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Welcome to this week's Novel Support Group (NSG). Although we can report on any number of things, here is a list of suggestions (suggestions welcomed).
What were your goals last week and did you accomplish them?
Describe what you worked on.
Set goals for next week.
Did you learn something during this week?
Here is a list of things that you can do each week as we work on our novels (suggestions welcomed).
Writing on a novel
Characterization
World Building
Relevant research
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I accomplished my goals for this week except the blog entries; I only wrote one post. The scenes I wrote for chapters two and three are not as detailed as I would like but I did not have much outlined for them. They only came to mind recently so I will need to come back to them and add more detail. The word count for both chapters combined does not match what I have for chapter one but that was expected. I was able to get the intended plot and characterization written for those scenes though. I can always build from there.
My goals for next week:
Chapter 4, first draft
2 - 3 blog entries
Chapter four may give me a few troubles since I have a new scene there that I will need to outline as I write it. Since I am more of an outliner rather than an organic writer it will be interesting to see what I come up with. The nice thing is that the chapters from here on focus primarily on my main character. As the story progresses I will be able to better determine where I can insert additional points of view but for now I think I have the next several chapters fairly well outlined.
The thing I learned this week--my only blog entry this week--is that I am not a freehand writer. I tried to work on chapter two all on notebook paper in the hopes that I could slow down my writing and better experience the story. It did not work for me at all. I learned this week that David Eddings wrote his books long hand. Having tried it this week (admittedly not for very long), I cannot imagine writing an entire novel that way.
Well, off to writing again. I lost most of last weekend because I hit The Block for this book yet again. I have a Big Reveal in this book that concerns me. Every once in a while I worry that I will be unable to convince the reader that this could really happen. I lost three days last week because of The Block and I could only continue writing once I created new historical details for this Big Reveal. I'm hoping this week will be better.
So this week I started my rewrite for DF. It's been fun, I've actually enjoyed it. My only issue so far is that it has been so long since I've seriously played with it that I'm having issues remembering the characters as I write. I used to be able to think as Joi, and now, I'm having issues remembering how to spell her name.
But I'm getting back in the flow.
Goals for this week: write at least one more scene in DF.
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I did pretty well this week. My goals were:
Get to Chapter 28 of Book Two. I'm on Chapter 29.
Put the finishing touches on "Dragons Are Forever". I've entered it in the Ready for Market Challenge.
World building for Dreamer's Rose. Finish the map. I did not work on this. However, I took a stab at writing a blurb for it and ended up with a decent synopsis.
Find and research six more agents to query for Book One. I fell short on this goal with only three for this week, assuming I can get my printer to cooperate and let me print the query letter for the one I want to mail today. I had to write a new, shorter version of the synopsis to meet the submission criteria for this one, so it's taken a few days. Now that it's been critiqued, I think I like this version better. I also got another rejection, for a total of three. Make that four. Another one just arrived.
Goals for this week:
Once I get past this chapter, I'm on the downhill side of Book Two. The next after this is the climax. That and the last few chapters should not need much change for the rewrite. So, get to the end of Book Two. Then I can start going back and adding some of the details that always get missed in just getting the story down.
World building for Dreamer's Rose. Finish the map. This will be my next project, so I need to get it ready.
Find, research, and submit Book One to five more agents. I have a list, now that I can work off of for at least a couple of weeks.
BTW, I'm still open to another chapter exchange on Book Two.
[This message has been edited by Meredith (edited June 05, 2009).]
[This message has been edited by Meredith (edited June 05, 2009).]
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I did okay last week - got deep into editing mode which always makes me feel like I'm not getting anything done, but looking back I've made quite a few little changes here and there on both SB and my WotF entry.
Goals this week: 1) finish chpt. 24 on SB 2) bite my fingernails nervously as I wait to hear back about my boot camp application 3) begin drafting skits for summer job
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The assignment yesterday was to write your hook pages, keeping it under 3 pages. Here is my first attempt at the first 13 lines. It was nice to figure out exactly where I wanted to start. It starts at the end of book 1, from another character's pov. If you've read book 1, you already know what happens to Jenny.
quote:The search for Jenny lasted all night long. A double guard patrolled the walls of Revalla, and anyone matching Jenny's description was detained. Human slaves and homeless fairies were rounded up and questioned. It was humiliating for Jack, and his reasons for finding her changed from moment to moment.
Lack of patience. That was his problem. In time, he could have charmed Jenny into marrying him. Scaring her into it had been a bad idea. Now she was in danger, and genuine concern for her welfare drove his search. Plus, Arram was going to kill him.
When the gates opened the next morning, he called off the search. His life was not his own, and even Jenny's safety couldn't change that. It was time to return the necklace.
This really drives home to me the fact that book 2 shouldn't exist. The whole story in book 2 really belongs as a subplot that could be woven through books 1 and 3. The problem is that it will make book 1 so blasted long! (It currently stands at 105,000 words. Adding a subplot will kick that to at least 150,000, quite possibly more.)
