Monday, June 06, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Revisions
I've heard of these mythical writers who, when asked to do revisions on a MS, say No and flounce off in a huff. I say mythical, because while they exist in anecdotes exchanged between publishers, editors, and writers, I have yet to see one of these divas in print. Sure, I've seen the occasional grammatically challenged anti-publisher rant on FaceBook, but if sputtering incoherence is the best a writer can do in a paragraph, I shudder to think what an entire self-published book of their work is like.
I can see opting not to revise if the publisher asks for something that would change the entire story, but that's about the only place I'd draw a line. So when a publisher recently expressed interest in my MS but said it needed revisions, my reaction wasn't "What they hell do they know?" No. See, I know that my opinion of my story isn't impartial. Theirs is. Plus, they're the professionals. They know what sells. And they know what makes a strong story. So if they're willing to guide me - which is a big investment on their part - I'm willing to do what they ask.
Someone will read this and grumble that I sold out to be published. (although that isn't a given at this stage) Sold out what? The weaknesses in my story? An underdeveloped character? Hey, some sacrifices must be made, and those are the types of sacrifices I'm more than willing to make.
I can see opting not to revise if the publisher asks for something that would change the entire story, but that's about the only place I'd draw a line. So when a publisher recently expressed interest in my MS but said it needed revisions, my reaction wasn't "What they hell do they know?" No. See, I know that my opinion of my story isn't impartial. Theirs is. Plus, they're the professionals. They know what sells. And they know what makes a strong story. So if they're willing to guide me - which is a big investment on their part - I'm willing to do what they ask.
Someone will read this and grumble that I sold out to be published. (although that isn't a given at this stage) Sold out what? The weaknesses in my story? An underdeveloped character? Hey, some sacrifices must be made, and those are the types of sacrifices I'm more than willing to make.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Saints and Sinners
Today, I head to New Orleans for the Saints and Sinner Literary Conference. As I told my boss "I really do attend the classes," but the main pull is, of course, friends. Three days of talking to other writers in person is bliss. I always come back ready to write.
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Carnal Machines Blog Tour
In the 1780s, Amy Lyon, who would later be better known as the notorious Lady Hamilton, worked for James Graham, a charlatan Scottish doctor who was rather infamous for his electrified bed that he claimed would help infertile couples to conceive. Oh, those naughty Victorians, juicing up their sex lives with machines and electricity. And here we sit thinking those poor Victorians were dowdy prudes! That just isn't fair. We got The Humane Society, Women's Suffrage, sanitation, and a professional police force from the Victorians. Yes, there was a downside to their mania for engineering society, but they certainly weren't afraid of change. Or, apparently, things that vibrated, hummed, or stimulated their naughty bits.
And speaking of stimulated naughty bits...
My first vision of The Lair of the Red Countess was a gentleman knocking on a door while his friends cowered around the corner, afraid that a girl (or wife) might see them. Classic blustering he-man woman haters club stuff. That's when my sinister countess stepped out of the shadows and made herself known. Stern but loving, she was the perfect woman to transform Archie (the gentleman knocking on the door) from one of the little boys into a man.
The story was partially inspired by a trip to Saint Petersberg, Russia. We toured the basement where Rasputin's comical assassination began (Well, I suppose that he wasn't laughing, but really, talk about the gang that couldn't poison, beat, stab, or shoot straight). I was surprised by our tour guide's attitude toward Rasputin. Rather than casting him as a villain or bogeyman, she seemed in awe of his legendary healing powers over the Tsaravitch's hemophilia.
While my story don't mention that the Russian Revolution had driven my countess from Russia, Queen Victoria passed away several years before the Tsaravitch was even born, so the era of this story is technically Edwardian, not Victorian. Not that a story must be set in the Victorian Era to be steampunk, but it's understood that most are. Also, as a member of the Russian aristocracy, my countess most certainly would have been a White Russian, not a red. But a Russian countess lurking in the dark in her Edwardian whites just didn't create the right mental image, so I put her in red. Besides, red has other connotations beyond political affiliation.
Niokla Tesla wrote of his Tesla Orbs in 1897. They were of no practical use, and he never sought to produce them, although after Bill Parker, a student at MIT, replaced the inert gases in Tesla's tube and changed the shape of the orb in the 1970s, he was able to commercial the orbs as a novelty product. (search for images of plasma orbs if you aren't familiar with these) So I took a leap of imagination by using the modern form of the orbs and used them to conduct small amounts of electricity through my character's fingertips to power a rather infernal carnal device.
