Chronicling the Novel

Good Stuff to Read (Pass It Along!)

2011-07-25T16:31:00.004-05:00

I subscribe to the Fantasy Literature blog and they recently posted about the Summer 2011 edition of Subterranean Online, which is available now with some truly outstanding short fantasy stories. They're worth your time!

Happy Reading,
Adrian

Still Working!

2011-06-08T19:36:00.002-05:00

I'm still working, even though this is the time of year when I usually have so many other "distractions" that my writing time diminishes. I refuse to quit, to set the work aside. I'm much too close! Soon I'll have my first completed piece to share with the world. I'm very excited.

Summer is already here, seemingly ahead of schedule. The days are getting painfully hot and the humidity is ratcheting up. Like last year, we are expecting a hot summer. I'm not one for hot weather!

To keep cool, I made two liters of sun tea yesterday, using a large jug of bottled spring water I bought for only a dollar. I removed a little water from the jug then set the tea bags in it. When I screwed the lid back on it, it held them in place. I set it out in the sun all day and it brewed "naturally", making a smoother tea. I used decaffeinated green tea, and it tastes great. I keep it in the fridge, serve it cold and drink it plain, but it's nice with honey, too. Since it's decaffeinated, I can drink it at any hour and that's convenient. When the jug's empty I'll recycle it. This is the easiest way I've found to make sun tea and it works great--nothing to clean up afterward!

I've started work on a new, long-term project, a fantasy novel that combines historical and fantasy elements. I'm giving myself a year to research it before I start writing it--that's the most research I've ever taken on for a specific project. It's necessary in this case and the subject matter is utterly fascinating to me. The novel is based on a super-cool idea. It has a super-awesome title and great potential if I can deliver. I think I can and I'm willing to try.

In the meantime, I'm still editing my current stories and they'll be done sometime soon. I'll let you know once I can set a release date. Gee...my first release date!

Enjoy your summer, and keep on writing!

Adrian

Writing & Reading

2011-05-06T05:24:00.004-05:00

Still working on the story, doing a lot of fine-tuning. I came up with a second story, finished a complete draft and am letting that one sit while I go back to the first one. Sometime soon these will both be finished and I'll finally have something to share -- for real!

And I'm reading. I discovered a ton of great classic sci-fi on Project Gutenberg (check out their Collections and you'll find various genre lists). I downloaded 166 items and used Calibre to transfer them to my Kindle®. Tons of great stuff!

It seems my focus has shifted to shorter fiction for the time being -- and I'm happy about that. I'll work on producing some short stories and novellas, along with a couple of shorter novels, in the coming months. Shorter is better when you want to get something finished. After getting some stuff DONE and OUT THE DOOR (so to speak) then I'll have a sense of accomplishment which will fuel me as I go back to my longer epic fiction.

Wishing everyone a gorgeous Spring, and I'll let you know as soon as I have a completed story!

Adrian

Busy!

2011-03-25T15:33:00.003-05:00

Yup, I'm busy like a bee. That's pretty busy! Just ask a bee.

The new story (tentatively titled New Story) is almost complete. A bit more editing, the minor kind, primarily on the last chapter written, and then one more chapter to go.

Back at it,

Adrian

Back at Work

2011-03-06T07:30:00.003-05:00

I'm back at work, writing and editing a new story. I needed something different to work on for a while.

It's about 2/3 done already. I'll keep at it until it's complete, then decide whether to edit or rewrite a previous story or start another new project.

I grow the most when I move on to new work, but at some point I have to complete the editing on something!

Enjoying the process,

Adrian

In Memoriam

2011-02-03T21:19:00.004-05:00

My father passed away today.

Just five words, but what an immense statement.

Under the circumstances, it went as well as it could. At least I got to speak with him while he could still understand.

This is new to me. I know it will take time to work through it. I'm coping well so far.

Tearfully,
Adrian

Reading!

2011-01-11T12:09:00.003-05:00

I'm not editing, but I am reading! I've finished a couple of novels in the past couple of weeks and am on to my next one. I'm really enjoying my Kindle! I got a reading light to go with it and what a difference that makes -- lights it up so I can read easily if the ambient light is dim. No need to turn on a bright light to see the screen! If you have an eReader, I definitely recommend getting a light for it if you don't have one already. Makes all the difference.

That's all -- no lengthy post this time!

Happy New Year,
Adrian

Puttin' On the Kettle

2010-12-05T00:01:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I completed the 140k+ first draft of my new WIP. Since then, I've gained some distance from the story, and a more objective perspective on it. At first I had planned on editing the first draft. Now I've determined that it would be better to rewrite it.

The problem with the first draft is quite simple: too much "show" and not enough "tell". I wrote too quickly, and failed to fully immerse myself in the story. As the work stands, the Reader will simply not experience the story at a level of depth and immersion that will make for rewarding reading. The story itself is rich enough, interesting enough -- I just need to bring it to life on the page with a more vivid sense of detail -- and not the kind of detail you can "edit in". In essence, I need to more fully realize the true voice of the story.

This sounds like disappointing news but it's not. The first draft was NOT a waste of time. I had the opportunity to work through the story which helped me to better learn it. I can use that draft to guide me in the rewrite, and I can even borrow some chapters and pieces directly from it, since some of it is quite good. Having that draft behind me, plus my notes on hand, I'll feel much more confident that I can finish this new draft and make it better.

I've already started rewriting, and have about 1.5 chapters done. I'm not going to set any definitive word count goals or chapter completion goals at this time. I'll go slow and write, experience, edit, tinker, improve upon, and move forward, then backward, then forward again. The only requirement is that I keep it moving, and that I try to finish about 3 or 4 chapters per week. However much I write will be fine, as long as it's of the quality that I'm looking for.

I know what I want this story to look like when it's finished, how I want it to read. I'm going to start fresh and immerse myself in it much more than I did during the first draft, and do my best to bring the story to life. My only concern is to keep moving, so I don't wear myself out. I know I have a limited amount of time to complete this draft before burn-out sets in. I'll try to remember to push on when I need to.

Putting on the kettle, since it'll be another long haul,

Adrian

P.S. Congratulations to all those successful Nanowrimo participants!

Golly Gee!

2010-11-19T17:39:00.003-05:00

It just kinda figures, don't it? I get myself all organized to start my editing work, and up come a few other things that are totally un-writing-related! And of course those other things are quite pressing! So, I'll have to hold off a week or two (or three) before I get down to work on my new writing goals because I need this time for those other projects.

That said, I did manage to complete the essential planning notes this past week for WIP B, and I did happen to edit 5 of the 80 chapters of WIP A. I'll still fit some work in here or there over the next week or two (or three), but I won't worry about specific productivity goals because I really won't have the time to devote to them.

When I am ready to start work on my new writing goals, I'll reset the deadlines as appropriate.

Wishing Nanoers all the best as they near the final week,

Adrian

Setting the Course

2010-11-14T12:07:00.002-05:00

After taking a little time to read over the first draft of my WIP, and reflect on how to proceed, I've arrived at a couple of decisions!

First, I want to start immediately on my next WIP even while I begin editing the current WIP. After all, a professional writer should be comfortable juggling more than one project at the same time.

Second, I want to set my new working schedule as follows:

My new "work week" will run from Sunday to Saturday. I'll use Sunday thru Wednesday to work on the "new" WIP ("WIP B"), and Thursday thru Saturday to edit the just-finished, 142,000-word first draft of the "current" WIP ("WIP A").

The first step is to finish planning the new WIP B -- it's a story I've worked on before, so I'm only revising my planning notes and that shouldn't take more than a few days (I've already started this past week). I'll finish planning this week and start the draft next Sunday.

When Thursday rolls around this week, I'll begin editing in earnest of WIP A, the large, recently-completed draft. I've already printed it out in a format I can use for the initial editing, using my new printer -- what a relief it was to see how well it handled the print job! My last printer (an HP) never worked all that well, but this new one (a Canon) never misfed once and the quality is excellent. To help set me up for the editing, I'll gather together the editing notes I wrote while writing the first draft and organize them during the first part of this week, so I'm ready to print them out by Thursday to have a hard copy on hand alongside the printed first draft.

I figure it will take six weeks to complete the draft of the new WIP B, which is a shorter novel, plus this first week to complete the planning. That gives me a deadline of seven weeks for that task, which happens to be January 1, 2011.

I plan to take only three weeks for the preliminary editing of WIP A, which consists primarily of looking for stuff to cut out in order to shorten the lengthy draft. That gives me an intermediate deadline of December 4, 2010.

Then, I'll take four weeks for the first run-through, turning "telling" into "showing" wherever I can, and generally tightening up the prose. That gives me another deadline of January 1, 2011.

At that point, I'll establish the next deadlines for both projects.

In summary:

By December 4th: Complete preliminary editing (cutting down to size) of WIP A.

By January 1st: Complete first editing phase of WIP A; complete draft of WIP B.

Off and running!

Adrian

Mid-Week Update (7.5 Weeks In)

2010-11-08T20:49:00.003-05:00

Finished the final chapters! The first draft of my current WIP is now complete at 80 chapters and 142,040 words. I've also started reading the complete manuscript -- in sequence -- for the first time. I've reached chapter 31 and so far it's holding together very well! I know there are a few continuity issues later on, but these chapters are tight (except for a name or two, here or there). I'll report again after I've completed the reading.

Feels great to see such progress under my belt!

Adrian

Week 7: 75 Chapters / 135,077 Words

2010-11-04T23:32:00.002-05:00

So close! Almost finished the novel within the past week, writing 18 new chapters and 39,964 new words! That was an amazing week!

There are 5 more chapters to go, the final 5, which I'll estimate at another 6,250 words, give or take a few thousand. I'll finish them up soon, obviously.

It's been quite a juggling act, keeping track of so many details. I remember back a few years to when I finished another lengthy manuscript. I felt as though I were trying to land a large jet aircraft that had been severely damaged, and not all its parts were working --- flashbacks to Karen Black in one of those airplane disaster movies.

Well, this time there has been a bit of minor turbulence, but nothing major. The darned thing is holding together pretty well, all things considered! I'm quite impressed with the enormous benefit I've reaped from having planned the story in detail beforehand. Definitely makes the job a whole lot easier!

Not that writing 140,000 words is "easy."

At this point, I'm debating whether to take a break or move directly into the editing. If I take a break, I can use it to plan my next novel. Either way, I'll start editing as soon as I can, within a couple of weeks. I want to whip this into shape for ABNA in January, if I can. If it takes longer, that's fine, too -- I've put so much work into it, and the story is so worthwhile, once it's done I feel it'll truly be worth something!

Best wishes again to Nanoers, that they reach their word count and other goals in November!

Adrian

Mid-Week Update (6.5 Weeks In)

2010-11-01T19:57:00.003-05:00

Easing up the past couple weeks helped me get through the fatigue and now I'm getting lots done! Of course, it helps that I'm writing the important chapters in the later part of the story -- they're high-interest, suspenseful, full of action, etc.

The current word count stands at 125,250. I've written 30,137 words in only four days! I revised the total chapter goal down to 80 chapters, which will be adjusted during editing as needed. Working within that framework, I have 70 chapters done, and only 10 to go!

With any luck I'll continue at this pace. I hope to finish the first draft sometime later this week!

Wishing all those Nanoers embarking on their noveling frenzy for November the best of luck!

Adrian

Week 6: 57 Chapters / 95,113 Words

2010-10-28T10:44:00.003-05:00

Golly, another week? The time is flying by! I wrote 13,345 words this past week, which is slightly above the 12,500 I set as my general weekly goal. It was a successful week in terms of words written, but as I only completed 5 chapters, I only reached half my chapter goal of 10 chapters per week. Obviously, these were long chapters. At least I still met my word count goal!

As you will notice in the sidebar, I raised the total word count goal on the progress bar back up to 110k since it appears likely the novel will continue to run long as I finish the last, and most important, scenes. I added one chapter to the anticipated total, bringing that number to 83. It may yet climb higher as I take more space to bring to life various portions of the story.

Again, as in the past, the extra material is not the result of surprising new adventures my characters are leading me on, but is simply due to needing more space to really bring the scenes to life. It's important to immerse the Reader in the world of the story, in the events as they happen, so the Reader will be able to identify with the characters and feel the emotion of what is happening. I set a word count pace that is a bit fast, and slowing it down is definitely helping with the critical scenes I'm working on these days. When I reach the editing stage, I'll look for ways to consolidate some of this to reduce the number of chapters and/or word count. For now, I'm just getting it down in writing so I'll have what I need to work with later.

It's still a fun story. It's still fun to work with these characters. I really enjoy getting caught up in the story as I write it. However, the fatigue factor has definitely set in. My writing is more erratic now, in that I'm not writing seven days per week as before, with daily goals, but am working on some days and not on others and am writing more when I do write to make up for lost time. The days off are helping me through the fatigue issues.

The important thing is to keep a positive attitude and remember how I felt about this story earlier. It's truly special, and I love it and the characters and feel Readers will enjoy it as well. It's worth my time, and worth the effort.

The end is in sight, in terms of completing this first draft. Looks like it'll still take me 8 weeks instead of 6, but at least that's better than the 10 I originally gave myself.

Dealing with the peaks and valleys, and carrying on through it all,

Adrian

Week 5: 52 Chapters / 81,768 Words

2010-10-21T19:15:00.004-05:00

This past week I made more progress, but only 8 chapters. I'm trying to write 10 at a minimum! I can take heart that two of the chapters were very long (about 8k words between them) and I think I'll break them up. To reflect this I added one more chapter to the total, bringing it up to 82 now. It might be 83, depending on how I divide up this material.

In every case where I've added chapters, it hasn't been due to unforeseen "extra" adventures, but the fact that I found I needed more words to express something I had already planned on conveying, or I decided to add back in a scene that I had originally planned then decided not to write. So, it's an adjustment to the amount of space that I need to tell the existing story, rather than any departure from the original story.

Anyhoo, considering I really wrote one (or two) extra chapters in what I produced this week, my weekly total is more like 9 or 10 chapters. Not too bad.

As the picture for this entry shows, it's a struggle! There is a definite sense of fatigue now. I've hammered out over 80,000 words in the space of 4 weeks of writing time, dispersed over 5 weeks. That's a lot to produce. It's definitely a very intense experience! But I'm hovering around 80% done now, so at least I can move forward knowing that it'll soon be over and then I can take another break ... before I begin the editing.

Hanging in there,

Adrian

Week 4: Took A Break!

2010-10-14T15:43:00.005-05:00

Yes, I took some time off! It wasn't planned. The previous week I got only 4 to 4.5 hours of sleep per night for several nights in a row, and by last weekend I was exhausted. Also, after focusing so much on my writing and other work, I needed to catch up on family time. Then, this past week, other demands were unusually heavy, and I never got caught up with myself. As the days slipped away I kept thinking I'd catch back up the next day, but it just didn't happen.

So, I resigned myself to a week off ... and I enjoyed it! It was good to catch up on rest where I could and recharge my batteries. Sleep is vital for creativity, at least in my experience.

No bother. I'm getting back to work this week. Looking forward to finishing up this draft as quickly as possible. I'm already half caught up, with 5 more chapters finished, bringing the current total to 44 out of 81 (yes, I added one more chapter to the novel). The current word count, as reflected in the graphic in the sidebar, is 61,973, out of just over 100k (I adjusted the total to reflect the projection for 81 chapters).

I'll keep working, trying to catch up and make as much progress as I can this week. I just wrote a few very interesting scenes, and that always gives me a boost. Many more gems to come.

Wishing you progress with your own WIP, and a little time for yourself when you need it,

Adrian

Week 3: 39 Chapters / 51,287 Words

2010-10-07T22:46:00.003-05:00

More steady progress this past week. One chapter ran seriously long, coming in around 3,000 words. It required significant editing to shorten it. Otherwise, the chapter lengths have been pretty much on target.

I'm approaching the half-way point of the novel. If I'm able to keep this pace up, then I should be done in about another three weeks, making a total of six weeks for the rough draft. That's pretty good for a novel of 100k words!

I'm still eager to read through it in sequence for the first time. Since I've been writing it out of sequence, that'll be an eye-opener, I'm sure.

I think I'm on track. However, since I'm lost in the writing phase these days, I find myself questioning everything. I want to stop writing and revisit the planning. I want to rethink major scenes, and I question whether I have any clue what this story is about or whether my understanding is as deep as it needs to be.

All of this is normal.

Whether I had planned a little or a lot, I'd be experiencing these same doubts. I have to trust in the plan and carry on. This is not the time to rethink, but to follow what I mapped out and simply bring it to life on the page. Then, when it's all there, I can look it over and see what I've actually got. What I think I'm doing is not necessarily what I'm doing. How I think it's going is not necessarily how it's going. Such a lack of objectivity is normal when one is lost in the creative phase of writing manuscript pages. I mustn't take it too seriously!

So I'll carry on. As I must.

Adrian

Mid-Week Update (2.5 Weeks In)

2010-10-03T07:59:00.003-05:00

Currently at 41,932 words. I've completed 34 chapters out of 80. That leaves 46 more chapters to go!

I'm 42.5% through based on the chapter count, 42% based on word count -- which means the word count is in line with the intended goal. Therefore, I'm changing the expected total word count back to 100k as appropriate for 80 chapters (but it may spill over, as long as it doesn't exceed 110k).

I've officially dropped the Prologue. I also added one more chapter in the early part of the novel, making the total 80 (it was actually 79 through this past week, but I figured I'd add another chapter somewhere).

The "new" chapter was one of the original scenes I had imagined early on. I left it out as "not truly needed" while planning, but as I'm writing I feel it has a value in developing the characters and tightening the focus (and tension) around the initial story question.

I'll slow the pace down and just do the normal amount of work this week. I wrote extra last week, but I can't sustain that every week. There is a reason for establishing a reasonable weekly output and sticking to it. If I overdo I'll risk burning out or needing to take a few days off. Better to stick to a sustainable pace.

The weather has finally cooled. YEAH! I like this much better.

Back to work,

Adrian

Week 2: 29 Chapters / 36,402 Words

2010-09-30T16:51:00.004-05:00

Another productive week behind me! I've stopped trying to edit as I go. The forward rush really takes all the time I have. It's better not to edit anyway, although a little tweaking for clarity as I write is fine. I almost finished the antagonist's scenes -- only two more to write. They were, as anticipated, much shorter and it was a welcome relief to see that I could still keep scenes brief and tightly-focused. Running long is not a good pattern to fall into.

My minimum goal is ten scenes per week. I was able to write more scenes this past week due to the fact that many of these scenes were shorter. As I transition into the main character's POV, the scenes will tend to run long again. The word count is currently in line with where it should be, but I'm sure it'll grow at least somewhat excessive again from this point forward, so I'll leave the estimated word count at 110,000, instead of 100k.

I have about 51 more scenes to write. That should take about five more weeks. If so, then I'll actually finish the draft in seven weeks instead of eight, which is terrific since it'll leave me with another week to use for the editing! I've set a date in January for this novel to be completed, in time to submit it for the next Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest.

Up to this point, I've been planning on a pattern of many short chapters. Each chapter has only one scene. Thus, eighty scenes equals eighty short chapters. Some run 500 to 600 words, others closer to 2000 words, so there is variety. The generic word count goal per chapter (scene) is 1250 words, with a range from 500 to 1750 or thereabouts. I may keep this arrangement or I may decide to group the scenes into fewer chapters of multiple scenes. I'll wait until the editing phase to make that decision. The rationale for many short chapters is the idea that people sometimes read in short installments and the goal is to make the story readily accessible for reading during the daily commute or the typical lunch break.

That's all for now! I'm enjoying it and trying to remember to pace myself. It is a marathon, and I have a lot left to write, so best not to overdo. I have to complete this draft, then I still have many weeks of intense editing ahead of me. I look forward to the time when I can share the completed story!

Best wishes for your own writing progress,

Adrian

Mid-Week Update

2010-09-26T04:12:00.002-05:00

Just a quick update at what is "mid-week" according to my writing calendar. Since I started on a Thursday, each week begins on Thursday and ends on Wednesday. I am now mid-way into the second week.

The work currently stands at 18 chapters out of 80, and 29k words out of a revised total of 110,000. Since things are running a little longer than I intended, I revised the estimated total upward by 10k. See the updated the graphic in the sidebar.

I finished the scenes for the Romantic Interest Subplot and have written the first scene for the Antagonist Subplot. I'll continue those scenes this week. There are twelve more of them to do. If I can, I'll try to finish all those scenes by Wednesday, working beyond the 10-scenes-per-week pace that I had established. These scenes are much easier to write and most of them are supposed to be somewhat shorter, so it might be possible to accomplish this within the next several days.

That's all ... want to keep it brief. I'll update again after this second week's work is complete.

Best wishes for your own rapid progress,

Adrian

Week 1: 11 Chapters / 19,323 Words

2010-09-23T18:24:00.002-05:00

Autumn has officially begun and I've just completed my first full week of writing on my new WIP. I'd certainly call the first week a success. The novel has grown slightly: I'm now estimating 80 chapters and 100k words.

My goal is to complete 10 chapters per week for 8 weeks. I reached 11 chapters this first week. The chapters are running long, so the word count is higher than it should be. At 11 chapters, it should average out to 13,750 words. I completed 19,323 words, which means I'm hammering out about 40% more than I need to.

It's hard to keep it as short as I want it to be! Some of this can be edited away when I tighten the prose. However, in a few chapters I planned to abbreviate through narrative summary and I'm finding it hard to summarize and thereby "leave out" scenes. I tend to want to dramatize these steps since they are interesting in their own right and help flesh out the world and characters as well as advance the plot, so I end up with two or three scenes where I should have only one with some summary to move things along.

At first I was worrying about this but now I've decided to just go with it. This is the first draft and I would be better off having the extra scenes in case I decide to use them later. I can expand the word count as needed. Better to stay true to the story and these scenes seem vital enough to warrant inclusion as I'm writing them. Once I complete the draft then I can put my editor's cap back on and reorganize or cut out scenes as appropriate.

Today I'm starting the second week and looking forward to it. Hope it's as easy as the first week. I really breezed through the writing thanks to all the planning, and I feel the overall quality is pretty good for the first draft. I just have to keep my confidence up -- I realize all too well that I've left behind the logical planning stage and am now immersed in the creative phase, and I have to respect that. This is not the time to rethink things, or analyze the plot. I just need to write, to follow the blueprint, the map, the plan. Let it happen, and it will happen. Then, I can clean up the messes later. Overall, I'm doing really well with sticking to the plan and maintaining continuity.

