Boarders Writing a Novel Thread 4

[Myrddin]

Well, I've offically started draft four today... By that, I've sorted out all the chapters I need to completely overhaul, decided which scenes need to be moved to later in the book, written outlines for said chapters, and pasted in old text to be repurposed into the new chapters.

So far, the re-org is resulting in a book 3 chapters shorter, which amusingly puts the word count estimate exactly at my unmet goal of 173k (ie cutting 10% out of the mauscript). With luck, I'll be able to widdle the final count down into the 160s.

So, yes, I've put my Renaissance adventure on hold while I get this epic fantasy wrangled into shape.

Oh. On other news, I attended a webinar given by lit agent Kristin Nelson on writing the pitch paragraph for queries. After the seminar, participants were invited to submit their pitch for critique. This happened while working on the above problem, so I did that with what I learned about pitches in mind. She liked the pitch (with good comments to revise) and asked to see it again when the manuscript is ready.

It's not really a request for a partial or anything, but somewhere in between, I guess. After 11 flat out agent rejections last summer, I'll take it. :D

[fgalkin]

Well, after years of loafing about, and a few rejections (including one from Black Library, oh the indignity) I've finally decided to get back to writing for real. Since I can't, apparently, hack it in the business and I'm mostly interested in improving my writing (and in people's feedback), I've decided to write an online serial (thus giving up any hope of making money with my first novel, yay). In case anyone is curious, the link is in my sig.

The biggest thing I have discovered so far is that things that look nice, neat and concise in outline have a tendency to bloat massively when actually being written: I'm at nearly 20,000 words, in only 3 chapters (one of which was so big it had to be split up), and not very far into the story at all. I think I'm getting the hang of it, though.

Going for NaNo is good - I find it acts as an impetus to do stuff when you've been feeling uncreative because you're just trying so hard to get the word count up...

I've done NaNoWriMo a few years back. I think it's good for getting you to write, but not much else-- I had a choice of either scrapping or rewriting completely my 50k word mini-novel because it was just utter crap. I thought it was not worth the effort and chose the former.

Have a very nice day.

-fgalkin

[The Evil Hat]

I've been building up for NaNo, which I'm definitely doing this year. I'm breaking out Empty Star again, which I tried to write last spring but which just sort of petered out over the summer. Hopefully I get a bit further this time.

[alguien]

Had some good news today! Just found out my short story "Luna Springs" was accepted at Big Pulp magazine!!!

I'm getting paid 1 cent per word, for a whopping total of $15.50. :)

Anyway, the story was broadcast on the Podcast Drabblecast several years ago, but it will be nice to see it in print as well.

Just passed 100k words a day ago. Now gearing up to finish during NANOWRIMO!

[Zoë Sumra]

Hee, congratulations!

[Gabriele]

Interested parties please note that the writers board has been upgraded to an Invision Powerboard (similar to this board except I haven't spent weeks making a beautiful skin like Ran and Linda have). Everything apart from the 'look' of the board should be pretty much the same as on the old board: forums, posts, your login details. One positive outcome is that it is open for registrations again, so anyone who would like to join, feel free.

Link to upgraded writers board

(Anyone can browse the board but the writing, critique and project forums are still hidden except for members)

Sophie

I had totally forgotten about that one. But it remembered my email and sent me a new password. :D

[Ebenstone]

Not much to talk about publicly with submissions. I'm really hoping something happens before the holidays. I'm in that waiting phase.

I'm shutting it down for the year and working on some planning for 2011. I've got two projects I'm very serious about and a few others very nebulous.

Plus school is a little psychotic right now for me. I'm teaching 2 extra classes this year, so I've got a full calendar. A few months off should help clear my head.

[kuenjato]

Not much to talk about publicly with submissions. I'm really hoping something happens before the holidays. I'm in that waiting phase.

I'm shutting it down for the year and working on some planning for 2011. I've got two projects I'm very serious about and a few others very nebulous.

Plus school is a little psychotic right now for me. I'm teaching 2 extra classes this year, so I've got a full calendar. A few months off should help clear my head.

"

Ebenstone, how do you balance teaching with writing? I ask because I'm about to finish up an education degree and will likely be entering the job market (knock on wood) by next fall. Do you sneak time in during planning periods? Get up early/work late?

I just crossed 50k on my current novel. One chapter left before the 'first act' is complete. Theoritically that lands me at 150k, but I know it'll be larger than that. This novel is an interesting experience, as I've written it deliberately commercial, with short chapters (at least for me), limited POV's and archtypical characters (with twists, of course) and a fairly basic quest plotline, though the details definately have some interesting elements I've not seen on the bookseller shelves. All in all, it's a nice change from the sprawling, many POV, 300k monster I managed to wrap up this summer. The pacing and prose is more reminescent of my sci-fi, travel stories, and other non-fantastical manuscripts--leaner, meaner. Given how crazy this semester is (3 jobs, now down to 2; full load and the thesis; a new baby; etc etc.) this has proven to be an enjoyable if fitful exercise.

