Monday, June 25, 2007
Preparing for NaNoWriMo
I'm starting to get excited about NaNoWriMo, but I'm also a little anxious. I know it's several months away, but I want this to be a real attempt at a first draft and not merely a writing exercise. I've more or less completed (and either discarded or simply shelved) 2 novels (one of 60k words and one of 80k) so I have some idea of what's in store.
I've mostly done short stories of late which has been both more satisfying and more frustrating. Satisfying, because there's an easily attainable goal. Frustrating, because the market for short stories, particularly heroic fantasy short stores, is nearly nil. That, and most of the stories I want to write just require more space.
In both cases, the novels failed to achieve their goals because I didn't have a clear outline. The first, especially, was a muddled mess and I decided after that, that I would have some sort of outline before I tried again.
So I've been working on an outline. It just makes sense that I'll be more productive if I don't have to stop and think what the next scene will be. Unfortunately that is easier said than done. I have a general idea of where I want the plot to go and several key scenes to include, but stitching it all together and working out the details--a lot of that only comes together in the process of writing.
Still, if I can just come up with a list of name for all the characters, that alone will save me tons of time. For some reason having to come up with a character name on the spot just stops me cold as I sit and debate what it should be.
I've mostly done short stories of late which has been both more satisfying and more frustrating. Satisfying, because there's an easily attainable goal. Frustrating, because the market for short stories, particularly heroic fantasy short stores, is nearly nil. That, and most of the stories I want to write just require more space.
In both cases, the novels failed to achieve their goals because I didn't have a clear outline. The first, especially, was a muddled mess and I decided after that, that I would have some sort of outline before I tried again.
So I've been working on an outline. It just makes sense that I'll be more productive if I don't have to stop and think what the next scene will be. Unfortunately that is easier said than done. I have a general idea of where I want the plot to go and several key scenes to include, but stitching it all together and working out the details--a lot of that only comes together in the process of writing.
Still, if I can just come up with a list of name for all the characters, that alone will save me tons of time. For some reason having to come up with a character name on the spot just stops me cold as I sit and debate what it should be.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
dreaming with my eyes open
John Gardner, in his book The Art of Fiction, speaks of the “fictional dream” which is the experience readers enjoy when they are engrossed in a good story. Writers, before they can write such a story must, obviously, first dream it up. But they must do more than that.
It's not enough to just focus on interesting people doing interesting things in interesting places. A writer must also pay attention to voice, theme, tone, pacing and a host of more technical concerns—all while engaged in recording this fictional dream. In other words, a writer must dream with his eyes open.
This site then is a small space carved out to serve as my own literary playground as I record my adventures in this waking dreamland... .
It's not enough to just focus on interesting people doing interesting things in interesting places. A writer must also pay attention to voice, theme, tone, pacing and a host of more technical concerns—all while engaged in recording this fictional dream. In other words, a writer must dream with his eyes open.
This site then is a small space carved out to serve as my own literary playground as I record my adventures in this waking dreamland... .
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