I tried something new yesterday. I did what I am always encouraging my students to do: I prewrote. More specifically, I decided it was time to sit down and actually figure out the timeline for the YA novel.
It was an interesting process. First, I decided about how many days lapse between the current chapter and the close of the novel. Then I drew columns and wrote plot bits down under each column depending on which day events had to take place, working backwards from the denouement. (Fortunately, I learned very quickly that I ought to use pencil for this process, as I erased and rewrote several plots bits many times before they settled). In the end, the rough sketch of the novel even looked like a story arc, with more plot per day until the climax, then less for the final day.
Needless to say, I am very pleased. I learned a great deal from this. First and foremost, I learned that I probably ought to practice what I preach more often. While I talk a good game about the importance of prewriting in my comp classes, I have always been a "sit down and channel the story from the muse as I go" sort of writer. I will probably still write that way, but it's nice to have something committed to paper that I can look back on when I get stuck.
Side benefit: I felt productive without having actually added to the chapter. But it will all work out in the end.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
Revision
Okay. It's crunch time. Writer's Weekend is approaching, and I have not been a good girl about getting my work done. There have been too many distractions of late, but as I am determined to keep this a blog about my writing and NOT life in general, I won't mention them. I will only say that three weeks is not enough time for a fourth grader to completely write and illustrate a 26 paragraph ABC book about California.
My Book One Chapter One is driving me nutty, so today I decided to revise it again. I ended up taking it apart completely and patching it back together again. I've eliminated some information completely, which I don't really miss so I don't imagine the reader will, either, and I added other little bits of genius that I hope will make better transitions. I moved other bits of information around so completely that I don't even remember where they used to be.
I'm so confused!
In the end, I'm at least a page shorter than the last draft, which was a bit shorter than the previous draft, which means I'm down some words (very, very good, for Book One). I'm also trying, perhaps unsuccessfully, to match the Good Writing to the Mediocre Writing.
The only thing I'm sure of is that this is driving me absolutely, certifiably, nuts.
Whatever. This is the sucky part of writing. I'm going to work on the YA novel tonight just to make myself feel productive.
Shout out: happy birthday, Ginger P.!
My Book One Chapter One is driving me nutty, so today I decided to revise it again. I ended up taking it apart completely and patching it back together again. I've eliminated some information completely, which I don't really miss so I don't imagine the reader will, either, and I added other little bits of genius that I hope will make better transitions. I moved other bits of information around so completely that I don't even remember where they used to be.
I'm so confused!
In the end, I'm at least a page shorter than the last draft, which was a bit shorter than the previous draft, which means I'm down some words (very, very good, for Book One). I'm also trying, perhaps unsuccessfully, to match the Good Writing to the Mediocre Writing.
The only thing I'm sure of is that this is driving me absolutely, certifiably, nuts.
Whatever. This is the sucky part of writing. I'm going to work on the YA novel tonight just to make myself feel productive.
Shout out: happy birthday, Ginger P.!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Working, working, working
Friday I revised Chapter One, Book One with the feedback from Southern California Writers' Conference, in preparation for Writer's Weekend. I've been needing to get that done, so it felt good to do.
I've also written 946 more words on the YA. I would've done a lot more, but I was sick all day yesterday. Bummer.
And now, I'm late for Writing Group (sorry ladies!).
Latest Word Count:
I've also written 946 more words on the YA. I would've done a lot more, but I was sick all day yesterday. Bummer.
And now, I'm late for Writing Group (sorry ladies!).
Latest Word Count:
| |
14,584 / 65,000 (22.4%) |
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Waiting
Today I really hate the USPS.
I'm not good at waiting, which is why the whole publication process, in general, is very frustrating. What is even more frustrating is having to wait longer than I should to know whether or not I've been accepted to Viable Paradise.
This is where the USPS comes in.
Had they correctly delivered my application packet the first time I sent it, at the beginning of April, I would be receiving my acceptance/rejection this week. However, now, not only have they just received my second packet, I am also certain that my chances of being accepted at all are greatly diminished.
Honestly, I'm good enough at self-sabotage without the USPS helping me out.
Meanwhile, I am also waiting on another level. I am waiting to "download" the next installment of the YA novel so that I can write it. In other words, I have no idea what happens next. Today, in a fit of whimsy, I considered having one of my two main characters slip and fall off the roof and die. That would certainly move the story! However, it would move it in a completely wrong direction and necessitate the introduction of a totally new character to fill in for this one, so I decided to just close the blank notebook page and go shopping instead.
So, I'm three tank tops, three new t-shirts, and a little sundress closer to knowing what happens next in the story.
It's better than just sitting around, waiting.
I'm not good at waiting, which is why the whole publication process, in general, is very frustrating. What is even more frustrating is having to wait longer than I should to know whether or not I've been accepted to Viable Paradise.
