between the rock and the cold, cold sea

Progress, Friday 23 December 2005:

"Dreamdark, or, the Confused-Title Story"

New words: 1424
Previous words: 23,951
Total relevent words: 25,375
Estimated words required: 100,000

Okay, I confess: actual words words, not so much. Really none. I wrote out my plot in a scene-by-scene sort of synopsis/plan; I wrote backstory for characters, so that I can stop guessing why they're doing what, and then I wrote out lists of character names, so I can keep track of who's who.

(Never, never, write a feudaloid pseudo-medieval type-thingy again. Never. Everybody who's anybody has at least three names: title (like Captain/Sergeant/Count/Lord), first name, surname. Some have four: title (as above), landholding (Count of Nosuchplace, Duke of Nothingland), first name, surname.)

I think I know how to write this now. I will start, tomorrow, at the ending, and work back from there. When I have it drafted, I will start at the beginning and work towards the end, filling in and sorting out the bits that don't make sense.

Yeah, barse-ackwards, I know. But it's focus, I think. I've had enough flailing around trying to connect the threads. Start where the threads all come together, and work backwards from there (at least I'll know what I'm working towards).

We have Plot. We have Plan. We have

::looks over shoulder::

::glances all around::

::whispers::

Optimism.

I'm going to do this. And perhaps I'll manage to stop some of the whingeing that's been going on around here lately, too.

I have plot.

After 20K words flailing around looking for it, plot has finally found me.

I am not writing the book I thought I was writing. Alas no. That book might have had a happy ending.

This book... Well, it's not Hamlet, I can say that. (Though at this point, 'And then they all died, The End,' is looking more than a tad attractive). But none of these characters look like they can hope for pleasant futures.

*cackles gleefully*
*stabs random characters left and right*

Die! Die!

Ahem.

And why are they smiling so much? And glancing? And raising/twitching/quirking their eyebrows?

Next time I will make sure to include at least one eyeless, hairless, lipless freak who will Stop with the Displacement Activity, Already!

But, I am happy. I have plot. And stationary!

Yes, I am one of that sad tribe who can be made happy with Pens! and Paper! Ooh, look, s/h/i/n/y/ useful!

I have plot. I have Pens. I have Paper.

Why does the thought of writing intimidate me so much?

words1:843
words2:204
wordstotal:1047

I am wrecked, wrecked, wrecked. And I shouldn't be. Thus, few words. Also, timewasting.

Progress, Thursday 22 December 2005:

"Dreamdark, or, the Confused-Title Story"

New words: 1047
Previous words: 22,904
Total relevent words: 23,951
Old-and-now-irrelevant-but-I'm-still-counting-them words: c. 20,000
Total words: c. 43,951
Estimated words required: 100,000
Words left (#1): 56,049
Words left (#2): 76,049
Unpleasant things that characters were subjected to: Reveal of Darric's past. Possible kidnappings in the near future.

Writing related witterings:

I've skipped on to the interesting bits. Oh god, I don't know which bits go where. Squirrels have eaten my plot! Squirrels, I tell you! ::subsides into paranoid muttering about green alien squirrels::

I'm not doing linear anymore. This frightens me. And the amount of revising this is going to need when it's drafted is terrifying.

I do, however, have plot. Lots of plot. I don't know where it's going, mind you (everybody dies? she suggests hopefully), but I have plenty of plot. Arrests and kidnappings and torturings and escapes and rescues and revelations of Dark Pasts[TM] - alright, not dark, really, more like slightly grey - and all sorts of things.

Obviously my subconscious decided I did not have enough Mortal Danger for the number of POV characters. Sharing is caring, right? *g*

------

I am looking at the online writers' workshop (OWW?)again and contemplating joining at some point in the new year. Not sure it's a good idea...

memo to self: consider these points:
a) do you really think you'll have time?
b) excuse me, but where did the last of that cash go? I could have sworn it was here a minute ago *looks under cushions for spare change*
c) will you write enough for it to be worthwhile?
d) another writers' group? (isn't one enough?)

The Christmas tree is up.

I've survived the annual experience again.

Oh, well. At least locking myself away for the afternoon had a decent result: I managed to get over 2,400 words of "Dreamdark" written. If I keep pushing - and I'm not sure I'm able to, mind - I might get another 1,100 written. Making this the first day ever I met my goal.

Don't think that's going to happen, but we can try.

( rambling )

Should probably go try get more words. ::Bangs head on keyboard:: More words, more words.