I mention these "inconsistencies" so that purists will know that I'm aware of them and didn't write them out of ignorance. Although I'll admit that I did a bit of a happy dance when my research proved that Tesla originally invented the plasma orbs I'd envisioned on my soul machine. If it was brilliant, and used electricity, it's almost a safe bet that Tesla invented it - but it was nice to have proof.
I hope that you enjoy the story. I indulged in spanking, excruciating manners, and euphemisms like "a gentleman's vitality" with Victorian abandon. Now there's a term you don't often see, but you should. Those people were wild.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Carnal Machines Blog Tour Dates
Check out these sites for the blog tour:
May 1 D. L. King http://dlkingerotica.blogspot.com
May 2 Teresa Noelle Roberts http://teresanoelleroberts.blogspot.com
May 3 Kathleen Bradean http:/kathleenbradean.blogspot.com
May 4 Jay Lawrence http://jaylawrenceerotica.blogspot.com
May 5 Kannan Feng http://kannanfeng.wordpress.com
May 6 Essemoh Teepee http://www.smotp.com/html/blog.html
May 7 Elizabeth Schechter http://easchechter.wordpress.com/blog
May 8 Delilah Devlin http://delilahdevlin.com/blog
May 9 Tracey Shellito http://traceyshellito.livejournal.com
May 10 Renee Michaels
May 11 Elias St. James http://dlkingerotica.blogspot.com
May 12 Lisabet Sarai http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com
May 13 Janine Ashbless http://janineashbless.blogspot.com
May 1 D. L. King http://dlkingerotica.blogspot.com
May 2 Teresa Noelle Roberts http://teresanoelleroberts.blogspot.com
May 3 Kathleen Bradean http:/kathleenbradean.blogspot.com
May 4 Jay Lawrence http://jaylawrenceerotica.blogspot.com
May 5 Kannan Feng http://kannanfeng.wordpress.com
May 6 Essemoh Teepee http://www.smotp.com/html/blog.html
May 7 Elizabeth Schechter http://easchechter.wordpress.com/blog
May 8 Delilah Devlin http://delilahdevlin.com/blog
May 9 Tracey Shellito http://traceyshellito.livejournal.com
May 10 Renee Michaels
May 11 Elias St. James http://dlkingerotica.blogspot.com
May 12 Lisabet Sarai http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com
May 13 Janine Ashbless http://janineashbless.blogspot.com
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
EAA Writers Conference
EAA - Erotic Author's Association - was started by Marilyn Jaye Lewis about the time I started writing erotica. I was thrilled to take over as director late last year as it tied into the erotica writers conference I planned to hold this year - September 9th and 10th in Las Vegas, Nevada.
One of the joys of erotica is the very cool people I've met who write it. D.L. King, Beth Wylde, Jolie du Pre, and James Buchanan are helping out in a huge way to put this together. As word is trickling out, I'm hearing a lot of enthusiasm.
I'll post more here when we have panels set. Please feel free to give me ideas.
One of the joys of erotica is the very cool people I've met who write it. D.L. King, Beth Wylde, Jolie du Pre, and James Buchanan are helping out in a huge way to put this together. As word is trickling out, I'm hearing a lot of enthusiasm.
I'll post more here when we have panels set. Please feel free to give me ideas.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
I Hate Winter
It gets so cold by my computer that I often wear gloves to write, but that's not the reason.
I don't like driving to work in the dark and driving home in the dark, but that's not the reason.
There isn't a winter holiday, from Christmas to Valentines, that I enjoy, but that's not the reason.
It's my day job. From December until the end of April, it's non-stop intensity. The dread begins in October. By mid-December, the data requests start flowing. By mid-February, I walk into the office at 6AM, open my email, and the race is on to provide everyone with everything they need. I eat breakfast and lunch at my desk. Everything is top priority. There are a million details to track. Push, pull, in every direction at once.
Is it any wonder that I look forward to May so much? Every year, I go to the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans and immerse myself in the world of writing. I get to see friends from all over. We talk about writing and food - my other passion - and oh, just about everything else there is to talk about. I can't even begin to explain what it's like to be in a room full of GLBTQ writers. Comfortable is a good word, but even that falls short of the relief I feel knowing that I belong. As we amble around the French Quarter, we constantly run into people we know. I've never lived in New Orleans, but for those few days, it feels more like home than any other place on earth.
Winter can't be over soon enough.