Marching on,

Adrian

It Felt Like Christmas Eve

2010-09-18T22:24:00.004-05:00

After so much preparation, I eagerly looked forward to the day I had marked on my calendar to begin the first draft of my new WIP. That day was Thursday (9/16). I took Wednesday night off from any writing activities to give myself time to clear my head and rest up. That night, it felt like Christmas Eve! I was so excited. I had dreamed of creating such a collection of planning materials in the past, but never quite succeeded. This time, I went all out. In the weeks leading up to the big day I thought the story through forward and backward and mapped every scene in detail.

When Thursday rolled around and I finally sat down to write the first chapter, I felt like I was opening a wonderful gift that I had prepared for myself. I wrote joyfully, satisfied that I knew what I was doing. True, it was a little daunting at first, but I found it easy to resist the tendency toward perfectionism that can stall the creative flow. It wasn't about getting it down perfectly, but getting it written. My positive experiences in writing and editing earlier this year gave me the courage to trust my ability to write and polish. I set my qualms aside and focused on the scenes as I had imagined them, and sure enough I brought the story to life on the page. I really appreciated having it all mapped out for me this time. I could focus entirely on the individual scene, rather than having to wonder where things were headed.

I've completed five chapters and am working on the sixth one. I'll try to complete ten chapters per week but that may vary. I'll try to finish the entire draft in eight weeks, no more than ten. The projected word count is 95,000 words, but it will likely be somewhat longer. I don't want to exceed 110,000 words and can edit things down as needed. This story is epic fantasy, so the word length is appropriate.

As I mentioned in previous posts, I'm writing the chapters out of order. I considered several ways of approaching that and decided at least initially I'll work with one of the minor POV characters and write through all his scenes in the order they appear in the story. Then, I'll switch to the other minor POV character, and finally to the main character. This enables me to focus on each character's voice and how his perception shades the telling of the story. Continuity is not much of an issue at this point. I really did think through the details, and am keeping track of things well enough. I can also make brief notes to remind me of fine points for later editing but haven't needed to do that yet.

I'm also setting a new rule with this draft: it's okay to edit the current chapter, but once I declare it "finished" for the sake of the initial draft, and move on to the next chapter, I can no longer go back to it. Also, I will not read any previous chapter once I begin a new day's work. In other words, I can write a chapter in the morning and return to it throughout the day to edit and improve it, but when the next day rolls around, I can no longer go back to edit it or even to read it. I can only ever look at or edit the current day's work. This plan represents a compromise between the desire to read and edit previous chapters even as I advance to new chapters, and the opposite extreme where I never look back no matter what, and never edit anything until the draft is complete.

So far, the results are very much what I was hoping for. I'm thrilled to find it so easy to bring these scenes to life. The planning has not hindered that process. It has only helped it.

I'm not sure how much I'll blog along the way. I may put up a word count meter in the sidebar. You can rest assured I'll be writing steadily, probably every single day until the draft is complete in about two months. I won't stop until it's done and I'll finish it as quickly as possible while also maintaining quality.

Off and running,

Adrian

The Ball Is In My Court

2010-09-13T16:57:00.004-05:00

Turns out I do need a few more days to complete the planning work I have in progress. Last night I wrote 10k words in scene descriptions ... covering the first 25% of the novel. I'll need a few more days to finish these for sure! I could try to write less but I enjoy exploring the scenes and feel this is useful. I'm generating details I can draw from later. Better to sure up than leave to chance.

It's clear to me from all my planning work that the ball is in my court. It's up to me what to do with this story, how to do it, when to do it. I'm not on a power trip: I'm just realizing the power that I have to make decisions. I'm seeing clearly how the decisions I make play out and how it really does matter what decisions I make. I shape the writing experience for myself.

I've tried a mixture of approaches the past few years, and continue to try new avenues in search of the most productive and efficient ways to get my stories written. It's been a long haul and a massive amount of work, but I've made substantial progress and have learned a lot along the way, both what works for me and what doesn't. I've tested the boundaries, found how far I can go with some things, where the point of diminishing returns lies, and whether it's reasonable to gamble on certain strategies or not.

I need to stay true to myself, to do what works best for me. All the writing advice in the world is just that -- advice. The reality of my work as a writer is that it is an experience which I shape, which I must know well, for which I am responsible. It's up to me to pick and choose and develop the best way for me to get the job done. I have more courage now to rule in or out various strategies, perspectives and philosophies. I've tried things ... one should never make such hefty decisions without trying things. But with experience comes the right to make those decisions.

And always, I can try something new. Sometimes when I first try a new approach it doesn't seem to work. I'm smart enough to know that doesn't mean it's a bad idea: I just may not yet have figured out how to make it work. Too often we let our assumptions (and prejudices) guide us rather than clear the slate and try in earnest to understand something that may not come naturally or easily to us. Those who persevere may eventually find a way to make a new, worthwhile idea work and gain a substantial benefit (or learn more about why something is not for us).

I'm about to launch my first draft of my new WIP and I plan on writing it out of sequence, something I've never tried before. The basic rationale is this will force me to be cognizant of what I'm writing, to write with purpose, with forethought, with awareness, rather than from the seat of my pants. Even when I have planned substantially in the past before writing a draft, in the end it always comes down to developing a context, i.e., figuring it out as I go. This time I want to change that pattern, to force myself into a situation where I must know the story, and maintain continuity of the important details, a situation where writing is sharing what I know rather than learning the story as I go.

It will be interesting to see how this experiment pans out. I anticipate a very enlightening experience when I finally do read (and edit) my way through for the first time in sequence from beginning to end. This challenge is one I'm ready for, and doing it at this time makes sense in my ongoing development as a writer. Had I tried this a few years ago, it would probably not have taught me much of practical value. If this strategy works as I hope, it may become my new way of doing things.

We'll see!

Best wishes for your own strategizing, and may the risks you take prove worth it,

Adrian

Planning Heaven

2010-09-08T19:39:00.002-05:00

Yes, the view is great ... I'm in Planning Heaven and enjoying every moment of it!

How did I get here?

A lot of hard work, to be sure. But that didn't put me off! Quite the contrary. I love working hard when there's a purpose to it and when it makes a difference.

Here's what I've been up to since my last post....

First, I finished reworking the plot of my current WIP, which was originally constructed according to the Marshall Plan. I felt the need to tweak things a bit as I discovered more connections between scenes across the novel, and why various scenes were important. I added a few extra scenes to more fully develop certain subplots and even cut a few scenes when I found I could put their story business into other scenes. I kept the initial, pivotal and final scenes in the proper order according to the Marshall Plan, but now have a few additional scenes in the "between-spaces" beyond what I anticipated, based on intended word count (those familiar with the plan will know what I mean).

Then, I carried a piece of paper around with me for a week. That may not sound like such a great accomplishment in itself, but there's more to it! On the paper was a simple table with four columns for the four quarters of the story. Running down each column was a short description or title for each scene in that portion of the story. In other words, I had an overview of the novel that I could whip out and study at any convenient moment. I spent time just staring at that paper and imagining relevant details for each scene, such as "goal-conflict-failure-next goal" or "emotional-rational-decision", key snippets of dialog, and details of setting or mood or character development, etc. I internalized the story by using my imagination and reinforcing my story knowledge by remembering things, and checking my notes later when I found I couldn't remember something. The result: I know this story forward, backward, and in every other way that's fit and proper to mention.

Next, I spent the past couple of weeks creating a detailed storyboard, something I've attempted before, but never to this extent. I created a digital presentation of the story, about 400 slides with images and brief text summarizing the scenes (a few slides per scene). This gives me a visual sense of the story. Watching the presentation as a slide show allows me to read the story (in "tell" mode) and gain an overview of how well it fits together, where the highs and lows are, whether it makes sense, whether it builds suspense, etc. I had a lot of fun putting it together and it has helped enormously with putting a face to the story (actually, many faces, and locations, objects, etc.).

Currently I'm in the final phase of my expanded planning efort: I'm entering the scene data into yWriter5, which I'll use to compose the first draft. As part of this work, I'll write the final scene descriptions and also add notes of key ideas to include at key moments to help in setting up later events. I hope to have this work completed between now and this weekend but I may choose to spend one additional week on the planning in order to more fully capture those all-important little notes.

Thusly, and in such a manner, I should start the first draft either by the end of this weekend, or by the following weekend. I plan to allow about 10 weeks for that. I also plan to write this one OUT OF SEQUENCE, something I've never tried before. With such extensive planning, I feel this is worth trying for several reasons. I'll blog about that next time!

Best wishes for reaching your own Planning Heaven,

Adrian

Still Building

2010-08-18T14:26:00.002-05:00

In my last post I set out a path for completing the planning phase of my new current WIP within two weeks, so that I can begin to write the first draft. I set a goal of writing basic scene descriptions for the entire plot, and then writing detailed scene descriptions for each scene (totaling 30+ pages). I completed the first part, mapping out every scene using the Marshall Plan template, and ended up revising the plot two times in the process. Seeing the opportunity to make even more improvements, I decided to hold off on the detailed scene descriptions until I finish yet another revision of later scenes.

It's a fascinating world, and I truly love these characters. I feel there is more story potential here and I need to slow down and spend more time developing it. I've already spent a few hundred hours planning this story over the past 3 years but there is just so much more I can see doing with the characters and events. The challenge is to accomplish these things in a limited amount of pages and point-of-view characters. It's an epic fantasy novel, and keeping it tightly woven is a challenge. I'm having a lot of fun with it, and a lot of success.

A key effort has been to weed out the "new stuff" that I kept throwing into the plot. It's much better to re-use the same "old stuff" that's already there. This makes a considerable difference in Act II, which is the middle half of the book. A lot happens here. I need to focus on a few events and their lasting impact, and allow the characters time to deal with these things in meaningful ways. For instance, instead of introducing yet another new character, I've found ways to re-introduce existing characters. I even brought one character back from the dead! What a surprise to me, and no doubt to the main character. It is fantasy, so this sort of thing is quite doable; the strength it adds to the story is readily apparent. Giving the characters time to deal with things does not mean adding a lot of reaction scenes -- it just means that the new action scenes follow and build on existing situations rather than representing a constant departure for new, unrelated adventures. Things unfold, one to the next, in a direct and relevant fashion, rather than as a hodge-podge of new things thrown at the characters.

I'm now making my third revision of Act II, each time tightening, narrowing, further developing what's already there. It's greatly improving the story. I've spent a lot of time on it these past two weeks and am spending a lot of time again this week. I won't worry about the self-imposed deadline of two weeks, which has just passed. As long as I'm working hard and making such solid progress, watching the story improve visibly in front of my eyes, I have no reason to rush ahead. I'll give myself the time I need to complete this important work before solidifying it with the detailed scene descriptions, the final task before I'll be ready to begin the first draft. This added effort now will help make that draft much easier to write, and should considerably reduce the macro-level editing to follow.

Wish I could share details, but I guess the best way to do that is to wait until the final draft is complete, when I can share the whole story!

Working hard and loving it,

Adrian

Progress with Planning

2010-08-07T23:58:00.002-05:00

Just a quick update on the planning work for my new WIP. This past week I reviewed prior Snowflake planning notes and tweaked the characters' perspectives based on how they've developed in my thoughts over time. I also tightened the parameters (number of POV characters, word count), completed a preliminary scene list for the entire novel using the Marshall Plan, and have done "Stage 1" basic scene descriptions for the first half plus the ending. I have about 20 scenes in the later second act left to map out, then I'll have to step back and take a look at the whole thing before continuing to the next stage.

This marks the first time that I've actually followed the Marshall Plan as-is throughout the entire novel. I usually do my own thing based on the Marshall Plan, but with more POV characters and with a less-than-true order to the scenes. This time I wanted to stay within the limits of the Plan and see how it turns out. I like it!

It's amazing how tightly the story is now plotted. I saw opportunities to consolidate scenes, handling more than one item of business in the same scene. I also was much more aware of the impact of POV, and that's certainly a good thing. Plotting this tightly is hugely beneficial. I can always add a scene or two here or there later on if I feel it is needed. I know the story well and know I can't represent everything in the novel. Some of it is too peripheral, even if it is interesting in its own right. I'm keeping it focused and the extraneous clearly stands out.

I'll complete the basic scene descriptions in the next day or two, then during the coming week I'll go back over them and write the "Stage 2" descriptions, 30+ pages featuring a paragraph or two for each scene summarizing the gist and including any tidbits of dialog that I know already, certain key lines that must be said at certain key points. Hopefully by the end of this coming week the slightly-more-detailed scene descriptions will be complete, and then I'll take time to rehash, review and polish the plan yet again.

Feels good to see such concrete progress!

Adrian

Charting the Course

2010-07-31T17:44:00.007-05:00

My recent Creative Break is officially over! I'm back at work and have been for a couple of weeks, albeit off and on. Now I'm rolling up my shirt sleeves, baring my knuckles, preparing to dive in and stir up the dust to drive things home! And no, I don't have time to cut down on mixed metaphors!

I'm excited, which is a good sign. I needed a break and I don't regret taking it. My head is clear and my sense of purpose is sharp. The iron is hot. Time to strike.

As always, I reflected on how things went this last go-round, in order to avoid whatever pitfalls I encountered and make a better go of it this time. Here's what I decided:

(1) I can burn out on a story if I spend too many months and too much effort on it. It's more important to get through a draft. I'll limit myself to a quick first draft, whatever the result, and trust in my editing capabilities, which I'm quite happy with after seeing how I turned rough stuff into slick stuff over the past several months.

(2) I'm going to work from a detailed scene list rather than just major plot pillars. The details can be basic (POV character, goal, complication, result, time, place, etc.). To help me plan, I'm using the Snowflake Method for brainstorming and general overview, the Marshall Plan for scene and sequence, and to write it I'll use yWriter5 for the first time.

(3) Some other things I won't blog about, including new tricks I've come up with that are helping immensely. You know I've gotten onto some really good stuff if I'm not sharing it.

Once again, I won't say anything about the novel since I want it to sell. I won't even give it a name. It's just my current WIP. Nuff said.

Good to be back in the driver's seat, on the road again, building steam in the engine, etc.

Current goals: finish planning in one to two weeks; start first draft immediately once scene list is complete; finish first draft within three months of starting it. Oh, and do a really good job with it! ;-)

Wishing Wynn a lot of fun in Greece, where she may finally wrap up her novel on Alexander the Great this summer, and wishing everyone else all the enthusiasm they can muster,

Adrian

Who'da Thunk It?

2010-07-18T01:01:00.004-05:00

According to a web site which analyzes your writing and compares it to other authors, I write like:

I write like
Dan Brown

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Who'da thunk it?! (hahahaha)

I tried it with a sample of my recent WIP, the one I worked on steadily from November until recently. Trying it again with another section of text from the same WIP, I got these results:

I write like
Ian Fleming

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Trying it again with an excerpt from JACK & JILL: THE UNTOLD STORY, which I worked on a couple of years ago (and have been toying with recently), I got these results:

I write like
J. K. Rowling

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

And, using a sample from my children's fiction (Middle Grade, ages 8-12):

I write like
Ursula K. Le Guin

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Finally, using a sample from THE REFLECTING STONE, the first novel I worked on about four years ago....

I write like
William Shakespeare

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Hahahaha!

So what have I done to my writing over the past four years that it would plunge from the heights of Sheakespeare to, well, uh, nevermind.

At least it's good for a laugh,

Adrian

Sunrise & Sunset

2010-07-02T16:15:00.002-05:00

My Kindle ebook reader arrived yesterday and I must say -- I'm impressed! I really like it. I've always felt comfortable reading on my laptop, and the new e-ink technology is even better. The Kindle is lightweight, solid, a good size that's easy to hold and the buttons are easy to use.

I've already downloaded about 500 free ebooks of various kinds, so I have plenty to read. A lot of them are classics I've always wanted to experience but never have, or some I read years ago and would enjoy reading again. Some deal with history, philosophy, mythology, etc. I also look for current novels that are offered for free -- there are plenty of them around. Eventually I'll start buying content and will be happy to do so at a reasonable price -- I think ebook prices should be lower, not higher, than print books (a topic in itself).

One thing really struck me once I started reading a book on my new Kindle: this thing really does mark a major step forward in the evolution of how we read. I think back to the ancient cuneiform tablets of Mesopotamia, the papyrus scrolls of ancient Egypt, the runes hacked into the sides of trees or carved into stones along the roads of ancient Scandinavia. Then came paper and finally the invention of movable type. The Kindle and other ebook readers represent as big a step forward as the Gutenberg press. We're now witnessing the first steps of a major transformation in how written information can be disseminated. It's already started, of course, with computers and the internet, but with devices such as the Kindle the digital age will bring us to a time when print books will be a rarity, something for collectors. Not in our lifetimes, but it won't take long for this new technology to become widespread in the developed world, then the norm. We're seeing the sunset of the printed word, and the sunrise of a new age.

Egad!

It's cool on the one hand, but a little weird on the other. I wonder how those with access to hand-copied manuscripts felt in Gutenberg's time when printed books began to appear, then became the norm!

The first novel I'm reading on my Kindle is His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik, which was recently offered for free on Amazon. I'm about a quarter of the way through it already and I'm enjoying it immensely. It combines an old-fashioned sea tale with dragon lore -- awesome! The writing style is reminiscent of nineteenth-century novels, which I adore. I'm impressed with the consistent quality of the prose. It's a great story for someone into dragons and the era of sailing ships.

The Kindle certainly helps me to focus while reading. I use a larger font size which puts fewer words per line and ultimately per page. This helps me to read quickly and the need to turn the page draws me forward. Seeing the progress bar on the bottom of the screen also encourages me to move along. I have no difficulty losing myself in the story; the device does not distract. The Kindle certainly makes reading easy -- I could read from sunrise to sunset!

I won't commit to reading a novel a week, but I will certainly enjoy reading as much as I can as often as I can. What a great way to catch up on my dream list of books I've always wanted to read but never found the time for! And what a great way to keep current with what's being published today. I wasn't sure how I'd feel with the device, whether it might seem overblown and unnecessary, but now that I've tried it, I'm totally sold. Glad I bought it, and I look forward to countless hours enjoying it.

Back to my reading,

Adrian

What We Sow...

2010-06-19T11:31:00.002-05:00

The old adage is true: what we sow, we also reap. Speaking in writing terms, the effort to become a published writer is much like cultivating a field of, uh, dreams (where have I heard that phrase before?). We must cultivate this field and nurture it along over time. Only when the proper season comes do we have the opportunity to harvest what we have sown. You can't plop a seed in the ground today and expect it to mature by tomorrow. Things take time.

Since November or so, I've been working very hard to get something finished. I have felt that I'm very close to ready myself, and the time has come. I've worked hard at my craft for several years now, and off an on for many more years before that. I've learned a lot, have plugged in the holes, found what was missing, and strengthened the weak spots. I've studied and rehearsed and just plain worked hard. Where then, are the results? I need a completed manuscript, and I need to start turning them out one after the other.

And yet I find myself sitting here in June with a half-finished novel!

I grabbed the bull by the horns and refused to let go ... but now I have ease my grip and step back a moment. It's time now to pause, to reflect, to take a break. Not an extended break, but a break. I poured my heart and soul into this work over the past several months, and I'm drained. Writing is very demanding, both mentally and emotionally. Sometimes we need to step back and rest, refill the creative wellspring, reconsider our position, plan the best course to continue. When the time is right, we can move forward.

This is one reason why it's good to have multiple projects in the works -- you can switch from one to another and that alone can help you move forward (at something) rather than grind to a halt (at everything). Nonetheless, sometimes we need a break, and that means to literally stop working and take a break.

I am drained, a little burned out creatively, and very much exhausted emotionally. But it's not so severe, not as bad as it has been on other occasions. I will be ready to get back into it shortly. I've eased off the past couple of weeks and already I'm feeling much better.

I've missed my goal of having this current novel finished by July 1st. That is frustrating, but I have to accept it. I'm a work in progress myself, much like my novel. As much as I want to "be there" at this point, I'm not. I'm still becoming a writer. But I'm almost there. I'm sure of that.

And when I am "there", I will know it. I will prove it time and time again. And I'll be sure to let the world know.

Enjoying a well-deserved respite, guilt-free, and looking forward,

Adrian

Seasons

2010-05-31T19:12:00.002-05:00

The season is changing again. Spring is giving way to summer. Already the heat and humidity are upon us. Daily activities change and distractions pop up everywhere. I've certainly had a lot of them lately! My writing time has greatly diminished with other obligations taking the forefront. It happens.

I'm doing what I can to keep my writing "alive" during this time of intense distraction. I did manage to map out the remainder of the WIP, and the "But List" really helped me focus my scenes. Now I just have to get back into the story and pick up where I left off. It's still not finished after all this time, but I have done quality work and am proud of that.

I'll blog more when I have more time!

Adrian

The "But List"

2010-05-15T12:55:00.005-05:00

Perhaps it doesn't sound quite as glamorous as the "Bucket List", but for novel writing the "But List" is a very useful tool. It's a slimmed-down version of the "Goal, Complication, Result" list that many of us use -- a way to keep track of conflict. Mine is a table with just four columns: INDEX, POV, WANTS/NEEDS and "BUT".

In the INDEX column, I keep track of which scene I'm referring to. I use a three-digit format: act, chapter, scene. The chapters are continuous, but the scene numbers are restarted at "1" for each chapter. For Act III, Chapter 27, Scene 2, the notation is: 3-27-2. Easy and quick.

The POV column contains just the name of the POV character for the given scene. Again, easy and quick.

The WANTS/NEEDS column contains the POV character's main goal for the scene. It is something the character wants or needs. I use WANTS/NEEDS instead of GOAL as the heading for this column because it feels more immediate, more real. People don't think in terms of goals; they think in terms of what they want or need at any given moment. Goals exist, of course, but we only think of them as such in certain contexts. I like to be reminded that characters are driven by wants and needs, rather than just goals, which sound too impersonal as a source of motivation.