This is where the USPS comes in.
Had they correctly delivered my application packet the first time I sent it, at the beginning of April, I would be receiving my acceptance/rejection this week. However, now, not only have they just received my second packet, I am also certain that my chances of being accepted at all are greatly diminished.
Honestly, I'm good enough at self-sabotage without the USPS helping me out.
Meanwhile, I am also waiting on another level. I am waiting to "download" the next installment of the YA novel so that I can write it. In other words, I have no idea what happens next. Today, in a fit of whimsy, I considered having one of my two main characters slip and fall off the roof and die. That would certainly move the story! However, it would move it in a completely wrong direction and necessitate the introduction of a totally new character to fill in for this one, so I decided to just close the blank notebook page and go shopping instead.
So, I'm three tank tops, three new t-shirts, and a little sundress closer to knowing what happens next in the story.
It's better than just sitting around, waiting.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
How Depressing
I finished typing in all of the writing I'd done in the notebook, proving yet again that when I write by hand, I feel incredibly productive and powerful, yet manage to create much less writing than when I compose on the computer. My "Woohoo! I wrote 12 pages today. 12! I totally ROCK!" became "1011 words? Really? That's it?" Not to mention that 1011 words isn't nearly 12 pages when typed and double-spaced. Not even with a big fancy font.
I'm trying to turn it around. "1011 words! That's 1011 more than I had the day before I wrote them!" Or, "Hey! If I wrote 1011 words a day, I'd have my novel done in about 52 more days!"
It's not working.
The bottom line is, I need to write every day. 1011 words or not. I have all kinds of excuses for not doing so that I will not bore cyberspace with right now, but I know what I need to do.
"Progress:"
I'm trying to turn it around. "1011 words! That's 1011 more than I had the day before I wrote them!" Or, "Hey! If I wrote 1011 words a day, I'd have my novel done in about 52 more days!"
It's not working.
The bottom line is, I need to write every day. 1011 words or not. I have all kinds of excuses for not doing so that I will not bore cyberspace with right now, but I know what I need to do.
"Progress:"
| |
13,638 / 65,000 (21.0%) |
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Return of the Writing Blog
Step 1: Find blog link.
Step 2: Hack into old blog using all possible old user names and passwords.
Step 3: Discover that Google has taken over blog, and blog must be "reclaimed."
Step 4: Redouble hacking efforts.
Step 5: Reclaim blog.
Step 6: Find Something Interesting to say.
This is why I don't blog. I can't remember where I left my keys, let alone where I left my blog lying around on the Internet.
Since my last post a very long time ago, I've shelved Book Two. Book One has been rejected by everyone who asked for it (although tagged "well-written" by all the nice agents and editors who just "didn't love it enough" to add it to their lists), and I have commenced serious work on the YA Fantasy novel that's been knocking around in my head for a while. The challenge: write a refreshingly short 65,000-75,000K word novel by June 30th (Writer's Weekend).
Ha. Haha.
It's not going to be done by then. But I do have a ripping good start on it. Does that count? And now that the semester's over (yay!) and I'm not fool enough to sign up to teach summer school again this summer (double yay!), I'm writing every day, which is better than I've been able to do the past few months.
New goal? Finish by the end of summer. I like impossible goals, after all.
In the meantime, I will continue to pimp out Book One, which will have the best revised first 30 pages EVER the way things are going.
Progress:
A Respectable start, really. This word count doesn't even include the 10 or so handwritten pages I have yet to type. Cool.
Step 2: Hack into old blog using all possible old user names and passwords.
Step 3: Discover that Google has taken over blog, and blog must be "reclaimed."
Step 4: Redouble hacking efforts.
Step 5: Reclaim blog.
Step 6: Find Something Interesting to say.
This is why I don't blog. I can't remember where I left my keys, let alone where I left my blog lying around on the Internet.
Since my last post a very long time ago, I've shelved Book Two. Book One has been rejected by everyone who asked for it (although tagged "well-written" by all the nice agents and editors who just "didn't love it enough" to add it to their lists), and I have commenced serious work on the YA Fantasy novel that's been knocking around in my head for a while. The challenge: write a refreshingly short 65,000-75,000K word novel by June 30th (Writer's Weekend).
Ha. Haha.
It's not going to be done by then. But I do have a ripping good start on it. Does that count? And now that the semester's over (yay!) and I'm not fool enough to sign up to teach summer school again this summer (double yay!), I'm writing every day, which is better than I've been able to do the past few months.
New goal? Finish by the end of summer. I like impossible goals, after all.
In the meantime, I will continue to pimp out Book One, which will have the best revised first 30 pages EVER the way things are going.
Progress:
| |
12,627 / 65,000 (19.4%) |
A Respectable start, really. This word count doesn't even include the 10 or so handwritten pages I have yet to type. Cool.
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