Writerly Ways
Sep. 21st, 2014 03:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessIn which I notice my writing process is probably broken beyond repair. Not only do I struggle with failing to recognize I'm not that good at writing short, I tend to leave out important details and have to go back in and rework things so they're in there. It's not that I go into this without a plan.
I am a pantser and no, telling me to outline isn't going to help. I've been doing this for going on 40 years. I know what does and doesn't work for me and that is one of them. I mean, I do have files with plot points lined out a little. But hell, I can't even keep character name files right (and if you hear me saying I'm going to change a character's name after the fact again, kick me in the ass. I'll give you the money to drive here and do it)
But I think I have finally figured out part of the problem thanks to something![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
silvrethorn said. She was looking at Soldiers of Sun and breaking it into character development vs plot development and that I was rather heavy on the former. And that's when I realized that was not only true but a pattern for me. It ground my nano Involuntary Nightmare to a halt.
And that's also why I am now having to go back and add three items into 3 novels.
Okay the first isn't quite in this pattern. That came out of the fact that while I knew the ending of Splinters of Silver and Cold Iron a certain character's death wasn't as I pictured it. So now I have to retread the whole thing and add in this character being sick earlier on so the end makes sense (also let's not forget a key part of the main character's nature which drops out midway!)
In Beneath the Torn Sky, I got so wrapped up on repairing Placid's relationships with his brother, Julian, and former lover, Melantha that I literally glossed over the investigation of the crime or putting in any viable suspects. Huzzah. Idiot. If you want me I'll be under my blanket fort (I'll take you a picture, ELD). I'm in the process of sending this to my writers group and while I'm in early days yet, I best get off my ample backside and fix these gaping plot holes.
In Blood Red Roulette, a character pops up and says 'I'm Eleni's Renfield.' Oh great. Where did you come from and would this story be better off with you? Hmm, yes it might because Las Vegas is frigging huge and the heroes are whining about how hard it is so find her in a city that big and crowded. Meanwhile, she's having no trouble at all (granted she KNOWS where the hero lives). Still, it would probably be beneficial for her NOT to be tracking him herself. He's not a complete idiot having been around since the days before Pompeii. (And for that matter, anyone know where I can find info on some truly ancient civilizations. I do have one character from Egypt but everyone does that with vampires. I want something older, more obscure. I'd change Mr. Egypt but that's already been published). So now I have to go back and write this guy (I think guy since I'm already using a female villain in an m/m story and I don't really like doing that).
So I guess I proved my point from last week. I'm not very efficient sometimes in my writing.
Yearly word count -
Edited more of Soldiers of the Sun. The end is in sight. Got myspook_me prompt. It doesn't want to be scary. the shape shifter wants to be a good guy. She wants in the next novel too. Head meet rock.
You know I love Abney Park and I stumbled across this acoustic version last night. It's beautiful and it can be the soundtrack of so many of my couples.
I am a pantser and no, telling me to outline isn't going to help. I've been doing this for going on 40 years. I know what does and doesn't work for me and that is one of them. I mean, I do have files with plot points lined out a little. But hell, I can't even keep character name files right (and if you hear me saying I'm going to change a character's name after the fact again, kick me in the ass. I'll give you the money to drive here and do it)
But I think I have finally figured out part of the problem thanks to something
silvrethorn said. She was looking at Soldiers of Sun and breaking it into character development vs plot development and that I was rather heavy on the former. And that's when I realized that was not only true but a pattern for me. It ground my nano Involuntary Nightmare to a halt.And that's also why I am now having to go back and add three items into 3 novels.
Okay the first isn't quite in this pattern. That came out of the fact that while I knew the ending of Splinters of Silver and Cold Iron a certain character's death wasn't as I pictured it. So now I have to retread the whole thing and add in this character being sick earlier on so the end makes sense (also let's not forget a key part of the main character's nature which drops out midway!)
In Beneath the Torn Sky, I got so wrapped up on repairing Placid's relationships with his brother, Julian, and former lover, Melantha that I literally glossed over the investigation of the crime or putting in any viable suspects. Huzzah. Idiot. If you want me I'll be under my blanket fort (I'll take you a picture, ELD). I'm in the process of sending this to my writers group and while I'm in early days yet, I best get off my ample backside and fix these gaping plot holes.
In Blood Red Roulette, a character pops up and says 'I'm Eleni's Renfield.' Oh great. Where did you come from and would this story be better off with you? Hmm, yes it might because Las Vegas is frigging huge and the heroes are whining about how hard it is so find her in a city that big and crowded. Meanwhile, she's having no trouble at all (granted she KNOWS where the hero lives). Still, it would probably be beneficial for her NOT to be tracking him herself. He's not a complete idiot having been around since the days before Pompeii. (And for that matter, anyone know where I can find info on some truly ancient civilizations. I do have one character from Egypt but everyone does that with vampires. I want something older, more obscure. I'd change Mr. Egypt but that's already been published). So now I have to go back and write this guy (I think guy since I'm already using a female villain in an m/m story and I don't really like doing that).
So I guess I proved my point from last week. I'm not very efficient sometimes in my writing.
Yearly word count -
79753 / 125000
(63.8%)
(63.8%)
Edited more of Soldiers of the Sun. The end is in sight. Got my
spook_me prompt. It doesn't want to be scary. the shape shifter wants to be a good guy. She wants in the next novel too. Head meet rock.You know I love Abney Park and I stumbled across this acoustic version last night. It's beautiful and it can be the soundtrack of so many of my couples.
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Date: 2014-09-21 10:03 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2014-09-21 10:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-22 01:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-22 12:21 am (UTC)I love that song so much.
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Date: 2014-09-22 01:19 am (UTC)I do too
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Date: 2014-09-22 01:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-22 02:05 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2014-09-22 03:46 am (UTC)I can't outline either. It's just go with the flow for me.
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Date: 2014-09-22 03:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-22 10:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-22 06:46 pm (UTC)