Trouble trouble
For some reason I can’t seem to get started again. I keep coming back to where I left off, and reading over it, it doesn’t seem like I’ve made a misstep…
Inspiration, I needja now.
A spare moment
The general lack of updates from me has been thanks to a super crazy existence all of a sudden. Seems like the sun comes out and so do the opportunities…
Among other things (I won’t discuss them here, as they aren’t relevant, but they mostly involve Jake’s Big Projects) I’ve been conversing with a local talent agency, who have a literary agent under their umbrella, and potentially I have representation for A God Grown Old. It’s certainly not for sure, and it may turn out that I’d rather represent myself especially if I go the e-publishing route only – but it’s really, really exciting. And it’s a step towards fulfillment of my ultimate childhood dream (besides visiting Australia).
I managed to write just over 5k words on Sunday before deciding I should probably relax a bit, and though I haven’t written anything since, I’ve read over what I wrote (while under the influence of a beer and things) and it’s not terrible. It is, at least, a start I’m proud enough of to press on.
I’m planning to write 1500 words per day, which at my current estimate will give me about 90 days to write this damn thing, and that’s if I don’t go over any days (or skip them, shhhhhh). A first draft in my hands by mid-August? I can get excited for that.
Started!
I’ve taken my first steps down this crazy road they call the first draft today. I’m not facing the blank page anymore – in fact, I’m on page 5 (technically page 3.5, but I’m counting the section pages, dammit).
I’ve written almost 2000 words and I can’t wait to keep going. THIS IS A GOOD SIGN.
hold your breath and hope real hard it stays this way.
I’m willing to slog for this one, but I’m expecting some fun moments too. =)
YOU GUYS! I’ve started my novel, A God Grown Old. come follow my blog for it, or just cheer me along. I’m gonna need it – this is a huge but potentially really awesome project, and I’m a little daunted by how cool I want it to be. heh. onward!
Started!
I’ve taken my first steps down this crazy road they call the first draft today. I’m not facing the blank page anymore – in fact, I’m on page 5 (technically page 3.5, but I’m counting the section pages, dammit).
I’ve written almost 2000 words and I can’t wait to keep going. THIS IS A GOOD SIGN.
hold your breath and hope real hard it stays this way.
I’m willing to slog for this one, but I’m expecting some fun moments too. =)
Engaging my senses
I took this weekend off – well, to be honest, it wasn’t voluntary; I’ve been feeling out of control of my life a bit, what with things changing and my temporary housing situation, so I really wanted to cling onto my project as the one thing I felt like I could actually exert my control over. But Jake, in his infinite wisdom, told me I should take a couple of days off and take in some material instead of trying to output it again right away. He was right, of course.
Ignoring my project, except when I was inevitably reminded of it, was rather difficult. At first, everything I was watching, seeing, doing, smelling, etc. had everything to do with AGGO and I felt like I couldn’t turn my brain off. Finally I got to the point where I was actually ignoring it, and I did take in quite a few useful pieces of media and experience, including:
- A bit of Viewing #3 of HIMYM
- Hand-sewing a shirt design that I created
- Paddling around on a crystal-clear prehistoric lake at night (it was as cool as it sounds)
- Reading a book called “The Accidental Creative”
- Reading a Star Wars book
- Watching Jake play SW:TOR
- Playing some Oblivion
And now I’m thinking what I need to focus on is taking in new sensory experiences, no matter how unrelated to my project.
Weird? Not really. Sensory details are one of my strengths, and though I’ve spent several months’ worth of solid time in a desert environment, I want as many sensory details and experiences as possible to bring my book to life. It’s a story for which my readers are going to need to suspend their disbelief, and I would like to inject as much realism as possible into it so they don’t feel cheated.
So I’m going to start with the sense of smell. To this end, I will:
- Walk by restaurants that make unusual or aromatic dishes
- Sniff all the shampoos, lotions, and other yummy-smelling products I can find
- Really stop to smell my food before I eat it
- Try to identify city smells when I’m wandering around downtown
If you spot a girl in a sweatshirt and cap (I’ve taken to always wearing a hat, my hair is at that super awkward length) wandering around downtown Seattle sniffing the air like a dog, it’s probably me.
Outline 1.0: DONE
Not-quite-five pages later, version 1.0 of my outline is complete. I had a couple of creative breakthroughs last night – those “oh duh of course that had to be the real motivation behind [insert plot point here]” moments that outliners talk about – and I think I have a solid outline to start with. It’s by no means done, because I can feel that there are places it’s sagging a bit, and I’ve sent it off to friends to take a look at where, why, and how I can bolster it.
But it’s a satisfying goal to reach, that’s for sure. I’ve never done such an extensive amount of research and outlining before (as little as it actually was compared to, say, an actual historical novel), and having a road map is much more helpful than I’d thought it would be. I’ve even started writing down scraps of scenes and dialogue, because the story is so clear in my head. Am I intrigued by my own damn novel? YUP! I would have eaten this up as a younger reader and today, too, would be overjoyed to find it on the shelves.
That’s a good sign. =)