Finally, the "BUT" column contains the complication, whatever happens that stands in the way of true happiness. For example, if a character wants to buy an ice cream cone, then the "BUT" column might contain: "The store is closed." No true happiness there! Or, if the character will buy the ice cream cone, then it must be something else, such as: "Cashier remarks it's fattening." So, the POV character reaches the goal, but finds reason to regret it. Hmm, maybe I'll keep that in mind the next time I go shopping for ice cream!

The "But List" helps me focus my scenes to ensure they are goal-driven, rather than just a bunch of stuff that sort of happens to characters who just seem to show up at some place. It also helps me maintain a sense of conflict.

The general advice is that every scene must contain conflict, and I strive for that, but I've read plenty of scenes by successful authors and found very little outright conflict in them (the scenes, not the authors). I like it when sometimes things do work out okay for a character. It's a welcome relief from the constant pressure. It creates a happy moment and a release of tension, usually just before some major complication comes along and ruins things yet again. I know other writers and aspiring writers also share this view, that not every scene has to be pumped full of conflict, despair and broken dreams. The plot can move forward in other ways, such as a character learning information while having a good time.

In fact, I just read such a scene in the second Nightrunner novel (by Lynn Flewelling). Seregil had a romantic encounter that was enjoyable and he got some new information to spur him on. Perhaps the only conflict was that he would have liked to have stayed longer, but that sentiment wasn't expressed. He had his fun and now he's off for another adventure! Works for me (as a reader of this scene; actual lifestyle choices are another topic).

I was afraid in looking back over my current WIP that I might find the scenes were too lacking in goals and complications. I was pleased to find that only a handful of scenes needed any tweaking, and the adjustments are minor. My effort to keep goals and conflict in mind as I write has paid off. It's becoming second nature.

Well, I'm off to work more on my "But List", and solve some antagonist issues that are holding things up -- not altogether unexpected behavior for an antagonist.

Adrian

Off-Color After-Thought: In the spirit of the "Bucket List", an actual "Butt List" does sound intriguing....

A System of Organization

2010-05-13T09:48:00.005-05:00

I've spent a bit of time this past week getting myself organized. Rather, I've been organizing my notes, not only for my current and some previous WIPs, but for my new story idea as well (the one I dreamed up while sleeping).

To help me do this, I've started using Microsoft's One Note (tm) program, which is really cool. I've had it for several years but never got around to using it, until recently. I'm glad I did. It's a terrific way to organize notes. Now, instead of using several different programs and sifting through numerous different files, I can put all my notes in one place and access them easily and conveniently without the need to open another program. This is so easy! I even developed a template to help me start off each new novel as I convert my old notes to this new system.

If you're not familiar with One Note (tm), understand that it's based on the idea of a three-ring binder. If you want to organize notes in a binder, you will fill the binder with pages and you'll probably also put some dividers in there to separate the pages into various sections. With this program, you create electronic "notebooks". The notebooks are listed down the left side of your screen so you can move from one notebook to another notebook with just one click. Within each "notebook" you create "dividers" (tabs across the top of the screen) and "pages" (tabs running down the right side of the screen). Click on a notebook, click on a divider, then click on a page and you see that page in the center of the screen. A very simple format and incredibly easy and convenient to use.

I create a new notebook for each novel. Across the top, I have dividers for major sections, including:

PROJECT (with pages for a project time line, weekly goals, work notes to remind me of what I need to do next, and pages for keeping track of eventual submissions, etc.);

IDEAS (a "sandbox" for brainstorming ideas about plot, characters, etc. -- once I have something I want to use, I copy and paste it over to other sections as appropriate);

WORLD (for fantasy world-building, including maps, descriptions of places, and pages for various aspects of the world including mythology, political system, history, culture, etc.);

CONLANGS (if any);

CHARACTERS (with a table listing all the characters, their ages, places of origin and brief identifications, then separate pages for each of the important characters to flesh them out); and

PLOT (with an Overview, and pages for various tables and lists and details, and a tab for each ACT (I divide my stories into Act I, Act II A, Act II B and Act III), where I put details about chapters and scenes within those portions of the story.

It's a lot of work on the one hand, but it has a tremendous, positive impact. In part it makes the process of writing a novel somewhat impersonal. It becomes like any other job: do this, then do that, figure this out, problem solve that, tie this together, and move on, and do it by next week. This logical, organized, impersonal side of the writing process helps make the chaos of the creative side more bearable. I'm amazed at how much information I can keep in one place and how quickly I can locate individual pages using the navigation system of this program -- so much better than hunting around inside multiple lengthy text documents and spreadsheets!

It's been a lot of fun getting this new system up and running, and I'm so glad I finally tried out One Note (tm). It's well worth the effort to learn how it works and develop a system using it.

Best wishes for keeping yourself organized,

Adrian

Staying Centered

2010-05-03T20:43:00.004-05:00

Progress is ongoing. I can't help but revise as I move forward -- it's slow, and I've tried to set that aside but I just can't since the progress is so solid. The story is over 38k now and I'm into some exciting chapters at this point. The pace is picking up, the stakes are higher, the intrigue is developing into the full-blown confrontations that will come later in this part of the story. I've had to pause to do some more research but I'm keeping that to a minimum. Parts of this story are set in a variety of locations and I need to gather some information to help me set the story in those places with some sense of local flavor. I'll expand on the details as needed in the eventual "edit" (apart from the ongoing editing).

I've also had major brainstorms on plots for other novels, and awoke one morning with a wonderful new story idea pretty well mapped out. I made notes, and since then have expanded on those notes. I think we move forward and then we need to move laterally to sure up that forward progress. Here I am making breakthroughs with the WIP and suddenly I'm seeing similar issues in other novels I've worked on! I've taken some time this past week to delve into plotting notes for past novels and have gained some new inspiration and learned more about my plotting tendencies and how I can improve. Growth is cyclical, and we need to free ourselves to go with the flow and take advantage of the insights when they come to us.

So, I've now got another exciting new story to work on whenever I get this one finished! I didn't complete the first draft within May (no surprise at this point) but I am making steady progress. I'll have to push the deadline off until the end of May for a complete draft of my WIP. That's okay, as long as I'm making progress. At this point I'm feeling the need to go back and map out what I've written, to help me plot more clearly the specific sequences to come. I'll be working on that now for the next few days.

Looking forward to a productive May,

Adrian

Cool Video

2010-04-26T17:58:00.002-05:00

Just had to share this stereotype-busting video with you. Found it on Lee Wind's blog.

Peace,

Adrian

YA Authors vs. Bullying

2010-04-19T16:12:00.005-05:00

There is a new Facebook group of YA authors and supporters who are making an effort to stop bullying. Thought I'd pass news of this along. It's a very worthwhile undertaking and I'm proud that authors have gotten involved in what must be an effort by all of us to make a difference.

I read about this on Lee Wind's blog.

Have a happy, peaceful, non-bullied day.

Adrian

Seat Time

2010-04-18T07:33:00.003-05:00

This past week has been a tough one for seat time, with many major distractions pulling me away from my writing. These included finishing the taxes and a new baby in the family (not mine!). I did get some quality work done, but not as much as I had hoped.

I edited the past few chapters again, something I just can't stop doing, probably since it's the way I've been working throughout this entire draft and with good results. It's just been slow, at times too slow and too tedious. I've tried rushing forward but that's not working, either.

The good news is I'm much happier with the past few chapters. One in particular had never satisfied me; I think I can say now it's not nearly as bad as I had thought it was. The editing has focused the conflict and strengthened the sense of how and why things matter to individual characters. And, I'm through that really rough spot in the plot that had tied me up for so long. The word count has grown to 31k on top of the editing work. A meager step forward, but it's very solid progress.

This coming week I'll shoot again for 10k words, and more if I can to help me catch up. It's still possible to complete this draft within April. I know if I do race ahead the quality will go down and I'll have more editing to do later. The only thing that matters, of course, if finishing this manuscript and getting it out the door -- however that happens is fine with me.

I have a larger time line I'm working against, which currently calls for me to finish the first draft in April then spend two months editing, with the finished product ready to mail out by July 1st. With all the editing I've done thus far on this draft, there isn't much more to do with the existing chapters except polish them.

I'm excited whenever I think I'll finally have something ready to send out! And I want to follow it with more stories on a regular basis. All I need is more seat time. I've enjoyed using the Cool Timer (see "Resources" in the sidebar). I don't always need it, but using it gives me an extra push, a sense of urgency.

Wishing everyone else all the seat time they need this week,

Adrian

Free Timer

2010-04-17T11:05:00.003-05:00

I've read a number of blog posts recently that extol the virtues of using a countdown timer while writing. Indeed, setting a limited, immediate writing goal is a terrific way to help yourself focus. You effectively carve a slice of time out of your busy day and set everything else aside, knowing it'll still be there for you later. It's important to remove distractions so nothing interferes with your concentration! A timer can sure help you churn out the work.

To keep yourself fresh, write for 50 minutes, then take a 10 minute break, then write for another 50 minutes, etc. Breaks help. We need to clear our thoughts, release the tension, get some oxygen (get up and walk around!). Breaks help us return refreshed and ready to focus for another go-round.

If you don't have 50 minutes, you can set a shorter writing goal (10-15 minutes) and fit several smaller writing sessions into your busy day. This is a great way to keep in touch with your story rather than dropping it altogether when time is limited. By keeping the story moving, even slowly, you keep it from growing cold; when that happens, you need extra time just to get back into the flow of things before you can write productively again, which means you lose time.

To keep your work on-track, set a specific writing goal for each writing session. For example, "I'll use these 50 minutes to write a first draft of this scene or chapter," or, "I'll use this writing session to edit the last chapter and plan the next chapter," etc. A timer creates immediacy, but you need to complement that with a specific writing goal in order to achieve true focus.

I found a free timer called "Cool Timer" which you can download here. CNET is a great site for technology reviews, downloads, etc. The download is certified spyware-free, plus you can scan it with your own anti-virus software once you download it (just right-click the downloaded file -- you should see an option on the pop-up menu to scan it with your anti-virus software).

See the "Resources" section in the sidebar for more useful stuff!

Happy Writing,

Adrian

Climbing Over the Rough Patches

2010-04-10T06:07:00.004-05:00

In the first week of April No-No I succeeded in breaking every rule I established for myself! Not only did I go back to the beginning and re-read the entire manuscript, but I also edited a bit here and there, in particular the last two chapters. I couldn't help it! Now I know how an addict must feel, trying to kick the habit.

Still, I managed to bring the story forward about 5k words, from 24k to 29k. That's only half the 10k progress I wanted, but I got a lot out of it. I'm not worried that I didn't make 10k -- I never wrote evenly during Nano; it came in bursts but still I made it to 50k for the month. I should still reach 40k by the end of April.

The past couple of chapters have definitely been rough terrain (hence the photo of the dune buggy). It's been a wild ride, but I'm hanging on and things are not as bad as they might be. I do know the plot; I'm just working out the details. I didn't plan this story in extreme detail because I wanted to allow myself the "joy of discovery" -- what was I thinking?! (haha)

I feel by having a specific word count goal I did get more accomplished this past week than I might have otherwise. I'll keep the goal in place and work harder this week to meet it. I hope to finish that missing 5k this weekend and get the new week's 10k done by next weekend.

I'm into Chapter 9 already and the first scene is EXCELLENT. It's the sort of stuff I want to do, and here I am doing it! Not only is this the quality and nature of the material I'm aiming for, in this case it came out clear and well-written the first time through. Exciting!

And the writing goes steadily on,

Adrian

New Blog Features

2010-04-04T04:22:00.004-05:00

HAPPY EASTER!

You may notice a few new items in the sidebar of my blog.

I'm now featuring free MP3 albums which you can listen to and download courtesy of Jamendo. Nice instrumental stuff that you can enjoy while writing. Jamendo offers free, legal downloads of music from aspiring musicians, composers, etc. Check it out!

Each album image has its own controls: you can listen while you view my blog. If you hit the next button (>>) you can check out the next track. And, of course, you can download the entire album to add to your collection.

At the bottom of the sidebar are also some images with links to items you may wish to purchase, if you haven't already. I'm not receiving advertising revenue from this -- I'm just sharing links to things you may enjoy.

You can now also subscribe to my blog from the sidebar, and join as a follower, showing your support.

Back to my WIP,

Adrian

Wake-Up Call!

2010-04-02T23:24:00.003-05:00

March has turned into April and my WIP is still not done! So, for what may be the third time now I'm extending my deadline, pushing it off another month! I hope to have the draft finished by the end of April!

And that constitutes a wake-up call!

Ergo, it's time for my own mini-Nano, which I'll call "April No-no" -- it's a no-no that I'm still finishing this draft in April, and no-no I won't let it go beyond that!

Time to determine weekly word-count goals. I'll set a minimum goal of 10k per week, which is about 3 chapters per week based on the length of the chapters thus far (just over 3k each).

In order to accomplish that I'll force myself to turn off the internal editor and just plow on through.

Here are my rules for April:

1. Write only on the WIP until the WIP is done (this draft).
2. Never go back to read more than the last scene before starting new writing, unless I have to search back to check a detail to maintain continuity.
3. Move forward with a bare minimum of editing as I go.
4. Read over and tweak current work only if it doesn't interfere with meeting the day's word count goal within the time available.
5. Believe that everything I'm writing is the best thing I've ever written and, besides, it'll all work out in the editing.

I'll keep you posted as I bring this draft to its conclusion within April!

BTW, I've succeeded with Nano at 50k, I should be able to do April No-no at 40k! Let's hope so. The difference is this is real, and I'm really serious about this WIP as something to send out the door, so I'm taking it much more seriously: it's not a throw-away writing exercise.

The race is on!

Adrian

Burning the Midnight Oil

2010-03-31T17:51:00.003-05:00

I've been working productively again. I had one really good night and a few so-so nights, but at least I've finally paved over the pot hole, that spot where my story kept sticking. I've bridged the transition and am on to the new stuff that's so much more interesting. It's fun again!

Note for future reference: when the story gets stuck, ask if you have enough story! Turns out the solution was I needed to add some other plot elements. I added two big events that give much more momentum to this section of the story. Now I can enjoy watching them unfold!

Adrian

Plucking Away

2010-03-26T21:09:00.002-05:00

I'm still plucking away in the same mired-down spot of my current WIP. It's frustrating, to be sure. I'm trying to break through, to push on, to get the momentum going again. It's slow, tedious, a veritable dry spell, but I'm not floundering: I do know the rest of the story. I'm just not focused as I need to be. Lack of sleep and too many distractions have a lot to do with it. I'll have to catch up on some sleep and set aside some quality writing time without the usual potential for interruptions. I can do it!

One of my distractions has been reading. I've found several terrific new blogs to follow and have started using a blog reader, instead of just visiting each blog each time I want to know what's new. The blog reader is really cool and makes it easy to browse through a number of blogs at once and read any new postings that are of interest. I know I'm late getting on the band wagon, but now that I've discovered how to use a blog reader, I'm hooked. I'll just have to manually disconnect from the internet to force myself to write!

Looking beyond the obvious . . . .

We grow over time. Sometimes the progress is dramatic; at other times it seems we're not moving forward, even though we are: we need time to internalize the growth. My perspectives on my work and writing career are shifting, maturing, deepening. I feel I am in a transition phase where I'm leaving behind the "trying-to-get-there" mode and am entering the "I'm-there-and-here's-the-proof" mode. Perhaps part of my problem with focusing is due to the fact that there is a lot going on under the surface right now. A major change is happening. Hopefully, I'm gearing up mentally and emotionally for a new push forward. I see myself getting things done in the coming months, finishing one manuscript after the other, rather than just struggling to complete a series of drafts that never quite reach their final polish. Certainly it's time I got there!

Philosophizing aside, I still need to chain myself to my laptop and get to work.

Yes, that's what I'm going to do, right now . . . sit here and pluck away at my manuscript, until I see the progress on the page!

Adrian

The Importance of Being Cheerful

2010-03-22T20:11:00.004-05:00

At times, writing is pure bliss. It moves you, stirs you, touches you to the very core. Ideas flow, the writing just happens, and the results are terrific. At other times, of course, it's hard to find an idea, no words will come, and whatever you get down on the page is not worth the trouble of reading it. It's during those times that we have to remember to be cheerful.

When I write, I can be any number of persons. I can assume the identity of any of my characters, or the prospective Reader, or myself at any of many ages or stages of my life. When the writing gets tough, however, my inner baboon comes out. I prance around, posturing, beating my chest, proclaiming loudly that I am better than this, that my writing should never suffer the doldrums. My primitive instincts come out and I'm not a joy to be around.

I realize that writing is 99% unfathomable process and at least 1% grace. I have to hold on to that one percent. I have to remember to act with grace under pressure. I have to let go of my inner baboon and try my very best to act in a dignified and pleasant manner. It's best to approach my work with a can-do attitude. I should be cheerful, and approach my work in a cheerful manner, even if I don't feel like it.

Putting on a happy face ultimately helps us find the joy within us, which can only help us as we press on through the ups and downs of the writing process.

Adrian

New Look

2010-03-16T15:54:00.004-05:00

With Spring just a week away, I thought it was high time for a new look! For my blog, that is! I've lightened the page, inverted the colors (go figure), and decided to introduce images to help brighten things up a bit. I had to repost the last posting ("Spinning Wheels") a few times in order to make adjustments and get things situated right. At least now I know how to add the image and keep things aligned properly.

I think I also want to do something a little different with the content. My blog has gotten really BORING of late -- it bores me, too -- and that means I need to pep things up a little. I don't want to spend too much time blogging since I need the time for my writing, but I will try to find something at least mildly interesting to write about. This blog serves primarily as a way for me to keep myself motivated and focused, to keep on track over the long haul. However, I also have also used it to explore various aspects of the novel-writing process, and to share with my readers what I've learned along the way as I struggle to become a published author. I think I'll get back to the process comments, which were generally more interesting, and try to keep them on an even keel with the progress comments.

That's all for now, but I'll be back soon -- hopefully posting at least once a week again!

Adrian

Spinning Wheels, Keeping At It

2010-03-16T15:19:00.007-05:00

Hard to believe it's been so long since my last posting! It feels like I posted only a week ago. Time flies sometimes! I've been working at the present juncture in the story, where the plot transitions from the initial set-up to the middle of the book. I write, take it out, write it again, edit it, take it out, try again, over and over. I'm back in Chapter 7 and the word count is around 22k. I have several thousand words set aside from earlier progress that I can still draw from once I get past this juncture, but I have yet to feel I've got this part of the story "right".

Spending too much time in this one place is a sign I should just move on. I've been spinning my wheels and while things are better now, I'm losing momentum. I'm going to push on and let it stand as is, with its imperfections, and come back to it later for editing. I may just go ahead and break with the "3 steps forward, 2 steps back" approach that's been working so well up to now. I may just go ahead and blaze on through the rest of the story, to get it finished. I estimate another 40k to 45k words, maybe a little more. I want this to be a shorter novel, definitely no more than 70k. Momentum is important, and I've slowed this too much and am afraid I'll just set it aside if things don't get moving again. The story is still great, but I'm getting bored from too much repetition. I have to nurse myself along as well as the story.

One sign this is the case is I'm already dreaming about my next story. Boredom! Yet this present story is anything but boring. So, speed is now essential! I'll give myself permission to race ahead. After all, I can always go back. And back. And back.

By the way, Spring weather is arriving early. It's very much appreciated, but it leads to Spring Fever, which I want to avoid! Must finish manuscript, must finish manuscript! I will hold on and get this to completion -- I've seized the bull by the horns and I won't let go until this is ready to go out the door in whatever way I'm sending it out (just not to the garbage can).

Oh, and I've got a few ideas about what to do with it once it's done!

Keep on Writin',

Adrian

Still Plugging Away & Olympic Dreams

2010-02-26T09:36:00.003-05:00

I'm now through Chapter 8 and the novel stands around 26k words. However, I'll surely go back into these past few chapters and do some rewriting -- in fact, I know just the spot where I need to do that, and what I need to do.

This new approach of going in circles -- three steps forward followed by two steps backward, editing, rewriting, fixing, then forward again -- is working wonderfully. It just takes a lot of patience to keep going back over the same material many times, and to allow for intervals of editing between intervals of writing new stuff. As long as there is some sense of forward momentum, I can keep this up.

The only snafu is that sometimes I go over stuff so much that I need a break from it in order to clear my head and restore some sense of objectivity. I lose a few days or a week at a time, but it's truly necessary, and when I return to the story I have that much-needed perspective that lets me see through the issues to the heart of the matter and target just what I need to do to keep the story in line with the overall vision and the major plot points.

Yes, it's slow, but not too tedious, and it takes great patience, but it's doable, and the results are VERY SOLID. I'm thrilled. I feel I will likely need to do only some relatively minor editing to polish the entire manuscript once the draft is complete. I do not expect to feel any need for a second draft.

The story is really cool. I like it a lot. The characters are interesting. I like them a lot. The ultimate message is important, and the ending is substantial enough to really generate emotional impact. All of that reflects my opinion, of course, but if I like it, then maybe someone else will, too.

By the way, I read on Wynn Bexton's blog how she is inspired by the Olympics. She's there right now enjoying the atmosphere -- how cool for her! I share her sentiment: there is a parallel between the years of preparation and struggle for excellence that the athletes endure and our own struggle over many years to achieve the skills to produce worthwhile results.

I know I've enjoyed seeing every medal ceremony I've managed to catch on TV. Regardless of the nationality of the athletes, I've cheered them on and felt happy for them, celebrated with them the joy they must be feeling. It truly is inspirational to see so many people making their dreams come true -- and not just the medalists, but all those fortunate to compete.

Keeping the dream alive,

Adrian

Solid Progress, But Slow

2010-02-04T20:10:00.002-05:00

I did get back to writing since my last post, and have been working hard. I carried the story forward somewhat. I'm in chapter 6, and am still editing chapters 4 and 5. I think the first 3 chapters are pretty well done until the final review and polish.

It's slow going, because I'm trying to get it right as I go. I am tempted to break into a run and just finish off the story, then go back to edit, but I'm concerned if I do that then I'll end up with a rough draft that would require so much editing that it would be a waste of time. Slow, solid progress seems to be working well for this story, as long as I keep it moving forward, even at a slow pace. I can't let it stall or spend so much time rewriting that I inhibit any additional forward momentum. The balancing act has been working well enough thus far.

