved to do some editing this weekend. Even if it's only to go through one or two scenes. I need to get started. I know it will get easier once I start. And I know this because of a short story that I once wrote. I had real trouble getting up the courage to re-read it and to begin editing, however once I started, it went really well and the second draft was so much better than the first.
Also, I need to add in more scenes. Currently missing are the subplot(s). These just don't exist. Well one has been started, but all I have done is introduce a character. The actual plot is still missing.
More detail still needs to be added as well. Most of the conversations are just talking heads with no action attached. Hopefully at the end of this, I'll be much closer to the 80-90k words that the novel should reach and the scenes will finally all be in the right order.
I'm hoping to get this all done before the end of January, but as I just lost a week that could be pushing it slightly. I haven't given up on getting it done by then as there are still just over two weeks to go, but I wouldn't put money on it.
I am content with what I have done so far. I wish I had done more and some of that is due to me, the rest though is due to ill health and I can't control that.
Thursday 7 January 2010
Wednesday.....
I have yet to print out the individual scenes and go through them. I intended to do that yesterday, but yesterday was Wednesday, which is never a good day for me. I did nothing in terms of writing or editing.
What I did instead was to try to resurrect my dying desktop computer. It's been randomly rebooting itself for a couple of weeks now and yesterday, it began producing warning messages whenever I did anything. The warning message was rather dire at that.
A hardware check showed nothing wrong. So I did a software check and there were errors. Lots of errors. I had to run a full CHKDSK and it appears to have been successful. However I haven't used the computer enough to be sure of this.
This weekend will be the real test. In the mean time, I'll print out the scenes tonight and tomorrow, I'll start to edit, reorder and combine the scenes. I'll also look for places to put new scenes and mark those in with a scene summary.
Today, I will do very little. I might start reading through, but I much prefer a paper version for reading. I find it much easier with a hardcopy.
What I did instead was to try to resurrect my dying desktop computer. It's been randomly rebooting itself for a couple of weeks now and yesterday, it began producing warning messages whenever I did anything. The warning message was rather dire at that.
A hardware check showed nothing wrong. So I did a software check and there were errors. Lots of errors. I had to run a full CHKDSK and it appears to have been successful. However I haven't used the computer enough to be sure of this.
This weekend will be the real test. In the mean time, I'll print out the scenes tonight and tomorrow, I'll start to edit, reorder and combine the scenes. I'll also look for places to put new scenes and mark those in with a scene summary.
Today, I will do very little. I might start reading through, but I much prefer a paper version for reading. I find it much easier with a hardcopy.
Tuesday 5 January 2010
Today
I wrote about 1000 words today. Not much and nowhere near my goal, but more than I have written in a while. I have also split my file up into scenes. So that each scene has its own file.
Tonight or tomorrow, I will print out those files and then mix and match the scenes. I know that the story doesn't flow at the moment and due to the changes in the storyline, the timeline is dodgy at best. And I'm still either contradicting myself or still leaving in references to now removed encounters.
It's all a bit confused. I need to sit down and reorder the scenes. Mark out which parts need to be removed or altered that still remain and work out where there still needs new scenes/information added. None of the remaining scenes need to be completely deleted, but the may need a complete re-write.
Some of the conversations still need annotating. Currently that's all there is, talk. No action, no interruptions, just talking heads. Time to add more substance.
So on the writing side, didn't make my goal of 2500 words in a day, but I'm more organized now. Whether that is a good thing (which I think it is) or a bad thing, is still to be seen.
Tonight or tomorrow, I will print out those files and then mix and match the scenes. I know that the story doesn't flow at the moment and due to the changes in the storyline, the timeline is dodgy at best. And I'm still either contradicting myself or still leaving in references to now removed encounters.
It's all a bit confused. I need to sit down and reorder the scenes. Mark out which parts need to be removed or altered that still remain and work out where there still needs new scenes/information added. None of the remaining scenes need to be completely deleted, but the may need a complete re-write.
Some of the conversations still need annotating. Currently that's all there is, talk. No action, no interruptions, just talking heads. Time to add more substance.
So on the writing side, didn't make my goal of 2500 words in a day, but I'm more organized now. Whether that is a good thing (which I think it is) or a bad thing, is still to be seen.
Monday 4 January 2010
Update
The total so far is 44069 words. I started this morning with 14068 words. The majority of this increase came from adding the good scenes from the first draft. I've added about another 1000 words as I have gone through, editing the new additions.
This means I dropped about 9000 words from the first draft, which was written during NaNoWriMo '09. Not a bad keep rate, especially for me. I am going through and editing the scenes, which for the most part is producing an increase in word count. Of course I am deleting parts, but I am also adding new bits.
I've already reached my daily goal, but I'm going to continue as it is currently going well. My main goal for this month, is to have a second draft finished before the end of January. In this second draft, I hope to have most of the book written. There maybe details missing, and a few parts that still need more research, but for the most part it will be complete.
In February, I hope to fill in those details and check the facts. After that, I'll start with checking the English - grammar and spelling separately - and then leave it for a few weeks, before reading through again. But that's all far in the future. I still need to get this second draft finished. And I might need a third before all the scenes are complete.
This means I dropped about 9000 words from the first draft, which was written during NaNoWriMo '09. Not a bad keep rate, especially for me. I am going through and editing the scenes, which for the most part is producing an increase in word count. Of course I am deleting parts, but I am also adding new bits.
I've already reached my daily goal, but I'm going to continue as it is currently going well. My main goal for this month, is to have a second draft finished before the end of January. In this second draft, I hope to have most of the book written. There maybe details missing, and a few parts that still need more research, but for the most part it will be complete.
In February, I hope to fill in those details and check the facts. After that, I'll start with checking the English - grammar and spelling separately - and then leave it for a few weeks, before reading through again. But that's all far in the future. I still need to get this second draft finished. And I might need a third before all the scenes are complete.
Happy New Year!
The snow got worse and the schools closed and I stayed home until today. Actually I did go out between then and now, but I didn't go back to work. I also didn't go on the Internet much nor did I write much. In fact I didn't write at all. I did have a great time with my family and got a netbook at Christmas.
This should mean that I can write more when at home, but one thing I learned over my two and a bit weeks at home, is that my family are exactly helping me to write. Every time I tried to sit down and write there was something someone wanted, or it was time to cook again. Still the house was cleaned top to bottom and everything that needed polishing was polished. Now all I have to do is find time to write when at home.
Today I hope to fit a little in this afternoon. I'll blog later on with the result...
This should mean that I can write more when at home, but one thing I learned over my two and a bit weeks at home, is that my family are exactly helping me to write. Every time I tried to sit down and write there was something someone wanted, or it was time to cook again. Still the house was cleaned top to bottom and everything that needed polishing was polished. Now all I have to do is find time to write when at home.
Today I hope to fit a little in this afternoon. I'll blog later on with the result...
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