Stage 1: Finish first draft. Dance about like a crimson fairy and sing and do a shot. Print out first draft (wait forever because your printer is slow.). Then pass out because your brain can't handle any more coherent thought.
Stage 2: Wake up the next morning and stare angrily at first draft. Plan to use great music to help you edit. Listen to music and play video games instead. Go to bed and swear you will start editing tomorrow.
Stage 3: Bringing the first draft everywhere, giggle as people stare because they just "don't get it." They all think its a Thesis. You say its a novel...they ask what kind...you tell them a sci-fi-'ish fantasy and they cringe. Why does no one like that anymore?
Stage 4: Stay up all night because spellcheck doesn't catch words that are out of context...and neither does grammar check...swear never to look at another red pen again.
More stages as they happen. I'm on the hate red pen, pull hair out and go to wig store stage right now. Funtimes. Also, more add-in scenes to expand on certain things. And? on page 5 of book 2. Multitasking much? nope not me. haha.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Commence happy dance.
Well, it's official. The first draft of my novel is done. Now I get to edit and start book 2. I am so happy. I have put on my hapy record (Neil Diamond's Hot August Night) and have been dancing for the last ten minutes. This is an auspicious occasion. I have never finished anything before. So. Official First draft page count: 199 (single spaced and non formatted). Official first draft word count: 100,699. Brilliance. there is a lot I need to add in, and pssibly rewrite but I am looking forward to it. I am just happy to have it done. I did about 11,000 words today overall. which...maybe...like 15-20 pages? I'm not sure I was in the zone so I didn't count.
Duck Norris would be so proud. So, now back to my happy dance and you back to regularly scheduled programming
Duck Norris would be so proud. So, now back to my happy dance and you back to regularly scheduled programming
Hump Day!
Ah yes...the grand old hump day, middle of the week and start f the longest three days in human history. Why is it what Wednesday to Friday takes a godawful amount of time? It draaaags and draaaags. Well, I feel like a zombie today since I was up way past my (recently) normal bedtime struggling to hit that elusive 90,000 word mark. I got to 89,650 before I said "bed. need. now." So I was pretty satisfied with my progress yesterday. 8,000 words in all. Pretty good, I feel like I'm on a roll.
I can't wait, if I keep this up I can finish by Friday or Saturday. The first draft anyway. I only have a few more chapters left to write which is extremely exciting. I think as writers our characters can sometimes dictate our flow. But in no way shape or form do they dictate the way the story is going. So I may, from time to time say "Petra's being an a-hole today" or "These demons are so stubborn"but that's only because I'm having a hard time writing them that day. I like to personify them. I'm not certifiable...well not in that sense.
Anycase, yesterday was a good day for the muse. I hope that today will be much the same as 'm getting into a rather exciting chapter and have only exciting ones left. I'm kind of giddy that I get to write some pretty awesome stuf today and if you kiddies are lucky...there may beith a small lil' snippet. Just to give you an idea of my style and sliiiight plot. Again, no plagiaristic klepto thieves need apply. I do have what I've written thus far registered, so. That should hopefully deter any would be manu-thieves. I just don't want to give too much away before the book is finished and copyrighted all proper like.
Yes. I am the elusive and reclusive writer that will make you all wait. I'm just mean like that! haha. I think a little suspense is good for the soul. Its raining. Blech. Oh and funny thought from last night... "oh god this is gonna get me excommunicated." Which is bad since I'm officially Roman Catholic. Hmmm. Thank goodnes I'm not all staunch with it, or this might bother me more.
More later kiddies. Have a Chuck Norris-ified day.
I can't wait, if I keep this up I can finish by Friday or Saturday. The first draft anyway. I only have a few more chapters left to write which is extremely exciting. I think as writers our characters can sometimes dictate our flow. But in no way shape or form do they dictate the way the story is going. So I may, from time to time say "Petra's being an a-hole today" or "These demons are so stubborn"but that's only because I'm having a hard time writing them that day. I like to personify them. I'm not certifiable...well not in that sense.
Anycase, yesterday was a good day for the muse. I hope that today will be much the same as 'm getting into a rather exciting chapter and have only exciting ones left. I'm kind of giddy that I get to write some pretty awesome stuf today and if you kiddies are lucky...there may beith a small lil' snippet. Just to give you an idea of my style and sliiiight plot. Again, no plagiaristic klepto thieves need apply. I do have what I've written thus far registered, so. That should hopefully deter any would be manu-thieves. I just don't want to give too much away before the book is finished and copyrighted all proper like.
Yes. I am the elusive and reclusive writer that will make you all wait. I'm just mean like that! haha. I think a little suspense is good for the soul. Its raining. Blech. Oh and funny thought from last night... "oh god this is gonna get me excommunicated." Which is bad since I'm officially Roman Catholic. Hmmm. Thank goodnes I'm not all staunch with it, or this might bother me more.
More later kiddies. Have a Chuck Norris-ified day.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
More Teh Blogging. Part Deux.