It's clear I won't have the story finished in time for this year's ABNA, which is very sad, since I had really hoped to have something, but at least I hitched a ride, so to speak, and the excitement surrounding that event has spurred me on to get really serious on bringing this story to completion. I'll just keep at it. It's hovering around 20k right now, and that's about 1/3 of the story (goal: 60-65k). I know the storyline, so it's just a matter of telling it as I go, not figuring it out. I feel more solid on having a handle on this story plot-wise than any other story I've worked with in the fast few years. I'm finding it much easier to keep it focused and on track. It's just a matter of drawing out the core of each scene and making each scene shine as I go along.

The characters are intriguing to me, the situation is very exciting, and there is much for the Reader to wonder about along the way, questions that a Reader will want to know the answers to. I'm getting better at leaving things unanswered and allowing the curiosity to develop.

I'm approaching this novel as character-driven even though there is a hefty suspense plot. That is helping give it a human quality that would otherwise come up short if I focused on the external aspects. Good choice and it's clearly playing off.

I have been storing away articles and notes from the research. Rather than trying to internalize all that information I'm finding it more useful to familiarize myself with it, so I know what it is, what information exists that I can draw from, and then I can look things up as I go along and get the details. Since there is a lot of information attached to this story, I could easily go overboard with exposition, but I'm purposefully avoiding that by keeping it to an absolute minimum. Story first, information only as absolutely essential to flesh out, validate, add realism, etc. Good approach.

So, at this point I'm happy with the story -- it has every potential to be my first totally completed project, and for me to get there within the coming weeks, no more than a few months. I'll postpone my end-of-January deadline and reset it as an end-of-February deadline, for completed, edited draft, which can then be reviewed, edited a little more as needed, and finally polished within the following month. Since I'm editing substantially as I go, and I'm working hard to keep it on track, I'm hoping to avoid the need for a second complete draft.

I feel many pangs of regret that I won't have something to send in for ABNA, but I take consolation that what I am working on appears to be worthy of sending out once finished, and I have a reasonable hope that this one might actually get to that point. That's something to be happy about!

Best wishes for completing your own work in a timely manner,

Adrian

Research!

2010-01-17T11:28:00.002-05:00

I'm moving forward but slowly, since I needed to take more time to do some reading. There is a bit of material in this new WIP that requires research. I did some initial research in December but more was needed. It's very interesting, but I'm not allowing myself to dawdle in that fun -- I've been doing the minimum necessary, and am about done with it now. I look forward to getting back to the writing.

I did a LOT of editing of what I've already written (Chapters 1-3, plus part of Chapter 4). Word count is around 12k out of 60-65k. The existing material is very near to finished, unless I end up making story changes, which I hope I won't. I've planned and conceptualized in such a way that I have a good chance of preventing and avoiding that. The basic storyline is very solid and I'm following it easily. By getting this additional research done now, I'll be able to weave these elements into the story as needed rather than having to come back through and rewrite.

I'm not saying anything at all about this story other than it's "contemporary fantasy" and I'm really loving it. I'm swinging from the plot-side to the character-side of things to achieve a greater balance and loving that, too. I just picked up one of Sol Stein's books and look forward to getting into that eventually, once the story is moving forward again. I still have a chance to complete this manuscript by my self-imposed deadline of late this month ... must push on once I have the material I need.

With any luck, I'll start generating new text by this evening!

Wishing everyone else well with their WIP's,

Adrian

Solid New Story

2010-01-07T21:54:00.003-05:00

The new story is coming along. Not nearly as quickly as I had hoped due to many and sundry distractions, but I have a solid footing. Current word count is around 11.6k (projected: 60-65k) and it's good stuff. I really like it. I'll keep it moving and not stop until the entire draft is done.

I planned enough to know the major plot points and the main ideas of the main suspense plot. I left open a lot of possibilities for the romantic subplot. That portion of the story has turned out to be much more engaging and lively than I had anticipated, which is great. It is helping make this story very character-driven, rather than settling for a plot-driven story.

I really like the dynamics in how the major characters interact. It's complex enough and it's unfolding step by step, so there's always a sense of mystery and anticipation.

This story would best be characterized as "contemporary fantasy". I won't comment at all on the details until this draft is finished. I'm editing as I go and the progress so far has been, as mentioned, very solid. I'll edit it all again when I finish the draft, but I have no plan at this point for a second draft. The goal is to finish this story and send it out pronto. I need to get something done and out the door! It's way overdue.

I'll still post soon on my "new way of working" that's working well for me at this point. Also, I've learned a new trick that's helping immensely. Not sure if I'll blog about that, though! ;-)

A toast to your own progress,

Adrian

About-Face, & Dealing w/ Those Horns

2009-12-30T10:20:00.003-05:00

OMG -- this is not the next post I thought I'd post, but here it is!

Turns out I did an abrupt about-face during December. I was charging full steam ahead, holding the bull by the horns, committed to holding on and not letting go until the JASPER story is finished, and what happens?

I reneged!

[shock] -- [gasp] -- [more shock]

I was in the third draft and finding that while the story was on track as planned, the truth is the draft itself was about as lively as, well, cr**, and cr**'s not a particularly lively substance, if you know what I mean. At least, it generally fails to inspire me in any positive sense.

THEN...

I caught wind of the changes to the ABNA this year (if you don't know what it is already, don't ask, it's too late for you). I was prepping JASPER for ABNA and with the changes to ABNA, there's no way it's suitable!

SO...

I had to take a quick look around for another WIP that might be suitable, given the changes to this year's ABNA (2010), and I found an idea I like and so THAT'S what I've been working on during December. I had to do some in-depth research, some plotting, and now I'm writing. I have only an outside chance of having this new story ready in time, but I'm going to have fun trying.

AND...

This has inspired me to an exciting new way of working that I'll blog about soon.

The important thing is, although it may look like I had the bull by the horns and let go, the truth is: Not Really. You see, I'm still holding on to what's important: a finished work, ready to send out, ASAP. That's the real issue, and I'm still tightly focused on that.

IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA what this posting has been about, check out ABNA.

Best wishes for staying true to your real goals, whatever they may be,

Adrian

OMG -- Draft 3 ???

2009-12-08T16:29:00.003-05:00

[Note: this blog entry contains a Q&A format designed to break an otherwise rambling post into discrete chunks of ... well ... chunkiness.]

What's up?

I got most of the way through the 2nd complete draft of the JASPER novel before it started unraveling on me -- again!

Reaction?

I hate it when that happens! I realized that what I was writing had deviated from the plan. This was not due to my not being able to follow a plan. The problem was the plan itself was lacking (*gasp*) in spite of substantial work on redeveloping it before commencing the 2nd draft!

Was there any clue this was going to be the case?

As I mentioned previously in my blog, I had found a few minor plot holes along the way while writing the 2nd complete draft, nothing that couldn't be fixed by minor editing, but by the later part of the story there were major fissures, at least to my sensitive plotting sensibilities.

What to do about it?

Rather than finish a draft that was no longer working, I saved myself another 10k of drivel and went back to the drawing board. Result: I have revamped the plot YET AGAIN and this time (like last time) I could almost swear I've got it down perfectly. Result of the result: I have already launched DRAFT THREE, which is off to a good start.

Is there any good news?

The plus in all this is that I'm pushing my way through, keeping up the productivity. Now that I'm back to work after my extended Creative Break, I'm willing to take on the yoke of productivity and keep on wearing it until I get results. I want this novel FINISHED and am willing to plug away at it until I get there.

This seems rather goal-oriented?

Yes, I'm striving for a finished product here. I've been working at my writing in earnest for a few years now and in spite of having completed a veritable mountain of work, I have not yet produced one completely finished manuscript. That will change soon. It must! I'll keep at it this time. I have the bull by the horns and I'm not letting go.

What's different in the current plan compared to the previous plan?

I removed the second POV (the character and events are still there, just not those 2nd POV chapters). The story unfolds now again as it did in the first draft, all events being filtered through the MC's POV. Also, I have downplayed and will probably totally remove the one other significant subplot. I have kept the improvements of the 2nd draft while simplifying the story.

Why the need to simplify?

I realize that the length recommended for Middle Grade fiction (30k - 40k) is too short for me to include all the pieces of the original story. By simplifying somewhat, I have pared it down to the essentials, which are still more than enough for a solid story. It's liberating to see the broad clear strokes of the major plot line as they sweep across the canvas of the entire story ... without all the other distractions that used to be there. I had made the story too complicated (something I tend to do). It's like Spring Cleaning without the Spring or the Cleaning. Feels good once it's over.

Is there any other good news?

Another plus in this new work is that I'm separating in my mind the difference between the macro and micro levels. I've always understood the concept, but I haven't been strict in applying it. First, I have to edit on the macro level, making sure the story works and all the pieces fit together and there is nothing unnecessary in the plot. Then, when the story holds together well, I can shift to the micro level and edit the actual words on the page. I've wasted time doing micro editing on stories that still have macro problems, and, well, that's a waste of time.

What is the next deadline?

I plan to finish this draft within December. The word count will probably run long, up to 60k or more, because I tend to run long with word counts. That's okay. I just need to get all the way through knowing that the story I've written fits the story I need, and all the pieces are in place ("macro bliss"). Once I achieve that, I can then focus on editing and rewriting/deleting to pare it down and bring out the good stuff.

How will visitors to this blog know you are on track?

I'll blog about my progress of the 3rd draft and will hopefully be able to report that this time my plan held all the way through. If so, macro bliss will be mine and the final assault can begin.

Say good night, Gracie.

Wishing everyone well with their continued word counts through the Holiday Season,

Adrian

Happy Thanksgiving -- & More Progress!

2009-11-26T09:11:00.003-05:00

My word count now stands at 51,721. I'm in the middle of Chapter 30. The plan calls for 40 chapters.

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving,

Adrian

Big Step Forward!

2009-11-25T20:44:00.003-05:00

The past two days I've been a writing machine. My word count on the second complete draft of the JASPER novel now stands at 46,700+ words. I just finished Chapter 27. There are a few more longer chapters (but not long by my old standard of 10k words!). After that, the chapters will get shorter as the story moves faster toward its conclusion.

I'm still finding my plan is working but there are a few holes in it, which is to say there are things I don't see clearly myself, and I can't write clearly what I can't see clearly in my own mind. The current issues surround the antagonist. Nothing that can't be fixed without too much drama on my part (though there's lots of drama on the antagonist's part, of course). I see what's wrong, what's missing, and have a sense of what it needs to be. I just need to fine-tune it. That's what this draft is for. I'm seeking how the story plays out according to this new plan, and whatever shortcomings remain will come to light in the process. They are. Everything is on schedule. The next draft should finally fix the remaining problems, and then it's a matter of style, storytelling, and cutting it down to an appropriate length.

Glad to see the word count go up. Glad to see the momentum building. Love this story. It's flowing nicely now (which sort of makes up for those times when it wasn't flowing so well).

Best wishes for your own writing progress,

Adrian

More Progress

2009-11-23T09:01:00.003-05:00

It's been ten days since my last report on the JASPER novel and I'm only up about 6,800 words. The current total is around 33,500 words. I lost some time to other things (gee, the holidays are kind of approaching, aren't they?), and also I've spent time jotting down a flood of ideas for the CHASM novel using the new Snowflake software (see previous post). I've gotten so many incredible ideas this past week it's been astonishing. The story long ago hit critical mass, and now it's at a point where my new ideas blend in perfectly with what is already established, either fleshing it out, enriching it, or correcting inconsistencies or fixing whatever minor problems remain.

It's been an incredible experience. It's definitely true that the more we plan, the better we get at planning (or writing, or editing). I can see some real progress here and the quality of it knocks my socks off. I've fallen in love with this story all over again and feel so eager right now to get back to work on it as Job One.

But, I'm still writing the second complete draft of the JASPER novel, my current Job One, and I will definitely keep my primary focus on that until it's done, hopefully within November. By the way, I did reach the half-way point -- 20 chapters done, 20 to go, which puts the expected total word count at around 65,000 words. I'll shoot for less since the goal should be 40,000. There will be some scenes to cut! The outline is working out nicely and I'm sticking to it like a charm.

Back to the trenches,

Adrian

Special Deal on Writing Software

2009-11-19T15:09:00.003-05:00

I just found this out, so I'm posting as quickly as I could, but time is limited. Randy Ingermanson, whose SNOWFLAKE METHOD web page has been viewed by over a million visitors, has come out with a new piece of software to help you plan your novel. The software walks you though the planning process using the Snowflake Method. Obviously, you don't need the software to use the Snowflake Method, but if the software helps you organize your thoughts, it might be worthwhile for you. The usual selling price will be $100. It's on a special introductory sale price right now of just $20 (80% off!). I just forked over the moolah and downloaded it from his site. I haven't had time to try it out yet, but I'll do that soon and will post about it once I have.

The sale runs through Friday, November 20th, midnight (Pacific Time), I believe. Luckily I happened to find out about it today and I figured for $20 I'll bite.

Just passing along this info in case it's of interest to other writers and aspiring writers. I have no connection with Mr. Ingermanson (other than subscribing to his free newsletter) and do not receive any kickbacks or other incentives for sharing this information with you.

You might also consider the THE MARSHALL PLAN NOVEL-WRITING SOFTWARE by Evan Marshall and Martha Jewett. It's another approach and one which is very popular and well worth considering. I reviewed it recently on my blog (see earlier postings). Although I gave it 3 stars for lack of customization, it is a solid program built around an incredibly solid method for planning novels and I do highly recommend it.

Wishing you well on your plotting journeys,

Adrian

Almost At the Half-Way Point!

2009-11-13T22:30:00.002-05:00

After a slow start, I've picked up a bit of momentum with the JASPER rewrite. I'm now up to 26,700+ words. I've finished 18 chapters. When I finish chapters 19 and 20, then I'll be at the half-way point. It's getting easier to write, the farther I get into it. I've stuck entirely to the plan.

The rewrite has already shown me a few weak points, issues I thought I had pinned down in the planning that preceded this draft. Nothing too major that I can't readily fix it in the next draft or in the editing. Overall, the plot framework is solid. Any changes will be made within the existing framework.

It's nice to be making progress!

Adrian

Gaining Ground

2009-11-07T12:03:00.002-05:00

After starting a rewrite from scratch, but not feeling like it was "happening" for me, I went back to the beginning and started again. I've gotten farther already today, in just a few hours of writing, than I had all week with that other draft. I just needed to feel more connected, to open up my creativity and let it flow.

I'm in Chapter 4 now of the Second Complete Draft (just launched) of the JASPER novel. Present word count: about 7200 words, all of them written today. I'll write more later today.

I'm writing from my new and revised plan, which is laid out in a table in a word processing document in three columns: one for the main plot, one for the main subplot, and one for the antagonist's plot line. There are forty items in all distributed among the three columns, with most items in the main plot line, of course. I've already done extensive spreadsheet work and thought about sections (a la Marshall Plan), so at this point my table is quite simple and just lists a short phrase to help me identify what each scene/section/chapter is about. I know the story from heart and these simple reminders are all I need to clue me in at this point.

My current plan anticipates a final length of about 50,000 words for what has turned out to be a Middle Grade fantasy novel (ages 8-12). However, I'm writing so much for each chapter, that I'm probably on track for 80,000 to 90,000 words again. That's okay. I'll let it run however long it runs. By the time I'm into a final draft and editing and polishing it, I'll be able to bring the word count down to 40,000 words, but not more than 50,000 words. I know these novels are typically 30,000 to 40,000 words, but thanks to Harry Potter and other fantasy series many of them are now 60,000, 70,000, 90,000, even longer. I'll keep mine on the shorter end of this, but am willing to take a chance if it's a little beyond the 40,000 threshold.

I think I'll just stay in the flow and keep writing, and write my way through the entire story. I did that before, in the First Complete Draft. That draft fell apart in the second half. Although I completed it, it had major plot problems. I have supposedly fixed those problems with my new and revised plan, so trying the new plan out by writing at length in a leisurely and expansive way is probably a good thing to do. I'll get to see how the story plays out, whether I've solved all the plot issues as I think I have. Writing at length will also let me explore more fully the characters and their motivations as well as their actions. When I'm finished with this Second Complete Draft, then I'll reflect, shorten, and possibly start a Third Complete Draft. (I know of highly-successful writers who write many complete drafts to hone their stories before editing and polishing the final version. They have to practice telling the story several times to get it down. They can recognize easily when they're done, telling it the way it was meant to be told. Food for thought.)

What's nice is that my drafts these days are written in a style that is very readable, pretty close to a finished manuscript. In other words, I've spent a lot of time working on how I construct sentences and paragraphs over the past few years, and I'm turning out much better prose at the outset. I can still tweak it till the cows come home, or the dragons return to their caves, but the truth is when you start with better quality, it takes less work to tighten and polish it. I can certainly still pare it down, but the underlying sentence and paragraph patterns are solid. Score one for the hard-working!

Interestingly, the key to my success with this draft, at this point in the process, has nothing to do with plotting. What is essential right now is getting into the FLOW. I have to FEEL the story. I have to live it, to experience it with the characters. I have to get truly wrapped up in it, so that when I'm writing it, I'm able to capture it vividly. I have to have the right mind-set for the story, capture the right voice or style that works for telling it. I have to draw the characters in a way that brings them to life. I have to really get into it, or else the draft will fall flat. It's not about plotting now. It's about making it real.

Can't write from an outline?

You can, if you slow yourself down, look beyond the outline, have internalized the outline. Get beyond it, use it to guide you, but see past it. See the story. Become the story. Live and breathe the story. Bring it to life. Lose yourself in it while you do. But always, keep yourself on track, which is easy now because you KNOW the story.

I'm in the zone, and I'm gaining ground.

And, most importantly, I'm enjoying it.

Best wishes for your own writing enjoyment,

Adrian

Back in Writing Mode!

2009-11-04T09:47:00.003-05:00

I completed the dissection and re-plotting of the JASPER novel last week, and have been partly expanding on my new framework by writing more notes, and partly writing new manuscript pages. I'm eager to work on this new draft, which will be a complete draft from start to finish, but I'm finding it a bit awkward here at the outset since I changed some key aspects of the story, and am having to re-find or re-interpret the characters. It's not impossible, just a bit of a creative stretch. I expect to land on my feet soon.

The changes, specifically, are to make the MC more active, clearly the central player, with clear-cut goals for each scene. In the original version of the story, the MC's ally (close friend) was also a major player who made decisions and instigated action. He is still critically important to the story, but I'm moving some of his decisions to the MC, and restricting his decisions to ones that are necessarily HIS and not the MC's. Also, the second ally character, who is a "changeling" character (friend here, enemy there, or ???), comes across a little differently as well, more goal-directed -- heck, they're ALL more goal-directed now, and that was the point of reworking the story!

It's November. Happy Writing!

Adrian

Unraveling Competing Plot Lines

2009-10-23T00:12:00.004-05:00

For many months now, whenever I work on the plotting problems of the JASPER novel, it seems no matter what question I answer, there are always other questions that remain unanswered. Usually, once you get to a certain point, you reach critical mass and things start coming together. One answer automatically suggests several other answers. Not so here. Why?

It turns out the cause was hiding in plain sight: I added plot twists when I was writing, to make the story richer and more interesting, and less predictable. However, these competing threads were never properly laid out, never planned in their entirety so they would work together over the course of the entire novel. Any one of them makes sense at any given point -- the point at which the half-baked plot idea was conceived and thrown into the mix. The result is competing plot lines, rather than complementary plot lines. Hence, the revision work has been a lot like a Greek hero fighting a multi-headed Greek monster -- knock off one attacker and another one strikes.

Ugh....

At least now I see the source of the confusion. To help resolve this, ONCE and FOR ALL, which is the only way stories ever get finished, I resorted to some basic plotting maneuvers. I separated out the distinct plot lines, wrote out a short list of the major events for each plot line, from the POV of whichever character was closest to each plot line (the originator of that thread of action), and then I considered what/how/if the various plot lines complement each other. In other words, I've been doing what I should have done at the outset.

This has helped tremendously. I'm not done with it yet but I've made good progress. This approach has helped simplify the story and clarify competing character goals ("competing" in the sense that they could belong to different stories).

So, when the confusion gets to be too much, here's a good rule of thumb: break it down to its constituent parts, and work with smaller, more focused pieces. Establish the priorities, favor whichever plot line presents itself as the main plot line, and work in the others in a way that is helpful. Don't try to be a hero and take everything on all at once when all you need to do is divide and conquer. Take things on in sequence, one at a time, and you'll make your way. Or, to put it another way, don't mistake a lemon for a lemming.

Hero: 1
Hydra: 0

Blessed be the conquerors who persevere,

Adrian

P.S. By way of background, remember that I usually plan my stories in great detail. JASPER was one story that I didn't plan. I just jumped in, wanting to unfetter my creativity after many months of intense, constrained, directed effort on other novels. It was good to loosen up, but I'm paying for it now. Hopefully the repair work is about done, and I'll be able to rewrite and edit as needed to finish this gem of a story before the holidays.

I'm Plotting Again . . . .

2009-10-19T19:34:00.002-05:00

Yes, I'm plotting again! Gearing up for the next major push on the JASPER novel. I have solved several plot problems, but am still wrestling with the details at the end of the novel.

As soon as I finish this plotting work, I'll get back to writing / re-writing toward a completed second draft. The key is to keep it simple.

I'm excited about this story!

Adrian

PS -- Still Reading!

Web Site Closing

2009-10-09T20:54:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note to let visitors to my site know that I am closing my web site, which has been hosted on Geocities for over two years now. The reason for this is the fact that Geocities itself is closing. It was taken over by Yahoo some time ago, and Yahoo has decided to close Geocities and migrate accounts over to their regular (PAID) web hosting services. I had a paid account at Geocities, but instead of just migrating my site over to the new Yahoo version, I've decided it's time to close it entirely and re-open it elsewhere at a later date. This will allow me to either:

A) find a free service for a simple web site, which is all I had on Geocities and frankly all I really need; or

B) find a paid service that offers features I feel like paying for, in case I launch a more robust site (which has always been my goal, but I never have the time to build one since my priority is writing!).

Regardless of the route I take, I will migrate THE GAY MAN'S GUIDE TO WRITING FANTASY FICTION to the new web site and will let you know once it's available again.

