...in preparation for querying, I have finally written *the evil synopsis* for Simon's Oath.
From my extensive online research, it seems the best way to test it out is to have someone who knows next-to-nothing about the story read it and mark down where they were confused/etc.
...so, any volunteers?
I'm totally willing to offer small editing projects in return...
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Breaking, re-working & editing
The good part of NaNo is getting the rush of new words on the page.
The bad part of NaNo is often sifting through the mess when November is over and done with.
Yesterday I went through Project #4 and took a good hard look at what was there.
One of the main reasons I stopped writing (other than going away) was I had reached the end of the present-day timeline, yet still had about 1/3 of the party 6 months earlier to fill in, plus the night Jackson died. I was alternating scenes, but wasn't alternating them frequently enough, and I didn't have time to go through the story and move a bunch of the scenes around, and it felt too weird to suddenly stop alternating scenes and write out both nights in one big uninterrupted dump.
So that's what I did yesterday :) I broke large scenes up and moved a ton of them around, pushing the party 6 months ago way further up in the story and now I have a ton of small present-day scenes on their own into which I can alternate the two past time-lines.
It does annoy me that doing this wrecked the flow of the story in a bunch of places, for example, in one set of alternating timelines, I was using warmth/cold as conduits to move back and forth between the MC stuck in Triss' car and the whole bankrupt-moral-rationalization behind stealing from Jackson and from others.
Moving those scenes around completely destroyed that.
But it also coincidentally lined up some scenes in new ways that I hadn't considered.
Like the beginning/end of these two scenes:
Yes, this need editing 'cause the wording is far too repetitive, but those scenes used to be really far away from each other, and although they worked in their original locations, I think they work far better now. Triss' breath against the MC's skin ties these scenes together, but in each place, the emotion/tension/reaction of the two characters is drastically different.
I could mourn all the great points where the flow got broken, I could even be obstinate about it and leave them how they were originally (after all, that would be easier in a lot of ways), but in the end, I think when you ruthlessly break up a story, you end up finding things you didn't know were there and it opens up directions you hadn't necessarily considered before.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your story is to smash it to bits and re-examine the pieces.
For all those places where I *broke* the good flow, well, I figure if I managed to write good flow in the first place, then I certainly should be able to modify the beginnings/ends of each scene to re-create the kind of flow I want.
I know there isn't one definite way this story has to be written, and I find when I break a story and put it back together again, it's better and stronger than the original was.
So don't be afraid to be ruthless.
In my case, I had written myself into a corner and I needed to break the whole thing apart to make room to write.
How about you guys? Have you dared to re-read your NaNo stories? Any major problems that look absolutely terrifying?
The bad part of NaNo is often sifting through the mess when November is over and done with.
Yesterday I went through Project #4 and took a good hard look at what was there.
One of the main reasons I stopped writing (other than going away) was I had reached the end of the present-day timeline, yet still had about 1/3 of the party 6 months earlier to fill in, plus the night Jackson died. I was alternating scenes, but wasn't alternating them frequently enough, and I didn't have time to go through the story and move a bunch of the scenes around, and it felt too weird to suddenly stop alternating scenes and write out both nights in one big uninterrupted dump.
So that's what I did yesterday :) I broke large scenes up and moved a ton of them around, pushing the party 6 months ago way further up in the story and now I have a ton of small present-day scenes on their own into which I can alternate the two past time-lines.
It does annoy me that doing this wrecked the flow of the story in a bunch of places, for example, in one set of alternating timelines, I was using warmth/cold as conduits to move back and forth between the MC stuck in Triss' car and the whole bankrupt-moral-rationalization behind stealing from Jackson and from others.
Moving those scenes around completely destroyed that.
But it also coincidentally lined up some scenes in new ways that I hadn't considered.
Like the beginning/end of these two scenes:
Her mouth was only a few inches from mine and I could feel her warm breath racing across my skin and electrifying every single tiny hair on my body. “You know I only need you.”
***
“I’m tired,” Triss says.
It’s been about twenty minutes since she leaned into me. Twenty minutes of her rough breath beating warm and repetitive against my skin.
Yes, this need editing 'cause the wording is far too repetitive, but those scenes used to be really far away from each other, and although they worked in their original locations, I think they work far better now. Triss' breath against the MC's skin ties these scenes together, but in each place, the emotion/tension/reaction of the two characters is drastically different.
I could mourn all the great points where the flow got broken, I could even be obstinate about it and leave them how they were originally (after all, that would be easier in a lot of ways), but in the end, I think when you ruthlessly break up a story, you end up finding things you didn't know were there and it opens up directions you hadn't necessarily considered before.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your story is to smash it to bits and re-examine the pieces.
For all those places where I *broke* the good flow, well, I figure if I managed to write good flow in the first place, then I certainly should be able to modify the beginnings/ends of each scene to re-create the kind of flow I want.
