Stephen King's rule of thumb is that you can take 10% of the word count of a first draft. I took 11.4% off mine, so I'm on trend...
I'm too close to the words to see them objectively at the moment, so a copy of the shortened version is with four trusted friends, two of whom are freelance editors. Fingers crossed I'll get feedback and insights by the score so that I can turn a story into writing.
In the meantime, I've had a workable idea for the next project and am doing some short, daily writing exercises for myself while I begin the necessary research, of which there is a lot. The exercises are interesting and feeding into the ideas process for the putative project. I'm being systematic and may well post here about them when I'm ready.
Saturday, 27 October 2018
Thursday, 20 September 2018
A Dream of Magic
Just under a year since I started writing it, I finished the initial draft of the novel over several evenings of tumbling words. As I wrote in my previous post, I am very well aware that it needs plenty of work, but I've allowed myself to bask a little just at the achievement of writing it.
My intention was to get straight into revision, but I've found that I really need some time to get a little objectivity before I do that.
My intention was to get straight into revision, but I've found that I really need some time to get a little objectivity before I do that.
Thursday, 16 August 2018
Further Adventures
I had a post in mind, but looking back it was going to deal with much the same themes as the last one, which was so long ago I'd forgotten about it.
Since that last post I've written a lot more of that novel. The draft is currently just under 109,500 words and has a ways to go before I wrap it up, although I've tipped into the resolution section now. I don't think anyone actually reads this blog, but if you do and you are thinking "OMG, that many words, what the hell does he think he's playing at?" Rest assured I take the same view. My aim is to write it as it comes then to be very severe with revision.
I'm well aware that elements of it are repetitive and flabby, but I'm concentrating now on getting the first splat of words down so that the serious work of turning narrative into writing can begin.
And a little bit at the back of my mind is already contemplating returning to Vamps 2, of which a couple of chapters exist in draft from last year. One of the things the current project has given me is a certain confidence in putting together long-form fiction. I'm not saying it's any great shakes, but I am more aware now that I can do it. And that's progress, and it will carry forward into Vamps 2.
In my last post I mused on publishing, something that is in and out of my head from time to time. I may well be repeating earlier posts here, but I can't summon the will to go back and check.
Anyway, I looked today at a number of articles comparing "traditional" publishing and "self" publishing. I didn't find any of them satisfactory. All were concerned with the act and supposed "status" of being a writer and the perceived rewards of that. The rewards were different--some wanted cold hard cash, some wanted critical acclaim and literary festival invitations, but all, despite the surface arguments, seemed to fetishise the label of "published writer" as though it was something remarkable, as though it were distinct from "plumber" or "cleaner" in a hierarchy of things to be.
But that isn't why I write. The best I can say is that I have characters and stories that appear in my head from time to time and I want to find out how the stories end, and the way to find that out is to write them and see where they want to go. There's more to it than that, of course, especially as themes emerge and characters become more distinct as people, and at some points the raw narrative has to be crafted into actual writing. But in the end I'm not interested in standing up shouting "look at me, I'm a writer!" The prevalence of such behaviour, especially on Twitter, is something that's going to lead me to cull the number of Twitter accounts I follow to remove that source of irritation.
And it follows that I remain ambivalent about getting my own stuff published. It's a bit like photography: someone once asked me what I was going to do with some of my photographs, which they liked, and the truth is they'll stay as negatives or on my hard drive because, for me, the joy is in taking them.
Since that last post I've written a lot more of that novel. The draft is currently just under 109,500 words and has a ways to go before I wrap it up, although I've tipped into the resolution section now. I don't think anyone actually reads this blog, but if you do and you are thinking "OMG, that many words, what the hell does he think he's playing at?" Rest assured I take the same view. My aim is to write it as it comes then to be very severe with revision.
I'm well aware that elements of it are repetitive and flabby, but I'm concentrating now on getting the first splat of words down so that the serious work of turning narrative into writing can begin.
And a little bit at the back of my mind is already contemplating returning to Vamps 2, of which a couple of chapters exist in draft from last year. One of the things the current project has given me is a certain confidence in putting together long-form fiction. I'm not saying it's any great shakes, but I am more aware now that I can do it. And that's progress, and it will carry forward into Vamps 2.
***
In my last post I mused on publishing, something that is in and out of my head from time to time. I may well be repeating earlier posts here, but I can't summon the will to go back and check.