I don't like driving to work in the dark and driving home in the dark, but that's not the reason.
There isn't a winter holiday, from Christmas to Valentines, that I enjoy, but that's not the reason.
It's my day job. From December until the end of April, it's non-stop intensity. The dread begins in October. By mid-December, the data requests start flowing. By mid-February, I walk into the office at 6AM, open my email, and the race is on to provide everyone with everything they need. I eat breakfast and lunch at my desk. Everything is top priority. There are a million details to track. Push, pull, in every direction at once.
Is it any wonder that I look forward to May so much? Every year, I go to the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans and immerse myself in the world of writing. I get to see friends from all over. We talk about writing and food - my other passion - and oh, just about everything else there is to talk about. I can't even begin to explain what it's like to be in a room full of GLBTQ writers. Comfortable is a good word, but even that falls short of the relief I feel knowing that I belong. As we amble around the French Quarter, we constantly run into people we know. I've never lived in New Orleans, but for those few days, it feels more like home than any other place on earth.
Winter can't be over soon enough.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
It Has to Be Said
There's a topic spoken of only in hushed whispers in erotica circles, and that's gender discrimination.
In science fiction, literary fiction, and -according to a recent open letter to the editor - the New Yorker, female writers are passively/aggressively discriminated against. In erotica the reverse is true. The now defunct publisher Black Lace was notorious for only publishing female writers. The excuse was that it was an important part of their marketing to assure women that their sexual fantasies weren't in the hands of icky boys who would turn it into porn. (That's not the way they put it, but that's what it meant.) Even now, Best Women's Erotica and many other erotica anthologies explicitly state that only female writers may submit.
I'm female. I benefit from this discrimination.
Or do I?
As witnessed by the huge percentage of female writers who contribute to open call anthologies, female erotica writers can compete on a level playing field with the guys. I think that this open hostility and discrimination against male writers only hurts the anthologies, and by extension, it hurts me as a writer.
So back to that idea of the marketing ploy. First off - how many readers pay that much attention to a writer's name? From a recent FaceBook discussion about author bios, I found out that few people read them, and those who do are usually other writers. So readers don't care. But that's the main argument for discrimination! Could it be that idea is antiquated at best, and probably just dead wrong? Second - who would flip pages past a story just because they don't want to read something by a writer of that gender? A reader would give a story a shot, at least a couple paragraphs. Either the story engages them, at which point they forget all about the writer, or it doesn't, in which case, they aren't gong to think "But it's by a woman, so I'm going to slog through it anyway!" No. That's not how readers behave. Third - it used to be that anthologies were produced by strict sexuality guidelines so that no reader would be exposed to something that might offend them (in erotica!) but now stories range all over the spectrum of sexuality in books aimed at heterosexual audiences and it hasn't hurt sales.
Which brings me to this point.
Years ago, when erotica was coming out from under the counters and being shelved with the rest of the real books, there might have been a reason to treat the readers with kid gloves. The seventies and eighties were laden with so many sexual minefields that everyone trod very carefully. Probably too carefully. (The whole Heterotica 6, or was it 7, kerfuffle by overly PC committee comes to mind.) But we're a bit more savvy now, or at least our audience is. Isn't it time that publishers caught up?
Readers already get it. They don't care about the contents of a writer's underwear. Only the story matters to them.
It has to be said: The story is all that matters.
Publishers, let down the drawbridge and let the male writers in. I've met many of them in person. I promise that they aren't icky. More to the point, some are amazing writers. Why in the world should readers be protected from quality?
In science fiction, literary fiction, and -according to a recent open letter to the editor - the New Yorker, female writers are passively/aggressively discriminated against. In erotica the reverse is true. The now defunct publisher Black Lace was notorious for only publishing female writers. The excuse was that it was an important part of their marketing to assure women that their sexual fantasies weren't in the hands of icky boys who would turn it into porn. (That's not the way they put it, but that's what it meant.) Even now, Best Women's Erotica and many other erotica anthologies explicitly state that only female writers may submit.
I'm female. I benefit from this discrimination.
Or do I?
As witnessed by the huge percentage of female writers who contribute to open call anthologies, female erotica writers can compete on a level playing field with the guys. I think that this open hostility and discrimination against male writers only hurts the anthologies, and by extension, it hurts me as a writer.