[TheEvilKing]

After not doing anything and pretending this thread doesn't exist since my incredibly dramatic failure after last year's NaNoWriMo, I'm gonna give it another go.

Only I have no idea what I'm going to write about.

[SerNotAppearingOnThisBoard]

After not doing anything and pretending this thread doesn't exist since my incredibly dramatic failure after last year's NaNoWriMo, I'm gonna give it another go.

Only I have no idea what I'm going to write about.

Good luck. I have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing, and I'm shelving my other two WIPs to do it. Only, I have so much other stuff happening right now that god alone knows how I'm going to get more than a thousand words down.

[TheEvilKing]

So who else is doing Nano, and how are you going?

I'm up to 4,638 and I'm mega pleased. Nothing spectacular, I'm behind the proposed daily word count, but that's nothing that can't be made on the weekend.

[SerNotAppearingOnThisBoard]

So who else is doing Nano, and how are you going?

I'm up to 4,638 and I'm mega pleased. Nothing spectacular, I'm behind the proposed daily word count, but that's nothing that can't be made on the weekend.

I'm at 5009 at last count. I had a great first day with 2516, just made the proposed 1667 yesterday and just crowned a total of 5000 for today, so I'm on/ahead of schedule, but flagging a bit. Hopefully I can get a good amount done later today.

[Zoë Sumra]

So who else is doing Nano, and how are you going?

Technically doing Nano. In practice, been too tired to write all week so far...

[Arthmail]

Doesnt' Nano seem like a waste of time? Should people not be focusing on getting their work done, not on practcing writing?

[Wras]

It teaches you a lot of things. Writing at a breakneck pace and trying to get a novel done in a month is immensely illuminating, and when you get into it, really challenging and fun.

Worst case scenario, you fail and have a (probably) large body to work with. Best case scenario, you finish it and feel awesome.

[Zoë Sumra]

Doesnt' Nano seem like a waste of time? Should people not be focusing on getting their work done, not on practcing writing?

I'm not using Nano as "practice". I'm using it to force myself to try rewriting the Schrodinger's Draft bit of my book (i.e. a significant change I can't decide whether or not to make). I may use it to force myself to do a proper redraft of several bits I wrote in 2005 that I keep looking at and saying, "Oh, it'll do", when they really aren't that great because I was trying to edit up from a very low original standard.

If I'd just finished this book, instead of being very close to finishing it (again), I'd use it to kick-start a draft of the next, or possibly of a (standalone and hence more publishable) prequel.

It's about reminding myself I can take time for writing, even while working, going to the gym, seeing the odd friend and seeing my fiance.

[The Evil Hat]

Who says that NaNo is only for practice? It's a great way to write a huge amount of words and even if you end up taking out a large chunk of it in editing, you've still got a ton done.

Besides which, it works on setting up writing as a habit, which, for me, is pretty essential. You don't have to do 1,667 words a day for a year, but (in my opinion) it's immensely beneficial to have some goal and strive for it each day, even if it's just a token few words.

As for my actual NaNo project, I ended up doing something very...unexpected, verging on stupid. At the last moment I decided I wasn't feeling inspired for Empty Star at all and wrote something entirely different. It's in the world of the other novel I've been on and off with for a while, Dead Nature, but set twenty-five years down the timeline with totally different characters. It's incredibly refreshing to just write. When I obsess over something for too long I start to try and make it excellent, and striving for a masterpiece leaves me with nothing at all, because absolutely nothing I do lives up to the vision in my head. Right now, I'm just writing something entertaining and playing out a few interesting ideas. I might broaden it out a bit later, I might not, but I'm really happy I'm doing it right now.

[Alaerien]

Doesnt' Nano seem like a waste of time? Should people not be focusing on getting their work done, not on practcing writing?

I find it frustrating that so many people seem to think Nanowrimo members aren't real writers and their writing isn't real writing. I recommend you read a post by Courtney Allison Moulton, who sold her 2008 Nanowrimo novel to HarperCollins. Your "waste of time" = a six-figure cheque and a three-book deal.

[JungianQueen]

I'm jumping in. My writing has been sporadic (at beast) the last few months. School is sucking everything out of me (teaching and finishing up my thesis).

But, a few thousand words a day. I think I can carve out some time for that.

I've been doing more outlining than anything (I'm definitely a "plotter" in that sense). Short stories are all I've been writing the last few years and thought I've had some of them published in lit-mags, the novel is a whole new animal for me.

My biggest fear is: can I maintain a voice through an entire book? do I have the stamina in general?

We'll see.

[Zoë Sumra]

*raises glass to JungianQueen* Good luck with the stamina thing, and with getting the pacing right. All the short story writers I've ever seen transitioning to long form are technically excellent, so you're ahead of the game in that regard...