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@Unwritten: Too many! Maybe that's my problem. I'm always so tempted to start a new book, rather than work on my drafts. I have five books that are "active", that is, I've written them to completion or part way. I've got about three more books that I'm stewing--I'd like to write them but I need to do more research.
quote:This really drives home to me the fact that book 2 shouldn't exist. The whole story in book 2 really belongs as a subplot that could be woven through books 1 and 3. The problem is that it will make book 1 so blasted long! (It currently stands at 105,000 words. Adding a subplot will kick that to at least 150,000, quite possibly more.)
This is exactly the situation I found myself in! Except in my case it was book two and three that needed to be combined... and now it's too long. Or it would be except that I condensed the whole end half.
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Ooh, this NSG is something I don’t remember from back when. Lets see if it helps me keep at the novels.
• What were your goals last week and did you accomplish them? I had the goal of finishing the first draft of the two unfinished chapters in my WIP. Note that they were not the last chapters of the novel. I had the climax and ending drafted months ago so I knew where the plot and characterizations were going. Accomplished? yes.
• Describe what you worked on. The goal above, but not much else.
• Set goals for next week. Next up is the second draft of the prologue and first several chapters--enough that I can offer a healthy mouthful to any critters that a post in F&F may attract.
• Did you learn something during this week? The learning led directly to one point of the second draft rewrite. The first draft is in third person present tense, but some recent crits objected to that. I searched in various areas of the workshop for the term ‘present tense’ to find out why it’s objectionable. Among all the objections, there were only a few with rational explanations and the net result of those was neutral. What I learned: there is an emotional, rather than rational, objection to present tense. From that I conclude that a rewrite to past tense will avoid predisposing readers, editors and critters against the writing.
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I didn't write nearly as much as I wanted to, or edit what I intended to. Of the two, I came closer to my goal on the editing (I think I got 50 instead of 60 pages edited, but I did make forward progression on Exile).
I've got a rough map done for KJA, and I'm going to do the finishes (hopefully) this week.
Life's been bumpy with work and all, but I intend to put a bit more back into writing this week (while the kids still have school to keep them separated).
Goals for this week: 60 pages of edits, two chapters of Exile and try to finish the two WotF critiques I'm obligated for. Hopefully, my co-author and I can get a smooth run, too.
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I almost finished editing chapter two and I realized I hate editing, well maybe not hate but I definetly like it less than just writing. I've also gotten some more plot development done for TG. I think I have the overall shape of the story down now.
Next week, finish editing chapter two and start chapter three, get back to the chapter swap with Kitti (sorry about that Kitti, when I said I'd send the chapter shortly I thought I'd be done editing it that night), and start working on character development of a different character in TG and maybe write a bit more.
quote: almost finished editing chapter two and I realized I hate editing, well maybe not hate but I definetly like it less than just writing.
I don't hate editing, but I have to agree that writing the story in the first place is more fun. However, editing is necessary. So, for me, here's where it's good to have two or three projects going at the same time. When I temporarily stall or just don't want to work on the story I'm supposed to be writing, I can do some editing on the old one, or world building, etc, on the next. It keeps me writing, even during those periods when I find I need to let up on the main story so my mind can work out a problem or come up with a new scene in the background and let me know how to proceed.
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I enjoy editing. It's kind of like putting together a puzzle. Plus, creativity doesn't come naturally to me yet. When it flows, it really flows, but getting into that space is tricky. Editing isn't more mindless, but it's using a part of my brain that's 'on' all the time anyway.
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Current: The first two chapters of my young adult novel are being proofed by a few people, both from this board and elsewhere. During this time, I'm also working on tightening a few of the scenarios in the later chapters that feed the ending. Goal: I want to conclude my tightening of the last three chapters.
Current: Work on my supposed "main project" has been put on hold for the time being so that I can concentrate on my young adult novel. And all the other projects I inadvertantly resurrected in the past week and a half. Goal: I want to jump back into this project in a big way, but only when the enthusiasm level is just right.
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Nice to see you here again, Anne! And welcome, JeffBarton.
satate - as time goes on, I actually like editing more and more. In the case of my current novel, I wrote it so fast that when I look back now at what I wrote, I think, "That wasn't what I meant! But now I can make it more awesome than my original idea, mwa." So here's hoping you too like it more and more, and that a slightly less enjoyable task becomes very enjoyable.
Okay, my goals... -Do one last read-through of chapter 11 and send it out for critiques -Go through chapter 12 and make it ready for critiquing -Final edits on "Marbles", send it out for final critiques -Once I get critiques back on my WOTF story, get that ready to be sent out. -Oh yeah, and work on the letter game I've got going on with a friend of mine.
I'm especially excited about getting chapter 12 of Graveyard done. Those of you who've been reading this have been listening to me whine that I'm not enthusiastic about the latest chapters (9,10,11). But starting with 13, the action really picks up, and I can't wait to get to fix up those chapters.