I know there isn't one definite way this story has to be written, and I find when I break a story and put it back together again, it's better and stronger than the original was.
So don't be afraid to be ruthless.
In my case, I had written myself into a corner and I needed to break the whole thing apart to make room to write.
How about you guys? Have you dared to re-read your NaNo stories? Any major problems that look absolutely terrifying?
Monday, December 5, 2011
Building connections
So, NaNo is over, and a big congratulations for everyone who made the 50,000 word goal!
I had a much more modest goal (25,000 words) since I was only home half the month, and I'm happy to say I hit it (barely), so I'm feeling pretty good about that.
I'm also pretty pleased that I will be able to go to the NaNo wrap-up meeting this coming Friday. Since I'm notoriously, and constantly, sick from November -> March, I normally make it to one meet-up a year. Last year I went to the wrap-up meeting as well, but was so strung-out on cold medication that I can't remember a thing that went on... no seriously, I remember going, I remember driving a couple of people home afterwards... and I remember seeing a couple of familiar faces around the table. I have no idea if I talked to anyone, and if I did, if anything I said made any sense whatsoever.
I don't necessarily consider myself a shy person, but I am an introvert for sure. I get tired quickly from being around/in crowds and have no problem spending hours alone with my thoughts (and my computer). I feel more comfortable talking with one person rather than in a group, and I enjoy, really enjoy, getting to know new people and listening to them talk about what they think, what they like, and why they think what they think and like what they like.
Two of the most enjoyable things about my crazy 11-day-3-city-jaunt were talking on the phone (while in Toronto) to another writer (who lives 2 hours outside the city), and meeting up for tea/coffee in downtown Seattle with another writer.
I started this blog and become active online to connect with other writers. I've chatted with some via email, back and forth conversations on their blogs, thrown myself into a few online contests, and even developed a brand new CP relationship with someone on the opposite side of the continent, but on my trip, that was the first time I heard someone else's voice and met them face-to-face.*
It was awesome :)
...and it made me want to meet more of you guys out there :)
I know I've put this question out there before, but why are you online? What do you want out of it? As you've made online connections, have those translated into real-life meetings/friendships?
*I may, or may not, have come across as a total weirdo though ;)
I had a much more modest goal (25,000 words) since I was only home half the month, and I'm happy to say I hit it (barely), so I'm feeling pretty good about that.
I'm also pretty pleased that I will be able to go to the NaNo wrap-up meeting this coming Friday. Since I'm notoriously, and constantly, sick from November -> March, I normally make it to one meet-up a year. Last year I went to the wrap-up meeting as well, but was so strung-out on cold medication that I can't remember a thing that went on... no seriously, I remember going, I remember driving a couple of people home afterwards... and I remember seeing a couple of familiar faces around the table. I have no idea if I talked to anyone, and if I did, if anything I said made any sense whatsoever.
I don't necessarily consider myself a shy person, but I am an introvert for sure. I get tired quickly from being around/in crowds and have no problem spending hours alone with my thoughts (and my computer). I feel more comfortable talking with one person rather than in a group, and I enjoy, really enjoy, getting to know new people and listening to them talk about what they think, what they like, and why they think what they think and like what they like.
Two of the most enjoyable things about my crazy 11-day-3-city-jaunt were talking on the phone (while in Toronto) to another writer (who lives 2 hours outside the city), and meeting up for tea/coffee in downtown Seattle with another writer.
I started this blog and become active online to connect with other writers. I've chatted with some via email, back and forth conversations on their blogs, thrown myself into a few online contests, and even developed a brand new CP relationship with someone on the opposite side of the continent, but on my trip, that was the first time I heard someone else's voice and met them face-to-face.*
It was awesome :)
...and it made me want to meet more of you guys out there :)
I know I've put this question out there before, but why are you online? What do you want out of it? As you've made online connections, have those translated into real-life meetings/friendships?
*I may, or may not, have come across as a total weirdo though ;)
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Abandonment complex 101
Well, it's nice to be home again, despite the constant cold that seems to blow right through the walls of 'the witch's hut'.
I've posted a picture of my beagle on here before, but I've talked more about my cat, like how he's in every story I write, just rarely as an actual cat, and that he's a rescue cat with major personality issues.
After being gone for more than a week, I picked the pets up Friday afternoon. The dog was wiggly and excited to see me, but as soon as we got home, she settled into her normal routine of sleeping and only waking up when she thinks she's going to get fed or when she wants to go outside and tear around in circles like a crazy beast (sigh... beagles...).
Usually the cat is super clingy for about a day (goes into every room in the house and cries until I call his name, then comes scurrying into whatever room I'm in) before going back to his usual aloof self.
This time though, he's been attached to me constantly, even now, the third day since he's been home.