Anyhoo, just letting y'all know what's up. My blogs on Blogger will continue without interruption, unless Blogger is also taken over by Yahoo and then I'll be looking for a new blog site! (haha)

Until soon,

Adrian

Still Reading!

2009-10-04T08:45:00.002-05:00

Just a quick update so visitors to my blog will know I'm still blogging! A month has passed since my last posting. Hard to imagine. I'm still reading, with a heavier emphasis on the non-fiction stuff, history and culture. I'm just beginning to read another book of writing advice, which looks promising. It features sample manuscript pages with editing notes handwritten on them. I'll be interested to see how the type of editing they encourage compares with the editing I do on my own work. I have sure learned a lot about editing over the past couple of years.

Most importantly, I'm now turning my thoughts back to my own work and will gear up to return to my own projects in the coming weeks. I need to make another round of revisions on the JASPER novel, some of which will be extensive in the later chapters, but then hopefully it'll be finished. It's a very exciting story, one I feel has real potential. And then I'll get back to the CHASM novel, which is more ambitious in scope. (Note: these aren't the real titles, just the labels I use to refer to these stories in my blog. The real titles are much cooler and more marketable).

The Creative Break has done me a world of good, expanding my knowledge and filling me with ideas and inspiration.

Happy Autumn,

Adrian

Reading A'Plenty!

2009-09-01T20:33:00.003-05:00

Just a quick update. I'm still on my Creative Break and enjoying my intense focus on reading right now. I've found some wonderful resources and am thoroughly immersing myself in the Middle Ages, both history and culture. I'm learning lots that I didn't know before and am expanding my understanding of what that fascinating era was all about.

Still reading the Dragonlance trilogy and lining up other books to read after I finish it. It's great to be reading a book where the word "elf" appears as if it's not at all unusual.

Otherwise, it looks like we're finally getting a break from the intense summer weather, although the folks out in California sure aren't, what with the massive forest fires and the Category 4 hurricane on its way. Wish them well, especially the people down south in Baja who are directly in the path of the storm.

Best wishes for your own reading, and may it fuel the fires of creativity,

Adrian

Creative Break = Good Thing!

2009-08-15T22:14:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't been blogging much for some time now. As I said months ago my time has become rather limited. What I have available I prefer to put to the best possible use, and blogging is lower on my list of priorities than, say, PLANNING or WRITING or EDITING.

Now that I'm officially on a Creative Break, I can say what a wonderful thing it is to take a break. I pour my heart and soul into my work when I'm writing. It's draining. An occasional break, guilt-free, helps me re-fill the creative well-spring and recharge my batteries. For me, this "away time" is refreshing and an essential part of the overall process. If I kept writing year-round, non-stop, I'd burn out. We take vacations from our day jobs; we should not begrudge ourselves a little R&R where our writing is concerned. I prefer to take a "Creative Break", which is not just any break. A Creative Break is one where I specifically seek to refill the creative well-spring. I learn new things and seek inspiration and to be reminded of the joy and power of story-telling.

So, what am I doing these days? Apart from not blogging? (*grin*) Well, I'm reading. A lot. Which makes sense, since I have a lot of reading to catch up on. I'm reading fantasy fiction and also non-fiction stuff that will feed into my fantasy writing. I'm reading about the Middle Ages, to give my imagination something concrete to work with. My current emphasis is on daily life, clothing, weapons and combat/warfare. The fiction I'm enjoying right now is the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy by Weis & Hickman -- I ordered the trilogy from Amazon and am quite happy to see what so many reviewers and others have enjoyed so much. I know it's not new but it's good and highly-rated.

I'm also learning more computer-related stuff. I like to do something logical from time to time to stimulate my sense of "order out of chaos". It seems to help me later with my writing process. I'm learning CSS (finally!) and will redo my website soon using the new way of styling web pages. I'm also beginning to learn PHP and MySQL, just for kicks. So far so good, but I'm still in the beginning of it. I think I'll do better with this than I did trying to teach myself Java -- I learned a lot from that but I still can't write a complex program. I just have to be patient and try again with better materials to learn from.

My apologies to those whose blogs I follow for not visiting their sites often enough. I will endeavor to get back into the swing of things as my time situation improves in the coming months.

Well, that's it for now. I appreciate all of the visitors to my site, even if the majority of them never leave a comment. (If any of you would care to share links to your own blogs or websites, or other blogs of interest to fantasy fiction writers, please do so by leaving a comment. Thanks!)

Best wishes for your own Creative Breaks, if and when you take them,

Adrian

It's Official: Creative Break Time!

2009-07-28T18:20:00.003-05:00

I reached a point of saturation over the past few months, my head too full of plot details and multiple viewpoints. I needed to step back and clear my thoughts, so I've gradually weaned off the plotting/writing/editing work and am now officially on a Creative Break. I need it and it's long overdue. I take them from time to time and for me they are an essential part of the process, a chance to replenish the creative well-spring. I'll get back to work in earnest as quickly as I can, but not until the break has worked its magic.

I'll blog soon about what I'm doing on my Creative Break. The important thing is I can feel the benefits of it already.

Enjoy the summer,

Adrian

The Marshall Plan 5: Software Review

2009-07-12T05:46:00.000-05:00

I was thrilled when Evan Marshall sent me a free copy of his new software to review. I have always been a fan of his book, THE MARSHALL PLAN FOR NOVEL WRITING, and the thought of a software program designed to accompany this plan, and help you lay out your novel, was exciting.

When I first ran the program, it took me only a few minutes to figure out how the software worked, and within ten minutes I was already using it to plan a novel. The software has some worthwhile strengths, but also some limitations.

First, the strengths.

The software is stable (no crashes, no apparent bugs) and easy to use. It is fairly intuitive, as any well-designed software should be. The various components of the program are clearly labeled, and you can proceed in a logical and orderly fashion from tab to tab across the top of the screen, reading summaries of key ideas from the Marshall Plan, and filling in fields to contain data about your novel, such as word count, names of key characters and descriptions of the characters.

Once you set up the basic data, the software uses it to calculate how many sections you need based on the projected word count you established, and it also assigns certain key sections to POV characters and their plot lines according to the format established in the Marshall Plan. You are now ready to start planning your novel's sections in detail.

To do this, you go to the main interface. This, too, is logical, easy to figure out and easy to use. On the left, you have a sequential list of the sections for your novel. Clicking on any of these sections calls up the data for that section in the main area (center) of the screen. This data includes who the POV character is, whether this is an action or reaction section (some of these are pre-determined, others you set yourself), the time and location, the POV character's goal, the complications, etc. On the right of the screen is another area with additional information, including a description of what the current section should accomplish according to the Marshall Plan, and a place for you to record additional notes about the section.

You can work on your sections by moving forward, backward, or in any order, clicking on a section from the list on the left and editing the description of that section as it appears in the center of the screen. In practice, this really is simple, easy and quick, as it should be. Indeed, the software provides a convenient way to keep track of your sections and notes, even allowing you to print them out in a document which you can easily convert to Word (tm) format for further editing. The printout brings together the key information you have entered about each section, providing a written reference that can guide you as you write your manuscript, and that you can use as the basis for a synopsis.

For a look at actual screen shots and more detail about the particulars of the software, click here.

Now, to the limitations....

First, I like to assign a title to my sections. The title is usually about three words long, a brief way for me to identify what takes place in each scene without having to look over the particulars. When I read "Harry meets Joe" I know right away this is the first scene where these two characters meet, and that it's from Harry's POV since I put his name first in the title. I remember from that title all the ideas I have associated with that scene. I only have to look at the details if I want a reminder, if I may have forgotten something, or if I'm checking for some fine point to see how it compares to some other plot detail elsewhere. If I'm scanning a list of all the sections in the novel in order to find a particular section, having a title is a very quick way to do that. The Marshall Plan software does not include any way for me to assign my own label or title to the sections, and that makes it tedious to find a given section. I have to click on section after section in the list on the left and then browse the information I've entered in the main form in the center of the screen in order to find a particular scene. The generic, numbered list in the left panel does display the POV character and plot line for each section, but these all the look the same when there are many of them. A way to change those generic labels to my own section titles would make the left panel far easier for me to navigate.

Second, if you wish to stray from the format outlined in the Marshall Plan, the software will not accommodate you. You have to assign key sections to key POV characters according to the plan. The first five sections are always in the POV of the protagonist according to the plan. If you want to start with a brief scene showing some minor character doing something or encountering something that will set up some aspect of the story, you can't. You can't alter the POV character for the sections that are pre-determined for you according to the Marshall Plan. Further, you can only assign sections to POV characters that are established for you through the Marshall Plan. Based on your word count, you might have two, three, four, possibly five or six POV characters. That's all you get. In epic fantasy there are often more. I like to read in other genres as well, and some of the best-selling writers I enjoy start their novels with a minor POV character who is often killed off in the first scene, identifying the problem the protagonist will end up solving over the course of the novel. Also, some novelists use many POV characters, including many minor POV characters. The Marshall Plan wisely limits writers to a handful, but it is possible to write with more POV characters, particularly in epic fantasy, if you set them up and spread them out in such a way that they add to the story, rather than cause confusion.

Third, I felt an urge to see more than one section on display at a time. I often use spreadsheets. I widen the columns a bit so I can view several columns side-by-side, seeing not only what is described for the current scene, but the previous scene and following scene. It reminds me of the larger context or flow. Also, with a spreadsheet I can color-code the columns, so I can tell at a glance whose POV it is, and I can change any section to any POV and easily rearrange, add and delete sections. I enjoy that freedom as it helps me try out new approaches and develop and improve upon plot ideas. The Marshall Plan software ultimately felt constraining to use, even though it is very functional and easy to use.

In summary...

The Marshall Plan software is a solid, stable piece of software that follows the Marshall Plan and can be used to help you plan out sections for your novel. It is very easy to use, but it does not allow customization or a way to venture off the template set forth in the Marshall Plan.

I can certainly recommend the software to anyone who aspires to use the Marshall Plan and who has experienced any difficulties in understanding the plan as laid out in the book. The software clarifies the system immediately, showing you exactly how many sections you need, from which POV character, and how they are properly sequenced. Also, if you need a guide or framework to guide you in your writing process, the software provides that; it can help you nurture your story from idea to developed plan. You do need the book so you will understand the Marshall Plan in detail. I would not recommend using the software on its own unless you have read the book.

However, for those who would require customization or who would not follow the Marshall Plan exactly, the software would be of less value. This could easily be remedied by including options for customization in future releases of the software.

All in all, the software represents a worthwhile effort. The Marshall Plan itself is a truly outstanding achievement, providing a clear-cut process for aspiring writers to develop their story ideas. The software that accompanies it follows that plan faithfully, which may work perfectly well for some writers, while others may need more customization.

RATING (out of 5 stars):

Basic Concept: *****
Stability: *****
Interface: *** (due to lack of customization)
Ease of Use: *** (due to lack of customization)
Customization: *
Price: * (at nearly $150, too expensive for most aspiring writers)

Overall Rating: 3 / 5

Adrian

Interlude: Cool Meme Worth Checking Out

2009-05-30T21:12:00.002-05:00

Before posting my Marshall Plan software review, I wanted to take a time-out to recommend a meme that Gabriele shared on her blog recently (link below). I'm not usually one for memes, but this one is actually a writing-related activity that is well worth the time. I haven't done it yet, but I will soon. It would clearly provide you with a stimulating, refreshing look at the characters in one of your novels.

Basically, you pick ten characters from one of your novels and assign them numbers at random (1-10). You then answer a bunch of questions which draw on your characters, but referring to them by number, so the way the characters fit into the questions is random (eg, "3 has to marry either 8, 4, or 9. Whom do they choose?"). It gets you thinking!

Gabriele's blog post is entitled "Another Meme, Because I'm Lazy" and it's dated "29.5.09". Check it out here. It's well worth your time.

Best wishes to all the characters out there (you know who you are),

Adrian

The Marshall Plan 4: Keeping Organized

2009-05-16T01:29:00.002-05:00

In summary, here's how to keep yourself organized while using The Marshall Plan. At least, it works for me.

First, brainstorm on your own. Write lists, write descriptions, make notes, outlines, tables, flow charts, draw sketches, do whatever you need to in order to come up with ideas for your story. Organize your notes in your own way to develop a sense of the flow of events. When you have your story clearly in mind, the major events, the major characters, the progression of major scenes from beginning to middle to end, then take what you have learned about your story and...

Second, develop your action/reaction sections using The Marshall Plan. This will involve rethinking your story and nailing things down in considerable detail. Exactly what happens when, in what order. For each section, you'll have the choice of which character should serve as the POV character, and you'll be able to specify exactly what his/her goal is, who the opposing character is, the complication(s) that arise, and how this ends (failure for the protagonist, success for the antagonist). If it's a reaction section, you'll be able to identify exactly what emotions the POV character is experiencing, and the key ideas that he/she considers when making a decision of what to do next.

After I brainstorm, and write, rewrite and rewrite again my various notes, condensing things, keeping what's good, tossing the rest, I print them out and put them in a three-ring binder. They're right up front, where I can easily find them and refer to them while writing. Sometimes while writing I need to look up a character name in my list of characters, or remember some detail in the magic system, or refer to a map or time line, etc.

After the notes, I print out the section sheets on colored paper so they stand out, and put them in the binder. My section sheets are done in two columns. The right column contains a page-long table that lists the POV character, goal, opposition character, etc. The left column contains notes that describe the scene and list any additional ideas that I want to be sure to include when I write the scene.

Finally, as I write the manuscript, I print out the sections (typically 4-6 typed pages) and put them in the binder after their corresponding section sheets.

This helps me in a couple of important ways. First, by planning before writing, the burden of thinking up a story is removed from the writing process. I create, then I write. When I write, I can focus on the story and how best to dramatize it. I can refer to the section sheet for the current section and remember what I had dreamed up previously while planning. I can focus on just that section and reflect on how to write it, then write it. I stay focused, knowing clearly what I'm trying to accomplish, and how it fits in with the rest of the story. Second, I can easily find things by laying them out in a binder. The colored paper marks the start of each section. The notes are on top. Since I've mapped the entire story out, it's easy to make changes. If I change an important detail in one scene, I know immediately which other scenes will be affected, and I can go to them directly and make the necessary adjustments.

Being hyper-organized isn't for everybody, but I appreciate how it makes the job a lot easier, and how it keeps me on track. Scenes are so much easier to write when you've already imagined them, already thought your way through them, already planned for them. When you know what came before, and what comes next.

Next: The Marshall Plan Novel-Writing Software

But First: Here's my first 3-D film, which I made on the www.Xtranormal.com web site. You must be 18+ to view it!

Cheers,
Adrian

The Marshall Plan 3: Sections

2009-05-02T02:10:00.003-05:00

"Sections" as described in The Marshall Plan are like scenes, and some reviewers equate the two. However, they are not necessarily the same thing. Let me explain by using a stage play as an example.

Imagine a play begins with two characters walking out on stage, talking, then walking off. The audience would think, "Gee, that was the first scene". They'd probably be correct about that. Then, a third character comes out on stage and delivers a monologue, letting the audience hear his thoughts, and he walks off. Most people would regard that as Scene Two, and they'd probably be right. (It would depend on where the playwright chose to make the scene breaks).

But, what if two characters came out on stage, talked to each other, then stayed on stage. A moment later, the doorbell sounded, and that third character entered and talked to the other two? Was that one scene, or two?

Of course, it would depend on where the playwright chose to create scene breaks. He/she might have kept it all as one scene, but he/she might also have put a scene break just before the doorbell sounds. In that case, Scene One would involve two characters, and Scene Two would involve the same two characters plus a third character.

Playwrights typically break larger scenes into smaller scenes because it helps the people who will perform their plays. The director can say, "Let's rehearse Scene One," and everyone will know that only two actors are needed on stage. The third actor can hang out in his dressing room with the rest of the cast and brag about the reviews of his last performance. But, if the director calls for a rehearsal of Scene Two, then everybody knows that three actors are needed, two on stage and one hiding behind the door, ready to walk out on stage.

Are sections scenes? It's sort of like the example above. A section could be a scene, or a part of a scene, but a section clearly stands on its own as a distinct unit. Scenes are made up of sections, always at least one, possibly more. Sections are the basic building blocks.

So, what is a section?

A section is just that -- a section of continuous text, made up of paragraphs, maybe some dialog, lasting something like 1250 words. That's just long enough that the reader can get pulled into the story and experience something significant and meaningful, and just short enough that the reader can do this within a matter of minutes, rather than needing an hour or two. By breaking your novel down into shorter sections, you allow your readers to focus, read, get something out of it, then look up and deal with whatever distraction is pulling them away from their reading, before focusing again and tackling the next section. You can make one section into a stand-alone scene, or you can join two sections together into one larger scene, but each section will still stand on its own, a "mini-scene" that is satisfying and complete in its own right.

In the Marshall Plan, there are two kinds of sections: action and reaction. Most sections are action sections in which one point-of-view character acts to meet one specific goal. Standing in the way is one opposition character who generates one or more obstacles, and the matter is resolved in some appropriate way by the end of the section. For the protagonist, this will be in some kind of failure. For the antagonist, the section will end in success. The antagonist's success translates as failure for the protagonist, and vice versa. Each action section ends with the setting of a new goal, although that goal is usually not expressed (the POV character will think it, but the reader will not read about it until the next section). The only time a new goal is not set is when the setback was so great that the POV character needs more time to deal with the emotions that arose from the failure. In this instance, the action section is followed by a reaction section.

In the reaction section, the POV character deals first with the emotions that resulted from the prior setback, then thinks the situation over and determines his/her next course of action (new goal). Hence, a reaction section has two key phases: "emotional" and "rational".

When you divide a novel into sections, you break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks. When you map out the sections, using the template given in The Marshall Plan (and fully automated for you if you use the new software), then you produce a series of short steps that you can follow with the sort of clarity and focus that those who don't plan can only dream of. The first time I fully plotted a novel using The Marshall Plan software, I was able to write 21,000 words of new material in one day. My previous record was about 9,000 words. I had always used much longer scenes, typically 2500 - 3,000 words, sometimes 5,000 - 10,000 words long. Far too long. When I worked with smaller sections, averaging about 1250 words, it felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I could focus like never before, knowing that I had to be very concise, very focused, to deliver the drama I had planned for in such a short space. I sought the best way to dramatize the key struggle (goal-conflict-resolution). I didn't have to wonder what the goal was, what the basic struggle was, or how the section was supposed to end. It was all laid out for me, thanks to careful planning. What a difference!

As followers of my blog know, I plan extensively as a matter of habit. But the Marshall Plan's constant emphasis on shorter, more manageable sections, on goal, complication, failure and new goal kept me on track like never before. The abstract became concrete. The Marshall Plan helped me to achieve a remarkable degree of clarity for each and every section, each and every scene, of the entire novel! The novel practically wrote itself since the planning had included the key pieces that drove each step of the story forward.

Adrian

The Marshall Plan 2: Genre and Story

2009-05-02T01:48:00.002-05:00

In The Marshall Plan for novel writing, Evan Marshall encourages aspiring writers to choose a genre and stick to it. Face it, when you open a Stephen King novel, you expect a novel by Stephen King, not a novel by Nora Roberts (and vice versa). It would be difficult for Stephen King to come out with romantic fiction -- his readers would keep expecting something terrible, something other-worldly to happen. And if Nora Roberts wrote a horror novel, the horror element would likely turn off a large portion of her readers who are expecting romance, not zombies, aliens or supernatural forces. Writers are packaged and marketed just as their books are. Pick one thing that you love, that you do best, and stick with it. Follow the advice or not, but it's good advice.

Now, to story. If you choose to specialize in one genre, you will want to learn all about that genre. You will learn what is typical of the genre: length of published novels, types of characters, settings, goals and complications. You will know whether the story you envision would seem to fit into that genre, whether it is like other published novels, yet also unique. It's not good to be too unique. Your story should blend in at the same time it stands out.

The first step in developing a new story is to brainstorm. Come up with all the ideas you can. Develop a sense of who the characters are, what their goals are, the difficulties they will encounter, how the characters play off one another, how the villain's success equals the hero's failure, how things go from bad to worse, how twists and turns make the story more exciting. Make sure there is a convincing need for the protagonist to pursue his/her main story goal, a clear sense of why it matters and what the consequences of failure would be. Make sure the protagonist and antagonist are matched evenly for a good fight. If the villain is too powerful, it's not realistic that your weakling hero will win the fight. If your hero is too strong and the villain is too weak, then it's not a big deal when the hero wins. Oh, and make sure the hero wins -- readers want a happy ending. Don't disappoint them. Write notes, make lists, draft summaries, draw pictures. Do whatever you need to that helps you develop your basic story and its major plot lines. Then, use this material to help you plan out your novel in sections.

Next: What are sections?

Adrian

The Marshall Plan 1: It's Better to Have a Plan

2009-04-21T16:16:00.008-05:00

I read literally every single review on Amazon of The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing, by Evan Marshall. I wanted to understand how others see the book and the plan that it offers. Most reviews were very positive. A smaller number of them were critical. The primary issue in the critical reviews was the belief that you shouldn't plan a novel using a template. Novels are unique, and each must be written according to its own dictates. By using a standard template to map out sections and sequence various scenes based on point-of-view characters, you would either end up with garbage or a manuscript that was so superficial that readers would never buy into it. The idea that the "art" that is novel-writing could be reduced to a formula was patently offensive to some reviewers.

I'm not one of them. I think the plan is great.

Many aspiring writers complain they can't work from a plan because it constrains them. They need to let the story flow, and follow it wherever it takes them. When they try to map things out and then follow their notes, or outlines, they feel hemmed in. I used to feel that way, too, until I realized that the plan, the outline I was attempting to follow, was not imposed on me from without. It was my plan. I had created it. The notes, outlines, etc., were just a written reminder of the ideas I had come up with, the very same ideas I had decided I wanted to write about.

When I realized this, and kept writing, I found my resistance to following a plan slipping away. In its place came a satisfying sense of calm. I was able to write with a sense of assurance that I knew what I was writing and where it was taking me. I could still change things along the way, but at least I knew the story and was less apt to get lost. Any changes were either minor details, the scenery along the way, or if they were truly significant story changes, then I could stop, revisit the plan, and understand what other things needed changing in order to accommodate the new inspiration.

