I've decided to write a new prologue to establish the new historical background info and just tweak a line of dialogue and make changes to the latest chapter to bring Shroud back on course. I decided against revising from page one because that would be the kiss of death, I've tried it in the past and it has killed my project. I shall muddle through to the end of the first draft and then start major revisions.
I wish I could be more of a fore planner but until I start writing I really don't know how my ideas will look or where I need to go. It's too much empty space buried in the depths of my unconscious mind to be tangible and the way my brain works it kinda sorts things out for itself way after I've chosen one direction by which point I'm in a rut.
I'm also a write in short bursts writer, few sentences here, few sentences there go off and have a cuppa come back to the computer. I'm still expecting to finish draft 1 by the end of March and then begin the real work of making Shroud all coherent and sparkley.
As for studying, I'm all caught up on the exercises and have written one of the poems needed for the assignment. For the foreseeable future this blog will be acting as my fiction writing learning log. Having this space to let off about ups and downs is helping put things in perspective and my writing would not have got this far without row80.
Once the assignments done, I'm going to pencil in an hour on either Saturday or Sunday to continue the planning of my second novella TCI, this one's a much simpler storyline and more linear so I've got a better grasp on its course but will need much more research before I can begin.
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7 comments:
Good luck with finishing your draft!
I wrote mine thinking "I'll write the outline of the story, I'll go over it and develop plot afterwards." That way, I know what's the story, I just need to work on specific scenes.
Sounds similar to my approach.
Hope it goes well. I tend to confuse things for myself with every story. I hate that moment when I realise I need to change lots of things to make it work! I write outlines but I never stick to them. I (hope) think it's a good sign when the story develops itself as you write.
Glad that you were able to diagnose whether from-the-top or band-aid was best. I probably would have waffled for a week.
For a while, we weren't sure whether one of characters in this project was a "good" guy or a "bad" guy. It's made writing with any sort of outline-type-thing difficult.
Claire, It means the original course was too over the top and readers wouldn't have taken to it. Outlines: I tend to stick to the major points f action but not in the way I'm expecting to be approaching it.
Katen, that good guy or bad guy situation could perhaps be used to keep readers on their toes?
Sorry that school has so much of your attention, but that's the way it goes. I'm learning to chill and move through it. Like you, I'd never have been this far along if not for ROW80.
Your determination will get you through. Most people would get discouraged writing in short bursts. Good for you.
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