He's not normally a cuddly cat. On occasion he will lay across my lap, but the moment I touch/pet him, he'll lash his tail, and if I try again, usually he'll bite me. Not hard enough that I bleed, but enough to leave half-a-dozen little fang-dents in my skin.
For the last three days, every time I sit, he jumps on my lap, stretches out and falls asleep. He doesn't even twitch, no matter how much I pet him, and he only bites me when I try to get up/move. He's been getting up in the night, going into other rooms and crying... until I barely whisper his name, then he runs into the bedroom, stands on top of me and rubs his nose all over my face, hair and hands (marking me, 'cause cats have those glands around their lips). He did this four times Friday night and three times last night. He's been following me all over the house, scratching madly on any door I close (there are rooms our pets are never allowed into, like bathrooms/spare bedroom/etc), chirping for attention and standing on my foot and wrapping his front paws around my leg -> wanting to be picked up and carried around everywhere or draped around my neck/shoulders.
...this is highly unusual behaviour... and it's making me a little worried, though I know for sure it's not 'cause he was mistreated at the kennel. He'll actually let the owner touch/play with him, which is... amazing to say the least.
...but is it also a terrible thing that I'm finding his strange behaviour super interesting/curious and I am paying close attention so I can write this behaviour into a character at a later time?
For now, I suppose he's just craving reassurance (maybe some kind of abandonment complex from being a rescue animal... even though we've had him 7.5 years and have left him at the kennel that long before), while the dog is cuddled in a ball on a different sofa snoring away happily. I think it's totally wrong to say dogs are loyal and cats are not. I think it's the exact opposite. The dog loves anyone who feeds or plays with her, but for my cat, only I will do. He doesn't share his love with anyone else, no matter what you try to bribe him with.
Anyways, 'cause he's solid black, it's nearly impossible for photos of him to turn out well, but here's a picture of my little philosopher:
...don't you love the super-puffy-squirrel-tail? ...I want to pull on it whenever he's sleeping on his cat tree with it dangling over the side... sooooooo... tempting...
I've posted a picture of my beagle on here before, but I've talked more about my cat, like how he's in every story I write, just rarely as an actual cat, and that he's a rescue cat with major personality issues.
After being gone for more than a week, I picked the pets up Friday afternoon. The dog was wiggly and excited to see me, but as soon as we got home, she settled into her normal routine of sleeping and only waking up when she thinks she's going to get fed or when she wants to go outside and tear around in circles like a crazy beast (sigh... beagles...).
Usually the cat is super clingy for about a day (goes into every room in the house and cries until I call his name, then comes scurrying into whatever room I'm in) before going back to his usual aloof self.
This time though, he's been attached to me constantly, even now, the third day since he's been home.
He's not normally a cuddly cat. On occasion he will lay across my lap, but the moment I touch/pet him, he'll lash his tail, and if I try again, usually he'll bite me. Not hard enough that I bleed, but enough to leave half-a-dozen little fang-dents in my skin.
For the last three days, every time I sit, he jumps on my lap, stretches out and falls asleep. He doesn't even twitch, no matter how much I pet him, and he only bites me when I try to get up/move. He's been getting up in the night, going into other rooms and crying... until I barely whisper his name, then he runs into the bedroom, stands on top of me and rubs his nose all over my face, hair and hands (marking me, 'cause cats have those glands around their lips). He did this four times Friday night and three times last night. He's been following me all over the house, scratching madly on any door I close (there are rooms our pets are never allowed into, like bathrooms/spare bedroom/etc), chirping for attention and standing on my foot and wrapping his front paws around my leg -> wanting to be picked up and carried around everywhere or draped around my neck/shoulders.
...this is highly unusual behaviour... and it's making me a little worried, though I know for sure it's not 'cause he was mistreated at the kennel. He'll actually let the owner touch/play with him, which is... amazing to say the least.
...but is it also a terrible thing that I'm finding his strange behaviour super interesting/curious and I am paying close attention so I can write this behaviour into a character at a later time?
For now, I suppose he's just craving reassurance (maybe some kind of abandonment complex from being a rescue animal... even though we've had him 7.5 years and have left him at the kennel that long before), while the dog is cuddled in a ball on a different sofa snoring away happily. I think it's totally wrong to say dogs are loyal and cats are not. I think it's the exact opposite. The dog loves anyone who feeds or plays with her, but for my cat, only I will do. He doesn't share his love with anyone else, no matter what you try to bribe him with.
Anyways, 'cause he's solid black, it's nearly impossible for photos of him to turn out well, but here's a picture of my little philosopher:
Friday, December 2, 2011
I'm coming home today!
...so, one more nibble, then I'll have the weekend to recover and I'll do a proper post again on Monday. Hope you enjoyed what's gone up these past 10 days!
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