Planning saves time in the long run. A month spent thinking about your story, brainstorming, writing notes, developing a basic plot outline, and then fleshing out individual scenes (or sections, as we shall see), is time well spent. Once you know your story, you can focus on telling it, rather than bearing the burden of creating your story at the same time you're trying to write it.

There will always be those who prefer not to plan, but I no longer feel sorry for them when I hear how they struggle, going in circles, writing chapters only to toss them once they realize they don't fit into the ever-evolving story. I no longer pity writers who complain they don't know where their story is headed, or what to write next. I deal with those same questions, of course, but I hit them head-on up front and answer them before I begin writing. I know where I'm headed, where the story is headed, where each character is headed. And, having a detailed plan means each scene is focused. It means you can focus on telling it in the most effective manner, rather than trying to figure out who the point-of-view character is, or what his/her goal really is, etc., while writing.

So, my first point in my in-depth review of The Marshall Plan, and the new software based on it, is that having a plan is a good thing. A template that can help you shape your ideas into a workable plan is a valuable tool. It will save you from poking around in the dark trying to find your own way. It will save you time, allowing you to focus on getting your story written. It will reduce the frustration and increase the tangible progress.

Furthermore, Evan Marshall, a professional editor, surveyed best-selling novels and well-written, successful fiction when he developed the plan. If you conduct your own survey, you will find that the advice he gives is followed by best-selling authors. They may or may not have read his book, but they are adhering to the same key ideas about plot and style.

And the cookie-cutter criticism? I don't share it. The template is a starting point. It provides a solid, basic, generic plan that works. If you haven't yet produced a commercially-viable novel, then you should take a good look at a plan that works. You can try it out, learn from it, improve your skills, and once you have the template down, you can change it as needed to reflect the particular needs of a given story. But before breaking the rules, it's good to learn the rules, the same rules that successful novelists follow. This plan can help you do that.

Adrian

INTERESTING NEWS!

2009-04-09T18:47:00.005-05:00

Recently, I received an email from one of my heroes, Evan Marshall. You probably recognize his name (you should!). He wrote THE MARSHALL PLAN FOR NOVEL WRITING, which you can find on Amazon and elsewhere. It is the one book of advice for writers that, in my humble opinion, stands above all others, because it offers truly practical advice, the sort of nuts and bolts stuff that you really need to know. I mean, the stuff you REALLY NEED TO KNOW. For more details on the book, check it out on Amazon. If you'd like to read an interview with Evan Marshall, there is one at Absolute Write.

If you're wondering why the "guru of novel writing" (see interview at Absolute Write) would send moi an email, here's the reason: for the past three years. Evan, along with coauthor Martha Jewett, was working on a software program to accompany his book. The software is a novel-writing program which follows the Marshall Plan. It is designed to help you plan your novel by breaking your story down into sections, and pointing the way as you juggle multiple plot lines. You don't need the software to use the Marshall Plan -- the plan is outlined in the book, and there is also a Workbook available to help you further (as well as a book on Getting Your Novel Published). Nonetheless, the software is very helpful in laying out the templates for you--it fully automates this process. The templates are the forms you fill in to describe what happens in each section (or scene) in your story. If you have read the book without quite grasping what the plotting system was all about, the software will lay it out for you and make it absolutely clear exactly how the Marshall Plan works.

You can find a detailed description of the software on Evan Marshall's site.

Evan offered to send me a free copy of the software so I could review it. That was certainly very generous of him. I emailed him back that I would be happy to review it, and might even test out the software and blog about it here, so my readers can learn more about it and its potential usefulness.

When I first received the software, it took me seconds to install it, about ten minutes to get the basic sense of it, and within twenty minutes I had already started plotting a novel with it. Note that I accomplished this without reading any instructions! The software is intuitive, if you are familiar with the Marshall Plan.

The past few weeks I've been working with the software, and I reread the book to make sure I'm up on the concepts and excellent advice of the Marshall Plan. I'll start sharing that experience now, using the next several blog postings to tell you about the software and the Marshall Plan and how they have helped me -- and they have!

So, look forward to some enthusiasm (I've got lots after the experiences of the past few weeks), some helpful advice (the Marshall Plan is full of it), and some rather impressive results (I've been amazed at what I've accomplished).

Until soon,

Adrian

Truly Fascinating Posting!

2009-03-30T07:22:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I'm still not ready to share the really interesting news, but I will soon, I promise!

In the meantime, check out this TRULY FASCINATING posting by K. Hurley. I have to say, honestly, it's one of the most fascinating postings I've ever read on any blog. It really challenged me creatively. That, or I'm just a really challenged individual creatively. You decide. Check it out here.

Adrian

Biggest Single Day of Writing Ever!

2009-03-23T06:45:00.002-05:00

Let me start this posting by saying that the interesting news I mentioned in the last posting is not contained in this posting! Nonetheless, this posting still has some interesting news of is own.

First, this weekend I had my biggest single day of writing ever! My previous record, as far as I remember, was 9,000 words in one day. I might have reached higher than that, but I don't recall (it's somewhere in my previous postings). This time, I produced over 21,000 words in one long day of writing! It took about 12 hours, with a number of breaks and two meals along the way, so the actual writing time was less. I didn't keep track of that because I wasn't setting out to break a record. I'll estimate around 9 hours of actual writing time, but that's a guess. Of course, the prose is rough-draft quality, but some portions of it were very succinct and powerful.

Second, with these additional words, I just completed the first draft of my new novel, which I'm calling INTERIM here. It's the unexpected novel that popped up, meant to bridge the gap between the editing of the JASPER novel and beginning my more ambitious CHASM novel.

So, as I've mentioned, yes, I have been busy, just not with blogging!

Now, I need to get busy and prepare the posting about that interesting news I promised! It's coming soon....

Best wishes for breaking your own one-day word-count records,

Adrian

Interesting News Coming Soon

2009-03-11T07:41:00.001-05:00

I'm still busy working and making steady progress. I just don't have much time to blog these days! But I have an interesting posting coming soon.

Really.

So be sure to check back.

Adrian

INTERIM Progress

2009-02-20T10:59:00.003-05:00

The new novel that just sort of happened, which I'm calling INTERIM here (the working title isn't much better, but the story's terrific), is moving along. It's now 20% done and the prose is either in final draft form or close to it. I'm editing a bit as I go. This is another one that's just falling into place. I'm really impressed with how strongly it started. I'd have to say it's my best writing yet, in terms of those qualities I'm trying to imbue my writing with from a writerly point of view. The story concept is also intriguing. The characters have definite personalities and there are real sparks flying (ie, conflict).

The distractions have persisted but hopefully things will begin to improve now and I'll have more time and focus to get more writing/editing done.

BTW, I missed the Amazon contest this year, but now that it's on my radar I'll definitely have it in mind when it rolls around next year. I will try hard to participate then, and also to finally send something out prior to then. I've certainly grown by leaps and bounds the past few years and the quality of my writing has gotten to a point where I feel it is commercial grade, at least the stuff I'm writing most recently. Certainly the story ideas always have been, but the challenge was to improve my writing in ways that I can deliver the necessary standard of prose on a consistent basis (ie, not writing a great read followed by a total flop, but writing good prose time and time again).

Anyhoo, best wishes to all other aspiring writers in elevating their prose to the desired levels, for which I recommend Evan Marshall's THE MARSHALL PLAN as a starting point.

Adrian

Working, Just Not Posting Much

2009-02-01T04:50:00.002-05:00

Sorry to post so little these days, but I'm terribly busy and somewhat distracted, so the time I have available I am spending on my writing and editing rather than blogging.

I can mention by way of updates the following:

I printed out the JASPER novel in its entirety for the first time and am editing it from hard copy, promising myself not to make changes to the electronic document until after I have finished this hard copy step, which includes not only making changes to the printout but also rewriting (by hand) some pages, sections, or chapters as needed;
I have begun another story, which I'll call INTERIM for now, since it's appearing as an interlude between the editing of JASPER and resuming the writing of CHASM (the new story is another fantasy novel for younger readers, a way for me to work on the process through a shorter and simpler novel format before getting back to longer and more complicated stories);
I am holding off on CHASM temporarily but am keeping it in mind -- I want to make more headway first with JASPER because I know once I return to the writing of CHASM it will be a very involved and sustained effort.

Wow, that's a lot of sharing for what was supposed to be a 3-sentence posting! I'll post more as I have time, but the focus is on the work right now, not blogging about the work.

Wishing everyone else progress with their projects,

Adrian

FANTASTIC!!!

2009-01-20T20:42:00.002-05:00

Happy Inauguration Day to all of us! I usually keep my comments on this blog solely to writing topics, but I can't help it: after waiting eight years for the darkness to end, I have to say FANTASTIC! Almost thought this day wouldn't come.

Congratulations to President Obama, Vice-President Biden and their families, and thanks to all who supported them.

There is hope again . . . .

Cheers,

Adrian

Back to Work!

2009-01-11T03:39:00.001-05:00

Uh . . . is it January already? Gee, I've been so busy lately the time has just been flying by! It's time to get back to work!

So, yes, that's it: back to work.

C'est tout!

Adrian

Editing JASPER

2008-12-14T11:37:00.002-05:00

Another quick posting . . . gee, this could become habit-forming! Who cares about in-depth posts when there are quick-and-easy posts? They're so much quicker, and easier!

Ahem . . . .

I'm up through Chapter 6 of JASPER with the new editing work based on the recent planning work. The editing is coming along very well. I remember back to how frustrating it was when I was writing the last chapters of JASPER and I'm enjoying every moment of how it feels right now, which is to say, it feels like everything is making sense. Gone is that terrible, frustrating sense of urgency, that somehow I have to stop what I'm doing because it's not really the right thing, and if only I could see it, I'd know it, and then I could write it, and it would be the right thing. I now feel that what I'm doing is the right thing, and I'm fixing things in such a way that they will all tie in together and the plot will be consistent and will build to the right climax, not just any climax (some days, not just any climax will do).

I am debating on whether to go back and rewrite Chapter 5, just to make it more briefer, since extraneous overflowings of unnecessary wordage are superfluous, not to mention excessive. However, I think I'll hold off on that since it's not too extreme a problem, and the nature of that work lies more in balance and general tweakage. My main focus now is on bringing the story in line with itself (ie, general consistency according to the New Revised Plot Plan). After I tackle the large stuff, then I'll go back through for another round, when I can focus on finer details. I may want to rewrite some scenes then if I can think of alternate versions that accomplish the same thing story-wise but which do so in a more dramatic or engaging manner.

In order to keep this posting brief, as promised, I'll stop now.

Adrian

Planning Has Been Productive!

2008-12-07T12:08:00.002-05:00

Just a quick update....

The recent planning work has been productive. I have a substantial amount of new insight into the new project, and it has inspired me to go back and solve the last remaining sticking point with the previous project. In fact, I spent all of last week working again on the JASPER novel. Even though I had previously written out answers to my major questions after finishing the first draft, and had "all the answers", I knew that one of these answers remained a sticking point even still: the issue of strengths and weaknesses, and how they affect the final climactic scene. I read an article recently that helped me get a better perspective on this issue which has proven so difficult for me, and it really helped. I went back through the JASPER story and revised my plan for it, and now am ready to go back to it and edit! Something I just wasn't comfortable to do a few weeks ago. That feels really good. There is much more planning work to do yet on the new project, though, which I am still unceremoniously calling the "CHASM" novel (still need a better working title!). However, I have done an awful lot of work on it, revising the story plan, fleshing it out in greater and greater detail.

So, what's next?

I think I'm ready to dive back into JASPER for some editing and rewriting of later chapters. I'll continue the CHASM planning, which has gotten very in-depth. I really shouldn't rush that. Even though I was so eager to start writing, I feel it's best to do all the pre-thinking I need so that I can really let loose once I start to write. I don't want to run off course, or end up with the same strengths-and-weaknesses issue that I encountered in the last few novels. It's a recurring problem for me, and one I very much want to solve. I think I'm on the right track with that after my recent new insights. I have little time, so I won't go into that further in this posting, but I am very happy to have gotten a better handle on that very critical aspect of storytelling, as least as I experience it.

My respects this December 7th to those who serve and have served in the military,

And wishing everyone a low-stress, high-fun holiday season,

Adrian

Character vs. Plot

2008-11-15T23:30:00.008-05:00

A recent posting on a blog that I read regularly prompted me to examine how I create characters, and how I relate to them after I've created them and am actually working with them, i.e., writing them and watching them come to life. I thought I should post on this since it's worth thinking about and I don't recall posting anything on this topic per se, although I've blogged about strengths and weaknesses, which are critically important aspects to consider in character development.

Without further ado, this is more or less how I create characters, and how I relate to them....

First, I don't always think of my characters as "people", fictional or otherwise. I do try to see them that way as I'm writing them, but before I write them I try to understand them in story terms. To put it another way, I develop my characters first, then I write them. I ask myself what function does this character serve, what is this character's relationship to the main character and the main storyline, etc., what strengths and weaknesses should this character exhibit. I develop at least a vague, general sense of the character's background, a way for me to intuit where the character is coming from, how the character will interact with others, a sense of the character's personal style, image, way of projecting him-/herself, etc. I let the larger need of the story drive the development of the character, at least in the major ideas I associate with the character. Then, as I work on the details, and especially when writing the character, I try to flesh this out a little more, or a lot more, depending on how vital the character is to the story and how much "screen time" he/she gets. I take the purely functional role and transform it into a "real" person (ie, a fictional person who seems real). In summary, my character-creation process has two basic steps: develop the character abstractly in story terms, then flesh out the character as a "real" (i.e., real-seeming but fictional) person.

Second, I consciously avoid creating any characters that remind me of any real persons, including myself. I don't spend much time thinking about this. As soon as I realize a character is reminding me of anyone who actually exists, I ask myself in what way specifically the fictional character is like someone I know, and then I immediately change the fictional character. I reassess the need for the character, the way I see the character in relation to the story (see above paragraph).

Third, I do occasionally draw inspiration from real people, but not in terms of representing them in my story, even in altered form. I take only a specific attribute, not the whole person, and work that attribute into the story. If I need to depict a character who lies well, I try to think of someone I know who lies frequently. I try to understand how I know when this person is lying, what the difference is between a convincing lie and one that is easy to spot, etc. I glean some insight about lying from someone I know and use that insight to help me shape the way a fictional character might lie in a given scene. I never depict the actual real person, or anything unique to that individual. I look for insights, generalities, and apply that understanding to the shaping of an original, fictional character.

Fourth, I intentionally do not write autobiographical or semi-autobiographical stories. Sometimes there are parallels between events in my stories and events in my life, but I separate these quite clearly in my mind. I am not writing about what I have experienced. I am not depicting those specific events. Rather, as with real people, I glean insights and general ideas about my real-life experiences, using those experiences as a source for information about the nature of such experiences.

Ultimately, characters are defined not by what they think or feel, but by what they do. Character is action. Actions are events.

I create events the same way I create characters. I see the fictional events that I write about as based on dramatic need. I shape the events around the main character's main goal and main weakness, and also any additional goals or weaknesses. If I have a character who likes to swim and who wants to become certified as a lifeguard, then I'll put obstacles in the way of that goal. Those obstacles could include having someone close to the character almost drown while attempting to save someone else, and having an unrelated stranger drown while the main character is present, although not primarily responsible for saving him/her. These events would show the danger of trying to save lives, and the cost of not saving them. They would make the importance of this work and its risks very clear to the main character, who must grapple with how he/she relates to the risks and the sense of purpose that drives him/her forward to achieving the goal of becoming a lifeguard. Other obstacles and the characters who introduce them into the main character's life could focus around logistical matters such as having the time to train, having the money to pay for certification, receiving an injury while helping a friend who goofs off, creating an unnecessary emergency for which the main character pays with an injury that threatens completion of training or ability to pass the certification requirements, etc. As you see, the kind of thinking involved here has nothing to do with me; it has everything to do with developing a story that will create a meaningful set of challenges to a main character who has a certain main goal.

It makes no difference whether any of these events occurred or did not occur in my own life -- I'm not writing about my own life. If I have known someone who drowned, or who almost drowned, then I could draw from that experience, but only in broad terms. Any insights I might glean would likely apply in general to anyone in similar circumstances

Characters and events serve a purpose in my stories, and that purpose is defined by the main goal of the main character, which can be expressed in one sentence: "Joe wishes to become a lifeguard like his big brother." I can draw from real life to inform and advise me in how I depict fictional persons and events, but I never cross the line and base my characters on real persons or events. Ever.

Plot is character, and character is plot. They are so intertwined they cannot be separated. A character is defined by what he/she wants to do. What happens is defined by what a character seeks to do. Character drives plot, plot is the expression of character. Too much focus on the quirkiness of an individual character results in a character-driven story that may lack a meaningful plot; too much emphasis on plot may results in an action-thriller which is too shallow and underdeveloped, because the characters don't seem real or organically connected to the line of action.

There is a lot of information in a novel, in the sense of details the writer has to manage while writing the story. They can become confusing, contradictory, confusing, and did I mention confusing? The way to keep it all together and ensure that things fit properly is to identify priorities. Make decisions and stick with them. Decide your basic concept (that one-sentence description I mentioned above). Decide your basic intent for the story (style, genre, tone, theme). Decide the important attributes of your main character: strengths and weaknesses, what he/she has to learn, his/her motivation, the consequences of success or failure. Establish meaningful major complications, decide which few of them absolutely must appear in the story. Brainstorm ideas, other events, other characters, but keep it loose until you have enough information to work with. Start sifting through and pin things down. Prioritize the decisions. Once something is set, keep it set firmly in your mind. Let later decisions hinge on previous decisions. There is a hierarchy to the information, a sense of perspective about it. By keeping things structured in this way, you can build and maintain a clear sense of who your characters are, why they are, how, what, and where they are, etc. Make characters and events count.

Finally, even though I am not my characters and my characters are not me, my characters are ultimately an expression of me. Not in simplistic terms, but in a roundabout way. I am a gay American male. When I create characters, I do so based on my way of looking at the world. They are my characters, engaged in my events, meaning the events which I have created, in stories that I create. My characters and events, and therefore my stories, serve a greater purpose, which is that they collectively communicate something that I wish to express in writing to potential readers. Writers build a body of work over time. That work is unique to each writer. That work is the writer, but not in simplistic terms. Without the writer, the work is nothing. I don't own my characters, any more than parents own their children. We bring them into the world, we give them life, we raise them up, and we send them on their way, hoping the world will be kind to them. If they deserve it. Those that don't should get what's coming to them. Sadly, there are no protagonists without antagonists. Such is the nature of fiction: conflict, through and through.

Of all things, stories are about people. Our characters must ultimately become people to the people who read about them.

Happy character-creating,

Adrian

Planning Still, & Congratulations!

2008-11-15T03:21:00.003-05:00

First, the congratulations -- to Sherry Thomas, whose blog, Plotters & Manipulators United, is one I read from time to time. Sherry spends her time writing historical romance and doesn't blog that often, but some months ago she had some very interesting posts that I enjoyed. The congratulations are due because one of her novels, Private Arrangements, was named one of the best books of the year by Publisher's Weekly! It was one of five mass-market paperbacks to make the list. That's worth some celebrating! Congratulations on such a wonderful achievement!

[By the way, I read about writers and writing techniques from various genres, even though my focus is on fantasy, because I believe we each have a piece of a larger puzzle, and I can learn from a romance writer, a mystery writer, a horror writer, etc., and not only fantasy writers. A fantasy is that much more interesting if it has an element of romance, of mystery, etc. Historical fiction is of particular interest to me because it parallels in less fantastic terms the sort of stuff that my fantasy stories are made of.]

Now, to the Planning . . . .

Yes, a week after my last post, I'm still planning my new novel! I started writing it the last week of October. I worked on it slowly but steadily for that first week, then stopped writing in the 2rd week (early November) to do some more planning, after having written about 7k words. I was then supposed to restart the writing this past week (week 3) and carry on, which I did, starting again with a new first scene and a fresh start, but once again I wrote only so much (this time, about 9k words) then ran into issues that just begged me to stop and plan some more. It's like deja-vu, except this time I know I've been here before! Tally: three weeks, two false starts, and a lot of extra notes from planning!

What's good:

I enjoy planning -- I really do!
The results I'm getting are fantabulous!
I've now got a usable MAP for the first time!
I've even got a "character map" (more below)!
The story just keeps getting better!
I'm so excited about all this!

What's not-so-good:

I'm still planning!
Gee, shouldn't I be writing?
I'm not writing!
My engines are revved but I haven't released the clutch!
"Fantabulous" is not a real word!

Okay, so the good is really good, and the "bad" is not really so bad, it's just not so good. All in all, that weights pretty favorably.

Now, what's a "character map"? Well, I don't know what that means to you, but here's what it means to me: I used a generic drawing program (this could also be done with a text editor) and I mapped out character names on a sheet of paper. Characters who are in the same group are listed line by line without skipping any lines, usually just a few names at a time. If there is another, related group, I skip a line and then list them (for example, two opposing sides or differences in rank or other associations). I then placed these groupings of names around the page (text fields dropped onto a blank page in a drawing program). I situated the names geographically in a way that corresponds to my map of this fictional world. So, the kingdom that is in the southeast is represented by a short list of names of key characters from that kingdom, located in the bottom right area of the paper.

What good is a character map? It looks like a page with names written all over it, in bunches, and they don't even line up with proper margins!

Yes, it looks odd, but it's useful to me. I can look at my map, which I printed out in a larger size than it would appear in the book, and I can look at my character map, which shows the same geographical relations but lists the actual characters, and I can mentally work my way through the story, or sequences of the story, specific scenes, etc., and see visually who people are, where people are, who comes and goes to and from where, etc. These tools, together, help me visualize when I'm doing all this extra planning work.

I already have over 50 names on the character map. These are characters who will be named in the story. Many of them are minor characters who will appear in only a scene or two, but they interact, so these are "speaking roles" and not just "voiceless extras". There are at least a dozen "major" characters, meaning they play a significant role in a chapter or sequence of chapters, and their input into the story has an important impact on the main character and the small group of truly major characters he associates with. For me, 50+ is a lot of named characters, more than I usually work with. What's really cool: I can look at the paper and name off instantly who these characters are, and what role they play throughout the story from start to finish! All of them! So yes, I do know the story well, as well I should.