So back to that idea of the marketing ploy. First off - how many readers pay that much attention to a writer's name? From a recent FaceBook discussion about author bios, I found out that few people read them, and those who do are usually other writers. So readers don't care. But that's the main argument for discrimination! Could it be that idea is antiquated at best, and probably just dead wrong? Second - who would flip pages past a story just because they don't want to read something by a writer of that gender? A reader would give a story a shot, at least a couple paragraphs. Either the story engages them, at which point they forget all about the writer, or it doesn't, in which case, they aren't gong to think "But it's by a woman, so I'm going to slog through it anyway!" No. That's not how readers behave. Third - it used to be that anthologies were produced by strict sexuality guidelines so that no reader would be exposed to something that might offend them (in erotica!) but now stories range all over the spectrum of sexuality in books aimed at heterosexual audiences and it hasn't hurt sales.
Which brings me to this point.
Years ago, when erotica was coming out from under the counters and being shelved with the rest of the real books, there might have been a reason to treat the readers with kid gloves. The seventies and eighties were laden with so many sexual minefields that everyone trod very carefully. Probably too carefully. (The whole Heterotica 6, or was it 7, kerfuffle by overly PC committee comes to mind.) But we're a bit more savvy now, or at least our audience is. Isn't it time that publishers caught up?
Readers already get it. They don't care about the contents of a writer's underwear. Only the story matters to them.
It has to be said: The story is all that matters.
Publishers, let down the drawbridge and let the male writers in. I've met many of them in person. I promise that they aren't icky. More to the point, some are amazing writers. Why in the world should readers be protected from quality?
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Absinthe
For the past two years, on New Year's Eve, I've been seized by a sudden urge to try absinthe. I have no idea why it only strikes on that day.
Part of the lure of absinthe has to be the ritual. If there's one thing creative types adore, it's a ritual. You don't simply pour a shot of absinthe and down it. I suppose that you could, but that reduces it to simply another flavor of alcohol.
The other part of the lure is the mystic.
Absinthe is the drink of artists. If you believe the bad press, it's a gateway to insanity. If you believe the aficionados, it's the gateway to the muse. Those aren't mutually exclusive. But like most anti-drug hysteria, I doubt most of the alarm surrounding it. It's legal to sell in the US again, I assume after a great deal of scientific evidence proving its safety. Considering how rarely the US Government lets science be heard over hysteria and religious nuttery, the case had to be compelling.
Absinthe isn't a cheap habit. For that reason, I'm hesitant to dive into it. And I worry that the flavor might not be to my liking. I've tried basil infused vodka, so an herbal drink isn't out of the question. I'm not terribly fond of anise though. Or more accurately, I don't like black licorice, so I'm a bit hesitant. But this coming May when I head to New Orleans for Saints and Sinners, I think I'll give it a try. That's the perfect city for indulgence, muses, and maybe a touch of madness.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Just in Time For the Holidays: Government Surveillance of My Blog
Thanks for dropping by, Army Intelligence.It's been a while since you spied on me, but I didn't miss you. Not really.
Headquarters, Usaisc (155.77.200.253) [Label IP Address]
Omaha, Nebraska, United States, 0 returning visits
Date Time Type WebPage
20th December 2010 08:08:03 Page View lunao.blogspot.com/
kathleenbradean.blogspot.com/
20th December 2010 08:08:06 Page View No referring link
kathleenbradean.blogspot.com/?zx=2bd41d8c0ece1a69
Headquarters, Usaisc (155.77.200.253) [Label IP Address]
Omaha, Nebraska, United States, 0 returning visits
Date Time Type WebPage
20th December 2010 08:08:03 Page View lunao.blogspot.com/
kathleenbradean.blogspot.com/
20th December 2010 08:08:06 Page View No referring link
kathleenbradean.blogspot.com/?zx=2bd41d8c0ece1a69
Sunday, December 19, 2010
All I Have To Do
I knew when I was working on my NaNoWriMo novel that the story wasn't right. It lacked, well, everything except snappy dialog. I'm really good at dialog. I should probably write plays instead, since they're all dialog, but I'm pretty sure that there's a law that if you live in LA, you have to write screenplays instead of plays, and I don't want to be yet another one of those LA people who is working on a screenplay. Ever. (Unless a shit ton of money is involved, and the check already cleared.) It's bad enough that I work on the West Side. Lord help me if I turn into a West Side douchebag cliche'.
Anyway, about my NaNoWriMo novel, I kept at it in the hopes that it was just my usual poor opinion of any story I'm currently working on, but after a few weeks away from it, I realized that it was, indeed, total crap. To begin with, it was the wrong story for those characters. What they were doing was interesting, but none of it added up to much of a plot. Plus, they had no compelling reason to work together to solve anything. But the biggest problem was that everything felt so contrived.