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I just typed 'The End' at the bottom of Book Two: The Ignored Prophecy. And, for the first time, I actually like it! It's I think the third rewrite. But this time I actually like the story, which I'm taking as a sign that I finally wrote the right story in the right way.
It needs revisions, of course. I know some of the things that will need to be filled in a little more. I'm sure there are many places that can be improved. But the story is right. Everything else follows from that.
Whew! This one sure fought me. Or, probably more to the point, I fought it until I figured out what it really wanted to be.
I am still working on midsomer madness, which is slowly increasing in intensity each day. The assignments are getting much too long to post here.
Today's assignment feels way beyond me. It's using the snowflake method. Yesterday's assignment was to expand my little blurb into 3 paragraphs that clearly delineate the beginning, middle, and end. Today's assignment is to turn those 3 paragraphs into 9 paragraphs. The first 5 paragraphs will be easy enough, but the ending of my story is still such a haze in the distance...**takes a deep breath** This is very good for me.
My favorite thing I ever wrote was book 1 of this series, and I didn't use an outline for it at all. Do you think I'm shooting myself in the foot doing all this prep work?
quote:My favorite thing I ever wrote was book 1 of this series, and I didn't use an outline for it at all. Do you think I'm shooting myself in the foot doing all this prep work?
It depends on how you write. For me, this type of preparation is essential. At my skill level I could not write without an outline. In fact, I'm finding that the more detailed the outline the more comfortable I am.
Some writers love starting with a blank page and a vague idea for a story. I would suggest continuing with the outlining / preparation of Midsommer Madness and see how it works for you. You may find that a combination of the two (outline / organic) works best for you.
quote:My favorite thing I ever wrote was book 1 of this series, and I didn't use an outline for it at all. Do you think I'm shooting myself in the foot doing all this prep work?
I wrote Book One (The Shaman's Curse) with an outline. But, it was very hazy when I started. I did know how the story ended, though not in detail, and the major points along the way. (Well, most of them. Avaza and the twins grew out of the story, not the outline, for those who've read it. ) There were a lot of things I didn't know that I figured out as I went along. Some things I had in the outline just weren't right when I got there and had to be changed. Other things changed because I had better ideas. The outline was a guide, but I didn't chain myself to it.
Book Two (The Ignored Prophecy) had an outline from the beginning. And the first three times I wrote it, it was wrong. I revised the outline before I did this latest rewrite. But I used it more to reorganize the story in my mind and then to check back and make sure that I had hit all the points I intended to and hadn't left something out.
Outlines are fine as tools. But they're not the right tool for everything. I will go ahead and do outlines. But I won't always follow them, or even look at them if I think the story is flowing well without it. JMO
However, as I posted last week, I do think it's easier to do some of these things like the blurb and what may turn out to be a synopsis, before the book is written. At least that's what I've found when I tried a couple of the exercises. My head's not so full of the events and I can write it more from the idea. Ultimately, I think those paragraphs are going to be the basis for a much better synopsis. I plan to work on those exercises today, myself.
quote:My favorite thing I ever wrote was book 1 of this series, and I didn't use an outline for it at all. Do you think I'm shooting myself in the foot doing all this prep work?
Unwritten--we are going through such similar things! I'm trying out the snowflake method for the first time, too. Like you, I wrote my first book--my favorite thing as well--by the seat of my pants. While I'm not sure the snowflake method is right for me, I figure I'll never know until I try. I think it's good to experiment just in case you find a method that works better for you. At worst you will surely learn something new or gain a new perspective on your writing.
What I'm beginning to come down to is that I need to write partway through the book first. Then I can go back expand on my characters and do some outlining. I'm trying that for one of my other books.
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I get two things from the outlining exercise, but I put the outline in timeline form with parallel lines for the major characters.
First is to decide on where the characters are at the start, where they are at the end and the plot progress that gets them to the end. The end state of the characters may not be locked in concrete, but it is necessary to have it in mind while writing.
Second is the relationship and timing in the arcs of characters who do not come into contact with each other until late in the story. I have needed to pace the development of the characters so they meet at the right point. The timeline layout of the outline worked great for that.
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I have decided it might be useful for me to write a story arc from the pov of my villain, and really fill in the gaps where he is concerned. He's really the foggiest part of my whole story concept. I know everyone else inside and out. It's a bit off from midsomer madness, but I think it will be inifinitely more useful.
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I used to never use outlines. But Graveyard was written with an outline, and it's my favorite thing so far. For me, it was about learning how to outline, in a way that I enjoyed, and a way that worked for me.
Still, I don't think it's necessary. The types of outlining that I discarded stifled my writing.
I do love writing stories from the viewpoints of other characters. I've done it a few times now, and for me, it really ups the quality of my supporting characters. I end up finding out things about them I never would have come up with.
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