We're well into January by now, and I have not started writing the new draft yet. Life got in the way, as is usually the case when my schedule is buggered. I'm not complaining. Not everything that gets in the way of writing is bad.
It remains that in the last ten days, I've made almost no progress on my brand new outline. I was stuck with 75% of the novel, which is to say I had every major plot points outlined, but was quite fuzzy on how I brought them together into a single, solid climax. They converged, yes, but it was loose and unsatisfying.
No longer! Half-hour of walking, and all my problems were solved. I feel silly for not doing it earlier, as I've solved countless plotholes in the twenty minutes I need to reach my University from home.
So remember the next time you're stuck: take a walk. Let your mind wander alongside your feet, and see where it leads you.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
My First Dip in Pratchett's Universe
I finished The Colour of Magic a week ago, and decided to let it stew for a while before posting about it. I knew I wouldn't review the book: it's older than me, and I'm rather certain there are already more reviews than I can count out there.
Reading Pratchett was a release, though.
As a fantasy writer you hear a lot about suspension of disbelief. Despite the magic and the supernatural, you have to make your reader believe that your story is real, that the characters exist. Closing the book must be like waking up: you're slightly dazed, and when you look at the clock you can't believe you slept that long.
Often as I work fantasy elements in my story, I wonder if it'll work. Am I pushing too far? Will the reader scoff and stop believing? Will he think I'm abusing his trust?
The Discworld is a reminder that you can get away with a lot more than you think. It takes talent. It takes justifications. But it's possible. If Pratchett can get away with a world riding on top of four giant elephants standing upon a giant turtle well... somehow I feel my modest bit of magic can be worked in, too.
Don't be afraid to let your imaginations run. That's what fantasy is for.
Reading Pratchett was a release, though.
As a fantasy writer you hear a lot about suspension of disbelief. Despite the magic and the supernatural, you have to make your reader believe that your story is real, that the characters exist. Closing the book must be like waking up: you're slightly dazed, and when you look at the clock you can't believe you slept that long.
Often as I work fantasy elements in my story, I wonder if it'll work. Am I pushing too far? Will the reader scoff and stop believing? Will he think I'm abusing his trust?
The Discworld is a reminder that you can get away with a lot more than you think. It takes talent. It takes justifications. But it's possible. If Pratchett can get away with a world riding on top of four giant elephants standing upon a giant turtle well... somehow I feel my modest bit of magic can be worked in, too.
Don't be afraid to let your imaginations run. That's what fantasy is for.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Unblocking Your Outline
Often when I plan, I get shiny new ideas to make my storyline better. Ideas such as "What if X met Y?" I love 'What if ...' and usually, I'm able to determine the circumstances in which the 'What if' would happen.
That's when I get blocked.
Not all the time, but it happens often enough that I've developped a way to get me out of it. It's not complicated. I just write the scene.
Most of the time I put next to no description, and very little actions. I'm a dialogue person, and since they are usually what moves my story forward, they are what I focus on. The goal is to get a rough scene out, to write in circle until I find out where this is supposed to go. My mind does it for most of the novel, but when I get stuck, I need to write things down to get somewhere.
In a way, this is a lot like what I do with my first drafts. I'm testing the grounds. I just let the creative juice out, knowing this will never make it into the novel. It's a great way to work out my storyline.
Hopefully it will get me past my current knot. I'm almost done replanning!
That's when I get blocked.
Not all the time, but it happens often enough that I've developped a way to get me out of it. It's not complicated. I just write the scene.
Most of the time I put next to no description, and very little actions. I'm a dialogue person, and since they are usually what moves my story forward, they are what I focus on. The goal is to get a rough scene out, to write in circle until I find out where this is supposed to go. My mind does it for most of the novel, but when I get stuck, I need to write things down to get somewhere.
In a way, this is a lot like what I do with my first drafts. I'm testing the grounds. I just let the creative juice out, knowing this will never make it into the novel. It's a great way to work out my storyline.
Hopefully it will get me past my current knot. I'm almost done replanning!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Reading VS Writing
One of the most difficult challenge I've had since starting University (nearly three years ago) was to find time for both reading and writing. Two incredibly enjoyable activities, which both contribute to my writing skills in their own way, and which I refuse to sacrifice.
The problem is, I can barely fit them in my schedule. Most of the time, reading was put aside.
So this is one of my 2011 goals. Read more.
I started on Jan. 1st with my first Terry Pratchett (one must question why I took so long) and the goal is to pick up a book as soon as I finish another. It has risks - when I get into a novel, I drop everything else - but I'd love to see my TBR pile in a stable state for once.
What about you guys? I bet I'm not the only one with TBR-pile problems!
The problem is, I can barely fit them in my schedule. Most of the time, reading was put aside.
So this is one of my 2011 goals. Read more.
I started on Jan. 1st with my first Terry Pratchett (one must question why I took so long) and the goal is to pick up a book as soon as I finish another. It has risks - when I get into a novel, I drop everything else - but I'd love to see my TBR pile in a stable state for once.
What about you guys? I bet I'm not the only one with TBR-pile problems!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
2011 - A Half-Year in Rewrite
I have to say, I don't quite take New Year Resolutions. When it comes to writing, I work with slices of six months, and my 'year' starts with November. I begin by accomplishing something crazy with NaNoWriMo, then I settle down and work out what I want done by the end of the winter semester (end of April). It's a schedule that fits the rhythm of my life better than January, in no small part because of the intensity with which I dive into NaNoWriMo.
So what is in store for this half-year?
Rewriting. I'm working hard on WHITE ECHOES (a title which is incidently becoming less and less appropriate) and I am aiming to have a solid (plotline-wise) version of this story by the end of February. I also have two short stories I want to rework hard on and try to publish. These two are in French, though, and it would be nice to write a third, in English.
Last, but not least, I need to double the amount of novels I read. My TBR pile is way too high, and I was given even more books this Christmas. Not to mention I ordered three books on writing yesterday...
In short I have another busy year ahead of me, but I will be the first to admit this is how I like it. I enjoy the occasional day off, but I work better under pressure, and when it's when I have a gazillion things to do that I work best. I'm looking forward to it!
So what is in store for this half-year?
Rewriting. I'm working hard on WHITE ECHOES (a title which is incidently becoming less and less appropriate) and I am aiming to have a solid (plotline-wise) version of this story by the end of February. I also have two short stories I want to rework hard on and try to publish. These two are in French, though, and it would be nice to write a third, in English.
Last, but not least, I need to double the amount of novels I read. My TBR pile is way too high, and I was given even more books this Christmas. Not to mention I ordered three books on writing yesterday...
In short I have another busy year ahead of me, but I will be the first to admit this is how I like it. I enjoy the occasional day off, but I work better under pressure, and when it's when I have a gazillion things to do that I work best. I'm looking forward to it!
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