Everything in books is contrived. With the exception of typos, every word is there for a reason, every event was planned. Nothing just happens. Part of the craft is making it seem as if it all naturally occurs the way that it does, so when a writer, who knows that it's all contrived, can't even convince herself that it works, you know it's bad. So I'm 22,000 words into the rewrite, and all the puzzle pieces are scattered across the table. All I have to do is start linking them up to build the bigger picture.
All I have to do.
All.
*snort*
Yeah, this writing thing is a piece of cake.
Anyway, about my NaNoWriMo novel, I kept at it in the hopes that it was just my usual poor opinion of any story I'm currently working on, but after a few weeks away from it, I realized that it was, indeed, total crap. To begin with, it was the wrong story for those characters. What they were doing was interesting, but none of it added up to much of a plot. Plus, they had no compelling reason to work together to solve anything. But the biggest problem was that everything felt so contrived.
Everything in books is contrived. With the exception of typos, every word is there for a reason, every event was planned. Nothing just happens. Part of the craft is making it seem as if it all naturally occurs the way that it does, so when a writer, who knows that it's all contrived, can't even convince herself that it works, you know it's bad. So I'm 22,000 words into the rewrite, and all the puzzle pieces are scattered across the table. All I have to do is start linking them up to build the bigger picture.
All I have to do.
All.
*snort*
Yeah, this writing thing is a piece of cake.
Monday, November 29, 2010
EAA
EAA news
As many of you are aware, Erastes has announced that she will step down as the director of EAA (Erotica Authors Association). During her tenure, she guided the EAA to a revitalized group with active social network blogs and increased membership. We owe her a big thanks for all her work.
Many of you helped to launch the new efforts, and are actively involved in maintaining those blogs. A big thanks to you too.
With the blessing of Marilyn Jaye Lewis, the founder of EAA, and Erastes, I've decided to step into the director's role. With so much going on, I'm not sure who is involved with what functions, so please contact me offlist to let me know how you contribute and if you plan to continue (please do!).
My immediate plan is to continue to offer members information for submissions and give us a place to announce our book releases, so that aspect will not change. However, I'm also working on an erotica writers convention to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada in August of 2011. Let me know how you feel about that, and be sure to send ideas my way!
I look forward to continuing what Marilyn and Erastes have worked so hard to build.
Thank you!
As many of you are aware, Erastes has announced that she will step down as the director of EAA (Erotica Authors Association). During her tenure, she guided the EAA to a revitalized group with active social network blogs and increased membership. We owe her a big thanks for all her work.
Many of you helped to launch the new efforts, and are actively involved in maintaining those blogs. A big thanks to you too.
With the blessing of Marilyn Jaye Lewis, the founder of EAA, and Erastes, I've decided to step into the director's role. With so much going on, I'm not sure who is involved with what functions, so please contact me offlist to let me know how you contribute and if you plan to continue (please do!).
My immediate plan is to continue to offer members information for submissions and give us a place to announce our book releases, so that aspect will not change. However, I'm also working on an erotica writers convention to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada in August of 2011. Let me know how you feel about that, and be sure to send ideas my way!
I look forward to continuing what Marilyn and Erastes have worked so hard to build.
Thank you!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
No NaNo
I saw the date and realized I had a review due on Best Bondage Erotica 2011 YESTERDAY, so decided I better read it instead of writing tonight.
Helen Lay Bound by Suzanne V Slate (I don't recognize the name, but plan to look for further work of hers) was amazing. Lesbian, gender queer, and lusciously literate.
Okay, I've written the next line of this blog seven times and have had to delete it every time on the Thumper Principal. So you if want to see me being irritated with a certain BDSM story trope, email me privately, and I'll get seriously vicious about it just for your entertainment.
It's late, and I have miles of kink to read before I rest. 'night.
Helen Lay Bound by Suzanne V Slate (I don't recognize the name, but plan to look for further work of hers) was amazing. Lesbian, gender queer, and lusciously literate.
Okay, I've written the next line of this blog seven times and have had to delete it every time on the Thumper Principal. So you if want to see me being irritated with a certain BDSM story trope, email me privately, and I'll get seriously vicious about it just for your entertainment.
It's late, and I have miles of kink to read before I rest. 'night.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Almost there
My NaNoWriMo word count is a little over 42,000.
