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No Politics Friday, So Have Some Writing
Oct. 9th, 2015 09:42 amI was going to write a post detailing what I think the Republican party's fascination with Donald Trump and Ben Carson tells us about them. I may yet, but today, I'll talk about writing.
I'm not one of those "write every day" people, at least in the sense of "hands on keyboards." I've occasionally had bursts where for a couple of weeks I'm basically describing the movie that's running in my head, but that's not common. Usually, I actually write once or twice a week.
Having said that, I do get a lot of writing-program-related-activities done between writing sessions. More accurately, while taking a shower, driving to work, or during other quiet times I think. Which, for the current WIP, One of Our Spaceships is Missing, has generated several thoughts.
1) I moved Chapter 2 to Chapter 1. But this still means the story starts too late. I could (and should) spend at least a chapter describing the actual part where the ship goes missing.
2) The passengers have a bit too easy a time. I've got a line on a way to change that, which will put the story more in line with Dan Well's Hollywood Formula. (Said formula is really Aristotle's three-act play in modern English.)
3) Related to the Hollywood Formula, there's a chapter where I figure out how to accomplish something. I as author needed to understand that bit, but you as reader don't need to see it, as it ruins some suspense down the line. This introduces other problems, as my novel is currently (at 60,000 words) a bit too short for commercial fiction. I just now (as I'm typing this) figured out a solution.
4) The original Chapter 1, now Chapter 2, and soon to be Chapter Whatever, had a lot of throat-clearing and scene-setting that doesn't work. It also has a bit about a "hairy ass" that nobody (except me, damn it!) likes. Exeunt ass, stage left, pursued by authorial tears.
Well, that to-do list ought to keep me of the streets for a while.
I'm not one of those "write every day" people, at least in the sense of "hands on keyboards." I've occasionally had bursts where for a couple of weeks I'm basically describing the movie that's running in my head, but that's not common. Usually, I actually write once or twice a week.
Having said that, I do get a lot of writing-program-related-activities done between writing sessions. More accurately, while taking a shower, driving to work, or during other quiet times I think. Which, for the current WIP, One of Our Spaceships is Missing, has generated several thoughts.
1) I moved Chapter 2 to Chapter 1. But this still means the story starts too late. I could (and should) spend at least a chapter describing the actual part where the ship goes missing.
2) The passengers have a bit too easy a time. I've got a line on a way to change that, which will put the story more in line with Dan Well's Hollywood Formula. (Said formula is really Aristotle's three-act play in modern English.)
3) Related to the Hollywood Formula, there's a chapter where I figure out how to accomplish something. I as author needed to understand that bit, but you as reader don't need to see it, as it ruins some suspense down the line. This introduces other problems, as my novel is currently (at 60,000 words) a bit too short for commercial fiction. I just now (as I'm typing this) figured out a solution.
4) The original Chapter 1, now Chapter 2, and soon to be Chapter Whatever, had a lot of throat-clearing and scene-setting that doesn't work. It also has a bit about a "hairy ass" that nobody (except me, damn it!) likes. Exeunt ass, stage left, pursued by authorial tears.
Well, that to-do list ought to keep me of the streets for a while.