Now, as to the exact nature of the planning . . . what is it that I'm coming up with these days, and do I really need it? Is it truly so important that it justifies stalling, restarting, then stalling again the writing of this story?

As mentioned before, I already have all the major events in each of the three acts, and the major plot pillars, and many minor events along the way, and all the characters I can foresee needing, certainly all the major players. However, I still get a little fuzzy about the back-story, the history, the mythology, and the ending, as well as making sure I have the right motivations that are reasonable and true to character. In other words, I have "everything", yet everything is suspect, and I know there are some holes here or there in spite of having filled every hole I can find. As I beat my head against the wall, I find incredible new ideas dislodging from the recesses of my mind and adding themselves to the mix. The added insights and improved decisions (where I have choices) are definitely worth the extra effort. Definitely.

What I have pinned down, without giving the story away:

What happened years ago between a man and a woman that explains why they hate each other still to this day, enough to try to destroy each other.
The exact sequence of events that start the present circumstances -- they were always there, I just finally drew them all out in a cause-and-effect series that makes very good sense.
Who that strange race of beings is that lives far to the north -- I always knew the simple answer, but how they are tied to the history and mythology, and the epic proportions of the story was hard to pin down among several choices (not anymore!).
What's located inside that large body of water and why it matters, and matters, and matters.
What's permanent, what's changeable, and why the difference.
How the two major threads come back together -- still working on the exact details, but at least I now have a clear sense of the way this needs to unfold -- my previous version did not rise to the dramatic potential I had created, this new version certainly does.
What's up, what's down, and why it matters.

That's really an enormous amount of progress achieved by joining together the various plot details and seeing how they relate on a closer level than I had achieved earlier. Now, what I'm still working on, which is why the planning will continue a little while yet:

Details of the second and third acts that are too fine to have been explored fully yet. I want to explore as much as I can before writing, though I know I will discover more when I actually write.
As always, the critically-important issue of the main character's strengths and weaknesses, lessons to be learned, and how this ties in to the final confrontation and resolution.

I've accomplished a lot of work recently, but there is still a lot to consider before I regard this initial planning as "done". I know the story will grow as I write it, in terms of fleshing out the details, but not in terms of adding significant new plot twists. I just want to take as much into account as I can before writing because I hate to write knowing that I have to rewrite it even as I write it. I can write effective scenes, and when I know what they need to consist of before writing them, I can get them on track right from the start. I don't want to write a loose, choppy, rough draft. I want to write a first draft that is usable, that requires editing, not rewriting. As much planning as possible does help (obviously, within reason).

So, I'm still planning. At least I'm enjoying it!

Best wishes to everyone else with their ongoing efforts, whatever they may be,

Adrian

New Novel Up & Running!

2008-11-06T08:02:00.005-05:00

My new novel, CHASM (still want to find a better working title!), is up and running. I mentioned having written the first 2 chapters last week, about 7k words. Well, over the weekend, while editing those 2 chapters and reflecting more on how the story was going, I felt I had a new set of questions that needed answering. In spite of all the planning over the summer -- I filled an entire composition notebook with notes -- I realized there were still a number of angles that I hadn't addressed. So, I spent the weekend and early into this week going back over my notes and reflecting in greater depth on certain key issues. The result is the story has advanced very nicely, with a much richer plot and set of relationships and interrelationships between characters, events and places. It's the same story, just more evolved. I also added some entirely new elements, which are useful in drawing out the ideas I already had established, but in a way that helps me dramatize things better. I did nothing that changes the original intent or basic story line. Those were already well-planned. I'm really happy with the new material, and it has that feel to it that tells me it's "right on" -- you know something is working when the pieces fit seamlessly together and everything just feels right.

However, with the new ideas, I felt I needed to go back to the beginning and make a fresh start again. I wanted to allow the new ideas to percolate and affect how I was beginning the story, and the exact way I was going to introduce the characters and circumstances. I'm glad I did. One important new change is, for the first time since I started working (again) in earnest a few years ago, I'm going to use multiple points of view. I have kept my last four novels strictly focused on one main character who is the protagonist and hero. Every scene of every chapter featured the MC, and was from that one character's POV. In earlier years I did write with multiple POV's, but when I started writing again in 2005 I decided to restrict myself to just one POV (the MC's) and keep it to that until I had mastered a number of other aspects of the novel-writing process. I wouldn't say I've mastered anything, of course, but I'm certainly doing much, much better on a number of fronts and have clearly learned a lot in these past few years. I feel comfortable branching out now, with a sense that I have enough of the key elements of good storytelling under control now that it is time to grow again. It's very exciting to work with multiple POV's after my self-imposed exile from them.

So far this week I've written only two scenes, going slowly and carefully, making sure I get it right. I believe the beginning of a story is very important as it establishes the foundation that you write from as you proceed through the rest of the story. However, I'll try to avoid the meticulous editing I normally do to the first three or four chapters. The first two scenes run a little over 3k, and I'll add another scene before closing Chapter 1. This fresh-start manuscript is up and running, and as I get past the first couple of chapters I expect the pace to pick up and the editing to fall by the way side. I don't want to rush too quickly through it, as time allows reflection, which in turn creates better scenes, but I want to set a good pace and keep it moving. I have no idea the length of this novel, but will set it at 80k to 100k.

Once I get a few chapters in, and have edited the first chapter enough times that it seems pretty well set, then I'll share the first chapter on my secure blog, ADRIAN'S ARCHIVE. By the way, thanks to Scotty for his feedback already in the comments on that blog, and, Debra, I've sent the password email but I'm not posting your comment requesting it so that I don't divulge your email address publicly.

One really cool thing about the new CHASM novel is that I feel like I'm writing a real fantasy novel for the first time. It's actually my fifth fantasy novel, but with all the growth over the past four I feel I'm finally able to write the kind of prose I was hoping to write with the first one, THE REFLECTING STONE. That was a fine story in terms of plotting and characters and the struggle the MC faces, but my prose was not then what it is now. It's nice to see progress.

I'll keep working on CHASM, enjoying the ride, not in a hurry, but feeling excitement about this story and anticipation. I can't wait to see what the finished story looks like.

Best wishes to others with their WIP's,

Adrian

Feedback Anyone?

2008-11-01T04:07:00.008-05:00

Breaking News:

I've been wanting to share excerpts of my fiction so other writers can see what I'm working on and provide feedback. I have a publicly-available blog for that already, ADRIAN'S FIX, but I can only share brief excerpts there. To help me share more substantial excerpts, I've created a new secure blog. It's called ADRIAN'S ARCHIVE. I've already put sample chapters on there from three of my WIP's:

THE REFLECTING STONE
JACK & JILL: THE UNTOLD STORY
The First Novel in the JASPER Series

I'll post more content there on a regular basis (I have it readily available).

Why a secure blog?

If you put anything more than a brief excerpt on the internet for everybody to see, it immediately loses any potential commercial value for publication. A publicly-available blog like ADRIAN'S FIX is fine for sharing bits and pieces, or for sharing stuff that I do not plan to market one day, but it is not suitable for longer excerpts or whole works. I need a password-protected blog to share more substantial excerpts, and I'll only share this content with a handful of writers for feedback.

How do I visit a secure blog?

In case you're not familiar with secure blogs at Blogger, I'll explain briefly....

You visit the secure blog the same way you visit this one -- by going to the URL (internet address) for the blog. However, since it is a secure blog, you will first get a screen that asks you to enter a password. This way, only those who have been invited, and given the password, can enter the blog to view its contents.

Once you've entered the password, you can have your browser save the password (via a cookie), and then when you come back to the site, you can view it instantly without having to re-enter the password each time. Or, you can decline the cookie, but then you have to re-enter the password each time you visit.

How do I get the password?

In order to send you a password, I need your email address. I have to enter it into a form in my Dashboard (control panel at Blogger that I use to manage my blogs). Once I enter your email address in the form, authorizing you to view the site, Blogger will send you an automatically-generated invitation email that invites you to view the blog. The invitation email gives you the URL, and a password.

Therefore, if you would like to visit my new secure blog, please send me an email. Identify yourself and let me know you want a password, and I'll have Blogger send you an invitation!

Send requests to:

a m e r i c a n a u t h o r [ a t ] y a h o o [ d o t ] c o m
(minus the extra spaces, of course -- it all just runs together).

In conclusion....

I hope my fellow aspiring writers will request the password and visit the new blog to see what my stories look like, and to offer feedback. You can share general reactions, as well as more detailed feedback, by posting comments on the secure blog.

Additionally, if you would like to receive a longer excerpt or entire work, when available, let me know and I can send you a Mobipocket eBook version, which is also secure. You can download the Mobipocket eBook Reader and Creator programs for FREE from the Mobipocket site. It's a great tool, allowing you to read your own stories in eBook format, share them with others (with or without password encryption), and add comments directly to the text. Their site also offers 10,000 free eBooks for immediate download, and of course you can purchase eBooks as well. Check it out, if you haven't already.

Thanks for your support, and feel free to ask me to critique your own work as well. I'm more than happy to reciprocate.

Adrian

Moving Ahead

2008-10-31T03:02:00.002-05:00

I've decided to move ahead with my next novel, CHASM. I've already started it this past week, and have written two chapters, about 7k words total. It's off to a very solid start, and I'm very excited about the rich story, rich characters, and wealth of possibilities which this story affords.

I'll continue to work on JASPER, and JACK & JILL, as time permits, editing and rewriting. However, I don't want to hold up my forward progress with a lengthy editing phase at this point. I want to keep moving forward, developing my skills. I see such a huge jump from one story to the next that I feel compelled to move forward, rather than waiting for the editing of these last stories to be complete.

I won't be doing Nano this year. I've already started my next project, prior to November 1st. I couldn't wait.

Best wishes for your Autumn writing,

Adrian

Aha!

2008-10-14T17:16:00.002-05:00

It's always nice when that "Aha!" moment comes. I took a little time away from the JASPER novel and then spent a little time thinking and sketching some notes for the rewrite, then I let those notes sit, and then again I sat down after rereading those notes and thought some more and the "Aha!" moment struck. During that moment of great clarity, I managed to establish about ten key points that will guide me in the rewrite. These ideas count as course corrections, bringing the story back on track where I wasn't sure before. The ten key points mostly affect the characters' attitudes and motivations, which in turn drive the way the final events unfold, keeping them much more consistent with the rest of the story. In other words, "Aha!"

Now that I can see the answers that I was seeking before, the lack of which caused me such consternation during those final chapters, I can't help but feel it's all so much simpler than I was thinking it would be. That's one sign that I have the right answers. You know you're on the right track when things fit seemlessly together and feel right with very little trouble.

Now I'll move on to the rewrite. I wasn't sure if I'd go back and do some of the major work first, then fine tune, or just go through in sequence and fix the problems as they appear, whether large or small. I decided I should go through in sequence, to help ensure the logical flow and catch any other things which I haven't already settled with my ten key points.

I don't know how long the editing will take. I'll shoot for a month, knowing it might well be two, but it shouldn't take six months or another year. Half the story is already significantly edited and refined and totally on track. The other half needs some work, but only a few chapters out of 25 are in need of actual rewriting. So, as long as the answers remain clear to me as they did in the "Aha!" moment, the rewrite should not be too much trouble.

Fingers crossed,

Adrian

JASPER: Complete @ 95k

2008-10-01T07:44:00.002-05:00

I wanted to complete the first draft of the JASPER novel by 9/30, and I did! The word count came in at 95k, which is quite a bit over the original goal of 60k, and even the revised goal of 80k. This is now technically a completed first draft, but in reality the first half of the manuscript has been edited quite thoroughly, and is really on draft #7, at least. So, the bulk of the work that remains will focus on the second half, in particular several of the last chapters, which are quite rough. I will shorten to a maximum of 80k.

The recent planning paid off as I was able to look at my extended table of contents and remember what each chapter was supposed to address (goals, complications), and then sit down and write it. One at a time, I made my way through each chapter of Act III. The material feels right, and the antagonist issue worked out well, but the strengths/weaknesses issue remains a concern. I'll focus on that tonight when I reflect on the recent material and write notes to guide me in the editing of the second half.

After tonight, however, I'm not sure if I'll carry on directly to the editing of the JASPER novel, or will return to the editing of the JACK & JILL novel, or whether I might take a "Creative Break" or even a short breather then dive in to another new story, the "CHASM" novel which I had planned out in detail over the summer. I'm eager to start that one, when the time is right. I think I should edit, though, because I very much want to complete one story or the other by year's end -- that should be a priority. Whether it's JASPER or JACK & JILL doesn't matter, just that I actually finish something this year, to the point of a completed, edited and polished final manuscript. That was my goal last year, and I didn't make it. This year it is possible and more than worth aiming for.

I'd do a little happy dance and shout for joy at the completion of JASPER, but the truth is I'm too frustrated after the last several chapters to feel the joy right now. Once I reflect on what I wrote, and tie up the one remaining loose end about strengths and weaknesses, then I'll feel like celebrating. And, I will. That's something we should always do when we reach a major goal.

Best wishes to others in completing their drafts or rewrites,

Adrian

80k & Counting

2008-09-24T15:37:00.002-05:00

I'm making progress on the final chapters. JASPER now stands at 80k with two more chapters to go, or three, depending on how it turns out. I should finish it this week.

The new material is rough and there will definitely be a need for editing. However, I have seen where my rough material winds up very nicely polished once I spend time with it, so that doesn't concern me.

I'm following the extended outline and sticking to it. I felt a sudden urge to add yet another twist, but refrained from venturing off the course I've set. I feel that I'll finally understand what I'm trying to do once I've done it. In spite of having a definite plan that does spell out the important issues, I still feel as though I'm not familiar with it. It's an odd feeling and could be the result of either my not seeing something that I need to know and don't even realize that I need to know, or the simple fact that this newer material at the end of the story is just so much newer to me than the rest of the story that it's taking time for it to sink in. It'll be interesting to see what I think about it once it's written, whether the ending I'm writing now is really the right ending and just needs editing to blend it all together, or whether I've missed the mark in spite of thinking I know what I'm doing.

I've also reflected more on the issues discussed in my last posting. I realize the late-stage slump is really the main factor in my tribulations which are now playing out in Act III. I never thought I suffered from that like other writers do, but now I see I do experience this syndrome. The fact that I recognize it gives me courage, because I'm good at solving problems once I know what they are. I'm sure I'll prepare myself well for this with my next novel and will find ways to help me through the late-stage slump. I already see several things I can do to minimize the difficulty and delay I encounter when I'm most of the way through the manuscript. I see also that this is exactly what happened to me with the JACK & JILL story when I set it aside. Different story, different story particulars, but the very same experience for me, the same pattern or syndrome. Well, I'll be ready for it next time!

The writing goes on, and I'm happy that I'm making progress, even though it's a weary, trudging sort of progress. Each step through the muck and mire brings me closer to the final page....

Best wishes for your own continued progress, and ability to stay out of the muck,

Adrian

Lessons Learned

2008-09-09T15:11:00.003-05:00

The past month has been one of ups and downs and going in circles. After a terrific, exuberant start, I quickly found myself mired in uncertainty. I made a series of valiant efforts, but in the end there were too many unresolved questions in spite of having found "all" the answers I needed to write my way through Act III. The result is that the work stands very nearly where it was a month ago, in terms of pages written, but now I really DO have a very firm and solid grasp of the plot issues. My thoughts about it are written out in detailed note form, with an "expanded table of contents" to back me up, and several lists of useful information that show how things fit together. I've thoroughly explored several options and made the difficult decisions.

What have learned from my work on the JASPER novel?

First, I have noticed that I have allowed too many distractions to keep me from being as productive as I need to be. Summers are always my least productive time anyway. At least this year I did not stop writing altogether and declare myself on another of my "Creative Breaks". I kept working, and I did accomplish something. However, realizing the need to be more productive, I have already negotiated with those affected and will be setting aside more time to focus on my writing without causing undue consternation or finding my writing time interrupted.

Second, I have appreciated the need to prepare for writing before writing. The past couple of years I focused on a great deal of preparation (note-taking, research, outlining, revising, re-thinking, re-revising, etc.) prior to writing the first draft, and then revising all my notes again before embarking on subsequent drafts. I wrote 60,000 words in notes before I wrote one manuscript page of my first completed novel two years ago. That investment has paid off wonderfully, allowing me to complete drafts for the first time, after many years of struggling to finish manuscripts only to get bogged down and lost in the middle. However, after two years of extensive preparation, I felt constrained, and longed for a sense of open and unfettered creativity while writing.

Therefore, I did very little to prepare myself for the current JASPER novel. I thought up a basic idea then sat down and started writing. All that structure and discipline paid off as I found myself racing through the JASPER story and producing quality results, thanks to having internalized the underlying three-act structure. I was on a roll with it, until I got the Nano bug last year and interrupted the story at the mid-point to write a new novel (JACK & JILL). When I finally got back to JASPER, it was a different experience. I had lost that focus and passion, and have had to write it through hard work. It's doable, and I'm still producing very engaging material, but it's more work and harder work than it was before. I should never have interrupted this successful ongoing project just to do Nano, although I am happy that I now have another wonderful story to get back to once I finish JASPER.

Taking all this into account, I'd say I've learned that while this chance to write without constraint has been stimulating, I still need to plan my stories in advance because it does save time later. The tie-ups over the past few months have really all come down to lack of planning. I'll find ways to give myself unfettered writing experiences, but when it comes to a novel, it's best to be prepared.

Third, the specific planning issues with the JASPER novel, stuff I've dealt with as I prepare to write Act III, are as follows:

Identifying the antagonist. I had two options, and a third option which involves the two possible antagonists working together. I had one version fixed in my mind at the outset, then while writing I sensed a better (i.e., more complex) story if I made some alterations. I ended up leaving the story open as I wrote it so that I could end the story with any of the possible outcomes. Now I need to go back in and tie things down for the version I've finally selected. I should have kept one main focus. A story hinges on exactly who the "bad guy" is, and it's not something to toy around with while writing!
Identifying the protagonist's strengths and weaknesses. This is also an essential ingredient and one you must clearly define at the outset because you need to include scenes which show these things, and which move the protagonist from weakness to strength in order to face the final confrontation. Again, I had a sense of it, I had thought about it, had written some brief comments about it in the little planning that I did before starting the manuscript, but over time I realized a deeper need, and how to tie things in better to the exact nature of the final confrontation. In part, our understanding of our story evolves over time and we can't help but revise and refine, but also I feel I could have looked deeper and sought out a better understanding of this at the outset.
Fleshing out the back-story and "greater story". I generated enough of the world and back-story to start writing, but throughout the time I've worked on JASPER I've contemplated additional twists and complications that can surround this present story, how it can be set in its world against a background of greater intrigue. This is because I want to write more than one JASPER story, and use that material to drive a series of novels set in this world. I don't think it's necessary to know everything up front, especially when those details don't even appear in the present novel, but I do think it helps to have some sense of the greater story that the current story is part of. The more refined that information, the easier it is to work with. I now feel a stronger connection between those ideas and the way this story will end. In light of that development, I feel it would have been better to spend extra time reflecting up front on how I might envision the series developing.

Fourth, I've noticed a pattern that requires attention. Previously, my greatest struggle lay in simply completing an entire draft. I used to get lost in Act II, unable to bridge the middle of the story. I put a lot of effort into planning before writing and managed to overcome that difficulty. Now, I can complete a story with confidence. However, my new greatest struggle seems to lie in keeping the story together when I'm 2/3 or 3/4 of the way through. In each of the four stories I've worked on in the past couple of years, this seems to be the area of the story where I face the greatest challenges. I think every writer does experience a rough spot at about this point. It is fed partly by fatigue, the need to catch a second wind to bring us in to the end point. However, I notice my stories tend to unravel, my ideas go in too many directions, and the simple becomes complex, allowing the complex to become even more complex. I need to prepare for this next time by establishing a sharp focus and using it to guide me through this portion of the draft. I don't want to change my stories every time simply because I'm now 2/3 or 3/4 through. I want to plan well enough and stay the course, so that things get easier, rather than harder, the more material I have down in writing. Maybe the rethinking at this point is unavoidable, but if I can prepare for this stage of the writing process, maybe I can minimize the interruptions and maintain the forward momentum.

Finally, another thing I've learned the past few months while looking over JASPER and my earlier completed drafts, is that I've made tremendous progress in the span of just four novels. While none has yet reached completion in the sense of a finished, polished final manuscript, they have all been written from start to finish and have all been edited at least somewhat, or extensively, including rewriting portions or the entire drafts. I've done a lot of work in the past couple of years, to be sure. My writing is now much richer, much more focused, much better paced. I'm still "just learning" and expect substantial progress over the next four novels, but the prose I am ending up with now is clearly much stronger than it was two years ago, and now at a point where I would be happy to share it with others. The point of this is not to pat myself on the back, but to take to heart the notion that I am making real and measurable progress. That, more than anything, encourages me to continue and work harder than ever.

To conclude this posting, I will now attempt to write Act III of the JASPER story using the notes made over the past month. I estimate another 15,000 words to finish the story. I'll set a goal of September 30th to achieve this. I may or may not meet that deadline, but as long as I make substantial progress within this time -- progress not in planning yet again, but in churning out useful manuscript pages -- then I'll be content. Once the draft is complete, I'll go back immediately to revise earlier portions to agree with the new plot details, and then will edit, edit, edit, to get that polished manuscript as quickly as possible. The JASPER story is entertaining, engaging, interesting -- one I would be happy to send out. I'd like to do that within this calendar year if possible.

Best wishes to other writers for their planning, re-planning, writing, and re-writing,

Adrian

JASPER: 68K

2008-08-07T07:45:00.002-05:00

Apparently I must have written 5k words yesterday, since the word count grew by that much. I did a little editing of the last chapter, then wrote the second chapter that I knew I needed. I finished it, and actually started on the chapter that follows that one, which means breaking fresh ground!

Yes, I'm now officially into Act III! (*loud cheer* *happy dance*)

And it's off to a great start. I ran out of time to write and literally had to DRAG myself away from the computer (no, not that sort of drag -- not my scene -- more like a forceful extrication of someone who does NOT want to leave his keyboard!). The story is literally writing itself at this point. If I can keep this up, I can charge admission to paranormal fans who want to see what it looks like when a writer channels a story from the great Unknown. Definitely, I'm on a roll.

