Yesterday I got 320 words in twenty minutes.
Today I got 321 in ten.
Some days are just better than others. But I like the conversation I’m building between Will and Kettan and the gathered Spinners.
They’re talking about creation and destruction, and about why individual creation matters—and to WHOM it matters.
There’s too much dialogue right now—I know that. But if I stop letting them just talk to each other, and start creating background action, I’m going to lose the thread of what they’re saying. So first draft on this part is going to be pretty straightforward talking heads.
I may end up going back in revision and splitting the conversation up across scenes or whole chapters. I’m not sure.
First, I just have to hear what they have to say—so that’s what you’re going to get in the first draft.
How are YOUR words coming?
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
I got about 1056 words last night, the first time I actually hit my daily word quota in several days. I think it usually takes me around two hours to extract my 1050 words, so it definitely takes me longer than 10 minutes to get over three hundred words =)
My novel definitely has multiple places where there’s too much dialogue. I figure if I put down everything they can possibly say about whatever it is they’re talking about, I can pick out the best stuff and condense it.
Glad you’ve shaken off last week’s wickedness.
We’re working our way through Firefly again—after ten+ hour days, it’s wonderful to kick back with something that wonderfully made.
And we just finished our fourth full run of Arrested Development.
Well, it was long past time to clear some junk out of my apartment and step up to a more modern TV, and that was keeping me busy.
1200 words this evening. I’m almost done with the first draft of my novel. This will be the first time I ever finished one.
I’m so excited for you. Getting one done is a wonderful feeling.
I got 600 words today and barely nudged over 30K. Less talking heads and more going from here to there and doing things. Things thrown in by muse that I have no idea what its there for.
No words today, I overslept. House Guest leaves today, 8-(
It is a nice change of pace when family comes, stays too long, and I am sad to see them go. Hmmm, there is a minor character in that, and an opposite. I like this.
Holly, in the posts yesterday, someone was talking about their Muse tossing a lot of ideas around, and generally getting in the way of revising a finished novel. Is it possible, some Muses see the “novel” as done and want to move on, so we have to rein them in, get them back on task, get them re-interested in the characters/action of the finished novel again?
I say this to myself, too. I am going to come up with a way to re-engage my Muse more often (daily) on Bx2. S/he has a short attention span, and is always chasing shiny objects.
Muses don’t like revision very much. They’re all about the shiny and the new.
Getting one on board means explaining to it that its job is to find the Muse Bombs, discover the hidden secrets, and find places to put all the “shiny” so your YOU can do the hard work.
In other words, you have to teach your Muse to play its way through what is hard work for your You.
That is a very good point. Put the muse in charge of finding what I did not see yet, the treasure and hidden meanings, the shiny objects. My Muse likes hats, and I have not been able to find doll hats that match, so I need to at least print them and put them on the wall, for us to see.
Thanks!!
639 words, about 150 of which were pasted in (literally, with Elmer’s Glue!) from the original first draft. I find things that fit into the new story in the most unexpected places, but I’m always glad when they seem to still work. It makes me feel like I’m doing this right.
2 hour brainstorming session last night. focused on villain. good stuff but much more to do.
Did a bit of research and thinking in the last couple days, and took some time off from writing. I was going to take the whole weekend off (Monday and Tuesday) but on Monday, I sat down, opened my Liquid Story Binder and ended up with a surprising 1142 words. It’s all talking heads, but that’s ok. I can go back in revision and add in some action and all that fun revising stuff.
Sat down this morning with a cup of tea and got another 608. And that wasn’t even part of my writing time for the day, just extra. Good start to the week.
This week has been a brutal beatdown on the work end that wound up with me quitting my weekly private class – Ill miss the extra cash but I wont miss being dead on thurs morning.
As for writing, been none of that, but amid the impending taco party chaos I brought upon myself this weekend I am going to fish out all my HTRYN materials and lay out a space to use them.
Its been too long, but I am back on track. Bought a notebook to jot down musebombs and keep going with the revision. Thinking of looking for a quiet cafe so I can get out of my apt to think.
Holly, thanks again for kicking me back on track.
I’ve been working on questions to ask my characters, most from character clinic but a list, like an interview, about the story. Could be interesting. I am luring my Muse back in with pretty pictures I know she likes and pink boa. We have not found a figure yet upon which I can place the boa, but I am sure we will.
Not sure who gets questioned today, the house maid, cousin or main character.
2hour session again last night. My villain… I’ve got the edges of his plan and backstory. I put too much off for too long.
738 words. I am loving what I’m getting but revision is slow going for me. It will take some adjustment to set goals in line with this pace.
I’ve been working through HTTS and Lesson 15 hit me the same way Lesson 1 did. My classes are pretty well done for now, so I’m going to take the time to dig deeper into my writing and find what doesn’t want to be found. I know there’s something–every time I try to write a dark turn of events it ends up poufy. No words today; just reading and notes.