Anyway, I looked today at a number of articles comparing "traditional" publishing and "self" publishing. I didn't find any of them satisfactory. All were concerned with the act and supposed "status" of being a writer and the perceived rewards of that. The rewards were different--some wanted cold hard cash, some wanted critical acclaim and literary festival invitations, but all, despite the surface arguments, seemed to fetishise the label of "published writer" as though it was something remarkable, as though it were distinct from "plumber" or "cleaner" in a hierarchy of things to be.
But that isn't why I write. The best I can say is that I have characters and stories that appear in my head from time to time and I want to find out how the stories end, and the way to find that out is to write them and see where they want to go. There's more to it than that, of course, especially as themes emerge and characters become more distinct as people, and at some points the raw narrative has to be crafted into actual writing. But in the end I'm not interested in standing up shouting "look at me, I'm a writer!" The prevalence of such behaviour, especially on Twitter, is something that's going to lead me to cull the number of Twitter accounts I follow to remove that source of irritation.
And it follows that I remain ambivalent about getting my own stuff published. It's a bit like photography: someone once asked me what I was going to do with some of my photographs, which they liked, and the truth is they'll stay as negatives or on my hard drive because, for me, the joy is in taking them.
Saturday, 19 May 2018
The Accumulation of Words
I said in January I was 38,000 words into a novel; the number now stands at 70,000. The process of writing has taken me in unexpected directions, but that's OK. In some respects the end is in sight insofar as I know how it will end, though I'm not yet certain how I'm going to get there, and I'm OK with that too. Once I get to the end and the revision process starts, making it a coherent whole is one of the first things to do in terms of tone and structure.
I quite like how I'm OK with the process of writing myself half way up the south face of a story without ropes, reasonably confident in my ability to get to the summit.
Almost a year ago, I wrote here about my ambivalence with the notion of publishing, and how that wasn't why I write. I've revisited that recently. My niece asked for a copy of the Vamp. stories so I rolled them up into a PDF and forwarded them. I haven't looked at them for months, and found myself reading them again. I decided that they are better than I remembered and better than some other stuff I've seen of late. So I revised them again with the benefit of added objectivity and decided I'm now OK about publishing them.
That's not to say it will happen, just that I'm more comfortable that, if I can find a way to a publisher, then I won't be a dick about it.
I quite like how I'm OK with the process of writing myself half way up the south face of a story without ropes, reasonably confident in my ability to get to the summit.
Almost a year ago, I wrote here about my ambivalence with the notion of publishing, and how that wasn't why I write. I've revisited that recently. My niece asked for a copy of the Vamp. stories so I rolled them up into a PDF and forwarded them. I haven't looked at them for months, and found myself reading them again. I decided that they are better than I remembered and better than some other stuff I've seen of late. So I revised them again with the benefit of added objectivity and decided I'm now OK about publishing them.
That's not to say it will happen, just that I'm more comfortable that, if I can find a way to a publisher, then I won't be a dick about it.
Thursday, 25 January 2018
The Joys
So I'm 38,000 words into the first draft and a character is introduced who, I realise, really needs to be trailed earlier in the story in a Chekhov's gun kind of way.
Then I realise that the back story of this character is important because particular aspects of it add complexity to her reaction to my protagonist and events. Of course this is true for all characters, but more so for this one (this novel is written 1st person, and the protagonist has no knowledge of the new character's back story).
Then I realise that the back story of this character could plausibly be a spin-off in its own right.
Then I realise that the back story of this character is important because particular aspects of it add complexity to her reaction to my protagonist and events. Of course this is true for all characters, but more so for this one (this novel is written 1st person, and the protagonist has no knowledge of the new character's back story).
Then I realise that the back story of this character could plausibly be a spin-off in its own right.
Thursday, 4 January 2018
New Year
2017 was a good year in that I had a couple of stories published; neither one shook the world of literature to its core, but it was nice all the same. I also wrote some new stuff that I quite like, although I haven't done much with it except write 'END' and move on. I have a couple of things out in writing competitions, though not with any high expectations.
In my last post I said I was writing the bastard child of Dan Brown and Umberto Eco, and I still am. Unfortunately the day job got in the way and completely derailed me. Over Christmas, to get back into it, I revised what I already had, then I started writing again last night. I'm OK with what's emerging, although there is a long way to go (I'm at around 27,000 words).
Roll on 2018 and progress.
In my last post I said I was writing the bastard child of Dan Brown and Umberto Eco, and I still am. Unfortunately the day job got in the way and completely derailed me. Over Christmas, to get back into it, I revised what I already had, then I started writing again last night. I'm OK with what's emerging, although there is a long way to go (I'm at around 27,000 words).
Roll on 2018 and progress.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