Well, enough for the joy and elation and all that.

Back to work, as soon as I can!

Oh so eager,
Adrian

JASPER: 63k

2008-08-06T07:55:00.004-05:00

It's nice to be able to report progress again! I hope I'm not shocking anybody by posting to my blog a second time within the same month. The feeling is just too good, so I thought I'd share it.

I mentioned in my last posting I have two chapters to finish before the current sequence in the JASPER novel is complete. I finished the first of these two chapters, along with some additional editing elsewhere in the sequence.

The new chapter runs a little long still, around 3800 words. Up to this point, I've kept my chapters generally in the 2500-to-3000-word range. The new chapter is solid enough that I'll leave any additional tightening for later. That will be purely an editing issue, not a story issue. I'll trim the good stuff where I can, but not because of unneeded digression--there is none. The chapter stayed on course.

I mentioned in my last posting that I had a previous draft of the chapter to draw from. Well, that version was actually twice as long as it needed to be, and it took more than shortening. I ended up rewriting it, borrowing bits and pieces here or there but substantially reworking it. It's a new chapter now, even though it draws from the flow of the previous version of it. No problem, and I love the way it comes together in the end. I've had a lot of success with building chapters to some sort of chapter-level climax. In fact, all the chapters in this novel end with a tight focus on a key story issue. It don't get much better than that! (*grin*)

As things are progressing, it's looking increasingly like my word-count estimate of 60k for the finished text, an estimate which has already grown to 72k, may soon grow to 80k. Yep. Probably 80k. That's only 20k over my original intention. Didn't miss it by much as novel-writing goes, but I'm glad I'm not the navigator for a Mars probe.

Best wishes for staying on target with your writing,

Adrian

Progress on JASPER

2008-07-31T23:50:00.006-05:00

This past week was an excellent one for my writing. I wish every week could be like this! I worked several hours each day on the JASPER story and the quality of the work was very gratifying. I managed a level of objectivity which is so helpful yet so hard to achieve, and even harder to maintain. I think it is a sign of growth that I was able to manage it. I hope I can hold onto it.

I browsed back over the past several posts and realized that I've been working on JASPER since late May, when I set aside the JACK & JILL story to give it more time to ferment. Somewhere along the way I lost track of time. On June 12th I described my current place in the JASPER story as the transition from Act II to Act III: it's where I'm still at! Yet so much has happened in the past couple of months. I have written, rewritten and edited so many times I've lost count. I have worked through several completely different versions of this sequence, trying out various possibilities, and worked through them all again. I simply stopped noticing how much work I was doing in the effort to get it right. I don't think I've ever worked this much on any particular sequence before, for any story.

At least I can now happily relate that I have finally tied it down. I have the version that works best, that is truly woven into the fabric of the story in the best way I can imagine. I got to it bit by bit through each of the earlier drafts which didn't work. Always some part of them did work, and by weaving these ideas and insights together, casting and recasting them, eventually I figured out just how to handle these events and move the story forward in a way that really holds one's attention, satisfies the story's needs, and comes across as genuine and authentic for the characters.

Through the rewrites, the length has grown to 60k, which was the original goal for the entire story -- I wanted this to be a shorter novel. This suggests a finished word count closer to 72k.

Although I have now settled on the final version of this current sequence, I haven't finished writing it. There are two more chapters to go before I'm done. The first one is already written but needs substantial shortening. The second is yet to be written. That chapter will bring all the previous chapters together and propel the Reader into Act III. I'm working on them even now.

Best wishes for your own clarity and progress,

Adrian

The Pillars of Perseverance

2008-07-01T14:26:00.003-05:00

Somewhere along the way every aspiring writer comes to the realization that writing a novel is a lot of hard work. Hopefully, this realization comes early, and the writer accepts the fact and buckles down to the task at hand. We all have our own way of managing this. Some are real troopers, writing daily no matter what. Others prefer to write when the inspiration strikes them. Unfortunately, for most of us, that is too seldom and too short-lived to allow the creation and completion of a novel in anything less than several hundred lifetimes. Somewhere between the die-hard fanatic and the casual poseur, there lies a happy, healthy balance between life, work, family, hobbies, recreation, unexpected obligations, spur-of-the-moment getaways, etc., and the hard work necessary to complete a novel within a reasonable amount of time.

Oh, and did I mention that writers are also supposed to find time to read?

Yes, writers must be informed about what is going on the in the world. It is important to read about current events, to read up on history, to research topics relevant to our writing projects, and of course to read about writing in the never-ending effort to improve and expand our professional capacity and horizons. Finally, we must also read what other writers write in order to keep abreast of what is being published, and to find examples to learn from in the case of those writers who do a darned good job of it.

Currently, I am reading THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH by Ken Follett. It was one of Oprah's Book Club selections last year. It's a well-written and engaging story, the sort of novel that makes you wish you had written it yourself. It is always inspiring to find prose that is so clear, so expressive, so focused, and which sustains this high standard for hundreds upon hundreds of pages. This is the first novel I've picked up that happened to be on Oprah's list. I had a copy of it already in German, which I had begun reading but never finished. When I saw Oprah promoting it, I remembered wanting to get back to it and finish it one day, so I decided to get a fresh English copy and see how it was meant to be experienced in the original language. Some books read better in one language or the other, for some reason. I definitely like this one in English. Perhaps the fact that it is set in England has something to do with that.

In the Preface, the author writes about how he was inspired to write this novel but then put it aside. He came back to it ten years later and then took over three years to complete the process of writing and polishing it. I recognized my own struggles in his comments, particularly where he mentions that the reason he set it aside was because he realized he was not yet able to write it. When he started out, his writing skills were not sufficient for such an ambitious project. Follett also mentions that a longer novel is much more work than three novels of shorter length. I have also read in several blogs and articles on writing that a beginning writer might find it advantageous to start out writing a shorter novel, or a few YA or children's stories, in order to get the basics of storytelling down. Everybody has to start somewhere, and a shorter or simpler project helps you gain a foothold and advance your skills toward more ambitious projects.

I chose to take this good advice last year, when I shifted from adult-level novels to YA fiction. My intention was to write a few (3-5) YA novels as a way to simplify things and gain some practical experience (as well as tell some interesting and worthwhile stories!). So far, I have been very happy with that decision, and with my progress. This approach has been particularly helpful for me because I tend to make things more complicated the longer I work on them. It's happening even now with my current project, the JASPER story. As the novel winds into the third act, it should become more focused, more driven, the momentum increasing, the expectation rising, a clear sense emerging that all that has gone before has led to this moment and that this moment is inextricably leading toward something, and not just anything, but something which was ordained from the start, and which will reward the Reader with a gratifying pay-off (and reward me, too, by the way -- I also enjoy the thrill of seeing the story pull together and end well). Nonetheless, when everything should be clear, I find myself constantly seeking new twists, new surprises, the unforeseen shift that will make the Reader (and me) gasp with surprise and awe. I still seek a deeper significance, a way to draw out the themes, a profundity that frankly oversteps the requirements or the expectations of the genre. I need to remind myself that it is only a story, and that I must finish it, and just accomplishing that much is already accomplishing more than I have accomplished previously: I have yet to send a manuscript out the door!

A work like PILLARS inspires me to carry on, to keep things in perspective, to remember that other writers have passed this way, too, on their way toward meeting their personal goals. As Follett writes in his Preface, we must write the sort of stuff that we're good at, that rings true according to our unique talents. It is sound advice to start small, acquire the skills you need, and then carry on until you reach your ultimate goals. There are many stories within us, many great stories just waiting for a chance to be written. They will be, if we persevere.

Wishing all aspiring (and published) writers progress toward their goals,

Adrian

Update

2008-06-12T13:16:00.003-05:00

Wow, it's been a month since I updated this blog! Shame on me. I normally post more frequently, but sometimes I guess I'm just not in the blogging mood.

I did complete the transition sequence that marked the mid-point of JACK & JILL. I revised the way the new pivotal character was introduced and things worked much better. I kept at it with tenacity and perseverance and all that sort of thing and did accomplish what I set out to do. However, once I moved into the second half of the story, I realized that I needed to set it aside for a while to let it gestate some more. I have the basic sequence of events and the basic story: the entire first draft spells it out plus the notes I wrote before and while working on that draft. However, thematically, I still sense loose ends. Already the "dream time" I'm allowing this story has helped me see some important connections between the three major characters, stuff I hadn't seen before and which I will draw out. This means a change, but only a minor tweak, yet with a significant shift in their relationships and the meaning of key events. I don't have to change the whole story, just a few details, and suddenly the big things that will happen later on take on a much deeper meaning. So, it is clear from this alone that the extra "dream time" is needed. There is more to learn still about how this plays out, the potential impact on the characters and all that sort of thing.

I also see that while this story does get rather dark, it's the nature of the story based on the few key parameters of the story. It's like a racehorse coming out of the starting gate, but from the way the gate is angled, there is only one way for the horse to run -- not on the brightly lit track, but down some dirt road that leads off into a dangerous, dark, cloudy, mysterious place. The story has to go there based on the primary tenets that define the story, and they come from the rhyme the story is based on. It all springs from the source, and unfolds as it needs to. I regret that it turns out to be a dark story, since I'm not particularly fond of dark stories or the suffering I endure in writing them, but I do feel the ending is positive enough for me to continue working on this project. Also, and most importantly, I've grown rather attached to these characters and their world and really do not want to set them or it aside. I feel this is a worthwhile novel and one I should keep at until I finish it. I have too much respect for the characters not to see it through!

So, while JACK & JILL is benefiting from a little additional "dream time" to help me keep the second half on track during the rewrite, I have shifted focus to my other WIP, the one that was moving along quite nicely until I interrupted it to write JACK & JILL back in November. That story, of course, is the first JASPER story. It has a title, but I won't share it with you since it's ultra-cool and I don't want to give it away. The main character is a boy-mage named Jasper. It's set in an entirely new world (meaning, separate from the worlds of my other stories). It's written with a sense of humor, although not specifically for laughs (at least, most of the time -- sometimes I admit there is a more direct effort at amusement over plot progression).

My recent progress on the JASPER novel has brought the word count from 28k, where it was after some editing and a little slicing, up to around 55k, in the past couple of weeks. That's pretty good progress, considering I've also gone through the newer chapters and done some editing as well, which takes time but shores up the progress. I was at the mid-point in that story, and labored on it as well some time ago, but now I am up to the next major transition point, the change from Act II to Act III. I am still in that sequence now, and as the plot has thickened unexpectedly I am having to do some work to make sure I don't let things get over-complicated (a recurring issue for me, since I tend to take things that could be simple and make them more complicated than they need to be). I'm going back now and uncomplicating things a bit, then I'll continue on with the rest of this sequence. I won't set a specific deadline but the first draft should be finished in another week or two, and then I'll do the editing and it'll be DONE.

I love that word, and hope to use it more often in the coming months.

One other note to share: I've almost finished extensive note-writing on a new novel, an original story of my own creation but whose creation was inspired by the reading of several other writers' work (see below). I guess reading their work inspired me to get creative, and when I did I came up with an interesting new story of my own. As that story developed over the past several weeks, it changed significantly. I've written over a hundred pages of notes for it, and will write many more in the coming week or two as I complete the planning. I won't share the title, since it's rather a nice one and I don't want to give it away, but I'll refer to it as . . . well, uh . . . CHASM since there are some giant gaping chasms in it, but it's not about chasms specifically, although they might serve as a symbol for the gulfs that separate people within the story. Yes, a mighty fine metaphor for social divisions. It features four major characters who share a series of adventures together. The story is allegorical, a fictional representation of some of the struggles that some of us will recognize readily and identify with from everyday life. I won't hint at what struggles, or anything else. I'll save that for a later time, but I feel the planning work on CHASM is by far my best to date. I'm learning and growing by leaps and bounds, and see that time and time again.

By the way, if you scroll down a little you'll see a posting just a few away where I mention reading excerpts from other writers' work that was posted online, both published and unpublished writers, including sample chapters of published novels and unpublished nanovels, etc. One of the writers I mentioned has just posted a comment, letting me know he is now sharing short stories on his LiveJournal site. If you get a chance, please check out his work -- I'm quite impressed by his progress over the past few years and see a lot of potential for this guy's writing career. His novel excerpts can be found here, and the one in particular that inspired me is here.

Separately, and sadly, I must note the passing of one of my dear relatives. I commented that three of my relatives had been hospitalized back in December. Two of them are much better now, but one of them has recently passed away after suffering a major stroke. This was one of my aunts, who had major health problems last year and into this year, from which she recovered, only to suffer a stroke on the day she was to be released after months of hospitalization and rehabilitation. I will always remember the times I visited with her and her family when I was little, and my visits to see her in these past months. May she rest in peace!

Best wishes to all aspiring writers,

Adrian

2/3 Through This Transition Step

2008-05-07T09:11:00.003-05:00

The sequence of chapters that I've been working on for some time now, which build to and end with the mid-point of the story, are coming along! I'm glad.

This sequence, like so much in storytelling, can be divided into three parts: a beginning, middle and end. I'm 2/3 of the way through now, thanks to a combination of intensive editing and even rewriting.

The key changes center on drawing out the true motivations, feelings and reactions of the characters, and updating the way a pivotal new character is depicted when he is introduced here. He evolved during the first draft, and I needed to bring his earlier representation into line with how I know things will turn out later. Also, the extra emphasis on the thoughts of the central characters has helped in showing character development for the main character. He has to change his mind about something, and that needs to seem authentic.

The impact of these changes has been significant. The story rings true now, and feels tight. It grips you and holds you, moves you right along, which is fitting for a sequence that involves high stakes. The improvement is very noticeable and it's very gratifying to see. (Of course, this is just my opinion; I'll have to wait a while yet until I finish the editing for a beta reader to tell me whether there's any truth to it!)

What remains in this sequence is just to draw the story forward another step, refining the focus down to the point where there is the key decision by the main character which marks the mid-point of the story. Another night or two and I hope to have this finished.

After that, I will follow the existing flow of the story through the second half of the novel as laid out in the first draft, trying to edit where that will do the trick, but also rewriting entire chapters as need be. I don't see changing the basic plot in any significant way. All the changes I've made in the first half have only reinforced the existing plot line. Nothing is competing with it. Fortunately, I'm not being pulled in two directions at once with this story, as I so often have been with other stories.

I'm learning a lot about editing. I'm sure I still have much to learn, but I think finally I really am clued in to what editing should be, what it should accomplish, and how to go about it. I knew these ideas before, but after doing so much of it, I'm seeing these ideas in a whole new light. I feel I'm really "getting it" now.

I also believe that you have to write at least 500,000 words, if not a million, before you really understand how to write. I've heard quotes to that effect, and read them in a number of articles, blog postings, forums and books on writing. I'm really understanding so much more about storytelling, how the various components and parts of a story tie together, and also about language, how to structure it, pace it, develop it, nurture it along to various effects. Practice may never make perfect, but it certainly does generate a considerable improvement in quality over time!

And, again, it always comes down to enjoyment. For me, at least, that is the key. I must enjoy the process, and the results, and have a reasonable hope that Readers will enjoy the results as well. Without that, there really is no point, for me, in spending so many hours on something called fiction.

Best wishes to other aspiring writers,

Adrian

More Good Progress

2008-04-30T06:34:00.002-05:00

I have been working steadily on the editing of JACK & JILL. I'm now thoroughly immersed in the detail of the first half of the story. I have gone through again and again with the cluster of chapters that mark the mid-point. Each time I make things better and better. I even went back a few additional chapters, just to see what else I could tweak, and sure enough I found a few things. Seeing that, I went all the way back to the beginning again and worked through yet another time, over stuff that had pretty well been edited to a final shine already. Just a few things here or there, but each additional change has helped tighten and improve.

What has emerged from all this work has been a new way to handle a key, pivotal character, who is introduced in this cluster of chapters that has proved so problematic. I cast him in a new light, borrowing from what I know comes later, seeding it in much earlier, right from the start. Gee, when we write first drafts, we don't have it all figured out from the get-go, do we? Hence this character evolved a bit in how I handled him, and so there is room to alter how he first appears, in order to bring it in line with the take on things that I ended up with after completing the first draft. It's working wonders.

The most essential thing, as I blogged about recently, has been to make sure the scenes are true to the characters. The whole story depends upon the thoughts and reactions of the characters. The story must be character-driven. That is, it must propel itself forward based not on external plot events, but the thoughts and reactions of the characters to their circumstances, and their efforts to move toward an outcome they desire. It's the horse before the cart, not the other way around. Some stories fail because plot takes precedence, and it always shows. If you follow the characters through the maze of events you have created for them, they will choose the path that makes the most sense for them, and it will ring true.

Anyway, sometimes I love what I've written and sometimes I hate it, but mostly I think it's good, and some of it is excellent in terms of clarity, conciseness, motivation, a constant forward momentum. Overall it's good, at least to my satisfaction. Certainly I will be quite pleased to send this manuscript out once finished, based on reasonable expectations I have about its quality as a polished final draft.

The intense editing that this first half has received over time has done wonders to tighten it. With my present understanding of the key characters, and knowing what lies in store for them, I feel very much more confident now in proceeding into the second half, albeit gradually and with much revision until they are clearly on their way. This transition is so important because it changes the story direction and moves it toward the ending, although the Reader won't see what lies so far down the road, just what it seems lies so far down the road. That's good, keeps the story from being too predictable.

Another thing I've noticed is how much more strongly I now handle the issues surrounding magic. When I first started writing fantasy, which was only a couple of years ago with THE REFLECTING STONE, a novel that remains in progress after two complete drafts, it was a bit awkward for me. I had read fantasy stories and seen the movies made from them, as well as the sagas and epics the genre draws from historically. The idea of a fantasy story, or a story with fantastic elements, including magic, was nothing new to me and something I was quite comfortable with as a reader (or viewer). However, to actually sit down and write one was another matter entirely. I felt so self-conscious about it at first. After two years of work, I am now so much more comfortable with the genre and magic in particular, which is an essential element in my stories. I'm getting much better at utilizing it as an essential element, and am having spontaneous ideas for new novels, new stories which are quite different from anything else I had ever imagined writing. I see that as a sign of growth, my new ability to explore and create within this genre. A good sign, to be sure.

Nonetheless, I am keeping my focus on JACK & JILL to finish it as quickly as I can, whenever that will ultimately prove to be, but hopefully within a couple of months, given the slow and tedious rate of the editing. I'm not concerned -- seeing the quality of the work that is resulting from this editing, I'm quite pleased to continue trudging along. The story is fun and meaningful, and anything I don't like -- well, I'm making it better day by day.

It feels good to see more good progress!

Best wishes to other aspiring writers,

Adrian

Back to Work

2008-04-28T08:05:00.002-05:00

Last week I did manage some more work on JACK & JILL, and I'm happy to say this week is off to a good start. I find I'm still going back over the same few chapters, even though I've edited my way through them a number of times already. They form a unit together, a series of scenes that are directly related to each other and which serve as the crucial mid-point of the story -- they build to it and end with it.

My effort to rediscover my joy of writing has helped immensely. I am really hearing the characters again, and sensing their concerns, and finding the scenes vivid and meaningful as I work on them, and as I reflect on them at other times. The changes I made last week and already this week have helped focus the scenes around the real issues.

It's another one of those vase situations that I've blogged about before. You know, you find a beautiful vase and bring it home and put it on your table and marvel at how beautiful it is, yet something seems odd. Somehow, it just doesn't work. Then you discover some minor detail, some way in which it clashes with other things in the room, even thought at first glance, and second glance, it seems to go so well with them. It's an excellent vase, but not the right one.

I'm finding that I need to find exactly the right vase here, the right set of motivations, the right set of issues. The characters need to struggle over just the right things, and arrive at just the right decisions for just the right reasons, or else this section of the story will not ultimately ring true. I'm now closer than ever, and hot on the trail of that ultimate fit.

I'm happy to have that familiar feeling of being back to work. I'll work hard to keep myself moving forward, now that I'm getting something serious accomplished again.

And, most importantly, I'm enjoying it.

Wishing everyone else progress and pleasure in their work,

Adrian

Joi d'Ecrire

2008-04-19T12:00:00.002-05:00

Recently, I spent a little time reading excerpts from other writers' work which was posted online. This included both published and unpublished authors and works, ranging from nanovels to published books. It was very interesting. I found a link to a nanoer who has several excerpts of nanovels written over the past handful of years and I was quite impressed with how his work has evolved. His most recent novel reads quite well, and I found that it inspired me. I also found a small publisher of gay and lesbian fiction. Their site includes sample chapters and several of the excerpts I read there also inspired me.

I think what really moved me in all this was seeing how others are realizing their dream, and even with all the imperfections which I could find in the various texts, they had their own rhythm, their own flavor, their own excitement about them. The writers each had a vision, and they found a way to express that vision, and to get the job done. Since I've been in editing mode, it seems all I see are the imperfections. No work is ever "perfect". If getting started is half the battle, the other half is finishing what you set out to accomplish, warts and all. Readers won't notice the minor blemishes nearly as much as we do.

With all the stress in my life over the past few months, which has exceeded all the stress over the past few years put together, I have been very distracted and emotionally focused elsewhere. Reading these texts has reminded me of why I write: the JOI D'ECRIRE (joy of writing). I have never been one to believe in driving myself in die-hard fashion through thick and thin, writing seven days a week no matter what. I have always found when I sit down to write and have nothing to say, that whatever I write is ultimately garbage and ends up in the appropriate receptacle. For me, writing is a joy, and it should remain so. If I cannot find that joy, then I should not write. After all, in spite of the joy and the pleasure, writing is hard work, and why would anyone put themselves through that if they did not enjoy it? There are other, surer and easier ways to make a living.

I am seeking now to rekindle that joy, that excitement about stories, that spark. It is only through that joy that I would ever want to write. Writing has not become drudgery to me, but pushing on to complete a project without a sense of the joy of it cannot by definition lead to good writing, at least in my opinion, and, from what I have seen, in my work. Writing is not combat, fighting against the enemy (blank pages) with a winner-takes-all mentality. It is magic, an expression of love -- love of story, love of discovery, love of characters and places and times and events and the hope, which the Reader will share, that maybe somehow things will work out okay in the end.

A little humor helps.

Wishing each of us the joy in our writing which we require and our Readers deserve,

Adrian