Okay. So. While I really won't be posting a whole lot of in-depth information about my novel (due to the "I don't want people to steal my hard written words" paranoia.) I wil be giving you a little tid-bit here and there. Such as-
Tid-Bit Number 1: Despite my apparent loathing of overly graphic sex scenes in novels (unless of course it somehow furthers the plot or makes me go 'whoa'), I have written a sex scene. Not graphic mind you, I do like to leave a lot up to the imagination. as a friend once said "porn is great if it's written right." so. thanks to the wonderfully amazing Gen for that. And also to Ariel who helped me reason the need for the scene to begin with. Now, the dilemma, I find myself needing to write a scene that is only inches away from being a sex scene (two in one novel?! no surely not!) in order to further the plot device I have going on right now. It proves to be good. and seeing as I'm dealing with a fairly related sin....oops. Shouldn't have mentioned that but the title of my blog dooooes kinda give it away. Anyway. Moral dilemmas aside, this chapter is proving to be the bane of my existence.
Tid-Bit Number 2: My current word count is 87,000. A far cry above my record of 50,000 (thank you NaNoWriMo.) So, let's pop the bubbly and let forth the party! ...let forth the party. This novel is doing more than eating my soul. It's eating my grammar alive.
Tid-Bit Number 3: I am writing my novel in the first person. And it is set in a lot of different places. Typically, Romania (which...I've read travel books about and spoken to people about and seen pictures but no...sadly I have never been). And an unnamed city which may or may not be New York. I know that city well enough, hell I live fifteen minutes away. Well, abooout fifteen minutes. If you hit no traffic...okay more like forty five in all once you throw in the godawful traffic in all of the tunnels.
Tid-Bit Number 4: I really...really...really...have an obsession with Chuck Norris which is no soubt subject to arise at one point or another. So I am forewarning you lovely readers now.
That's all the tidbits for now I'm afraid! But I do want to point you all in the direction of a REALLY AMAZING writer. Her name is Kat Richardson. And she is currently my favorite modern author, and since I tend to be a genre fiction junkie...she takes the cake. Of course there are many others, but as I'm eagerly awaiting the third book in her 'Greywalker' series I figured I'd mention her. So! all you readers and writers have a fabulous night. Get those word counts going, finish that last chapter and for God's Sake please use a bookmark, dog-earing is so barbaric.
Tid-Bit Number 1: Despite my apparent loathing of overly graphic sex scenes in novels (unless of course it somehow furthers the plot or makes me go 'whoa'), I have written a sex scene. Not graphic mind you, I do like to leave a lot up to the imagination. as a friend once said "porn is great if it's written right." so. thanks to the wonderfully amazing Gen for that. And also to Ariel who helped me reason the need for the scene to begin with. Now, the dilemma, I find myself needing to write a scene that is only inches away from being a sex scene (two in one novel?! no surely not!) in order to further the plot device I have going on right now. It proves to be good. and seeing as I'm dealing with a fairly related sin....oops. Shouldn't have mentioned that but the title of my blog dooooes kinda give it away. Anyway. Moral dilemmas aside, this chapter is proving to be the bane of my existence.
Tid-Bit Number 2: My current word count is 87,000. A far cry above my record of 50,000 (thank you NaNoWriMo.) So, let's pop the bubbly and let forth the party! ...let forth the party. This novel is doing more than eating my soul. It's eating my grammar alive.
Tid-Bit Number 3: I am writing my novel in the first person. And it is set in a lot of different places. Typically, Romania (which...I've read travel books about and spoken to people about and seen pictures but no...sadly I have never been). And an unnamed city which may or may not be New York. I know that city well enough, hell I live fifteen minutes away. Well, abooout fifteen minutes. If you hit no traffic...okay more like forty five in all once you throw in the godawful traffic in all of the tunnels.
Tid-Bit Number 4: I really...really...really...have an obsession with Chuck Norris which is no soubt subject to arise at one point or another. So I am forewarning you lovely readers now.
That's all the tidbits for now I'm afraid! But I do want to point you all in the direction of a REALLY AMAZING writer. Her name is Kat Richardson. And she is currently my favorite modern author, and since I tend to be a genre fiction junkie...she takes the cake. Of course there are many others, but as I'm eagerly awaiting the third book in her 'Greywalker' series I figured I'd mention her. So! all you readers and writers have a fabulous night. Get those word counts going, finish that last chapter and for God's Sake please use a bookmark, dog-earing is so barbaric.
Wonders of teh Blogging!
Its funny, because right now I figure..."who wants to read about some unpublished writer toiling feverishly to finish her first novel. who doesn't have an agent, and hasn't finished anything else to date?" But hey, you never know. Someone else may find this blog wildly entertaining. Because as well as my daily writer trauma, you will get other tiddly bits from my own life. and my feelings about other literature things.
Besides, I mean we all can find some kind of humour in everyday stuff right? I mean...whether its making fun of authors that you may not like so much with your like-minded friends (and believe me if you read my stuff, and don't like me and want to make fun of me go ahead. Just don't do it here because I would never do it to you kn your blog) or watching as ducks try to attack a fire-hydant. Whatever! Somethings in life are just funny. So. This was an intro and hello post. More to come when I'm not being beaten into submission by my very overly active imagination.
Besides, I mean we all can find some kind of humour in everyday stuff right? I mean...whether its making fun of authors that you may not like so much with your like-minded friends (and believe me if you read my stuff, and don't like me and want to make fun of me go ahead. Just don't do it here because I would never do it to you kn your blog) or watching as ducks try to attack a fire-hydant. Whatever! Somethings in life are just funny. So. This was an intro and hello post. More to come when I'm not being beaten into submission by my very overly active imagination.
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