I wrote to the end of the story and am now filling in those scenes that,at the time, I couldn't get interested in, so I just wrote enough to sketch it out. Between that and a couple scenes that I need to add, I think I can wrap this up this weekend.
It's been an interesting experience, but I'm not sure that I'll do it again. I have so many other projects with deadlines zooming at me that I can't wait to make the minimum word count and then set this story aside for a while. First drafts of novels need to sit for a couple months before being tackled again anyway.
I wrote to the end of the story and am now filling in those scenes that,at the time, I couldn't get interested in, so I just wrote enough to sketch it out. Between that and a couple scenes that I need to add, I think I can wrap this up this weekend.
It's been an interesting experience, but I'm not sure that I'll do it again. I have so many other projects with deadlines zooming at me that I can't wait to make the minimum word count and then set this story aside for a while. First drafts of novels need to sit for a couple months before being tackled again anyway.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Oh, My Aching Fingers!
NaNoWriMo word count is 32,609.
What have I learned so far? I've talked about some stuff on earlier posts, so these are just the new revelations:
1) Mind over matter doesn't work with arthritis. I've had pain in my fingers since I was in third grade. Some days it's just this background thing that I can ignore. Other days, it feels as if someone took a hammer to every joint. On any day, I have to be careful not to do too much hand-intensive work or I get to the point where I can't hold anything. So writing every day is thrashing my hands. The impact of typing has made every finger sore in the top knuckle. Must remember to take anti-inflammatory meds before I go to bed or the pangs will keep me awake for hours. (BTW - in addition to the NaNOWriMo word count, I have my weekly article on Oh Get a Grip which runs 1000 words on average, my blog entries here, and I finished two 4000+ word short stories, so my word output for the month is higher than the NaNo count)
2) I can write every day, "inspired" or not. I think that this is the real lesson behind NaNoWriMo. Buckle down and just write! However, there's a huge difference between my output on days that I'm really into it and days that I'm not, so from an artistic standpoint, it would be better to take off those uninspired days.
3) I think another lesson of NaNoWriMo, although possibly unintended, is to show people how very difficult it is to write a novel. Nothing kills the love for a story like having to write every damn word of it.
4) The outline is still working for me, but I skipped about eight scenes when I realized they weren't needed, moved others, and merged a few more. The setting of the ending scenes is going to change, because it made no sense to make all the characters go somewhere they hadn't been before to wrap things up, but the basic ending remains.
5) Research is seductive. It's so fun to spend time looking at ancient paintings of Chinese junks to see if they had a crow's nest, or reading about southeast Asian traditions for warding against ghosts. I love that part of writing. It's a huge time suck though, so if I can't think of a name for a mountain range, I put _ Mountains in the MS. If I don't know a funeral custom, I type ___research funeral custom__ in the sentence and just keep going. On the good side of it, I have tons of research to look forward to on the rewrite.
With 17,301 words to go, I can see that I'm nearing the climax too soon. That's not a problem. I'll write through to the end, then add a few scenes toward the beginning that I know that I need, and I'll clean up some of the scenes I wrote on uninspired days. They aren't hard to find. They're almost entirely dialog. Adding setting and beats could easily take me over the top of 50,000.
What have I learned so far? I've talked about some stuff on earlier posts, so these are just the new revelations:
1) Mind over matter doesn't work with arthritis. I've had pain in my fingers since I was in third grade. Some days it's just this background thing that I can ignore. Other days, it feels as if someone took a hammer to every joint. On any day, I have to be careful not to do too much hand-intensive work or I get to the point where I can't hold anything. So writing every day is thrashing my hands. The impact of typing has made every finger sore in the top knuckle. Must remember to take anti-inflammatory meds before I go to bed or the pangs will keep me awake for hours. (BTW - in addition to the NaNOWriMo word count, I have my weekly article on Oh Get a Grip which runs 1000 words on average, my blog entries here, and I finished two 4000+ word short stories, so my word output for the month is higher than the NaNo count)
2) I can write every day, "inspired" or not. I think that this is the real lesson behind NaNoWriMo. Buckle down and just write! However, there's a huge difference between my output on days that I'm really into it and days that I'm not, so from an artistic standpoint, it would be better to take off those uninspired days.
3) I think another lesson of NaNoWriMo, although possibly unintended, is to show people how very difficult it is to write a novel. Nothing kills the love for a story like having to write every damn word of it.
4) The outline is still working for me, but I skipped about eight scenes when I realized they weren't needed, moved others, and merged a few more. The setting of the ending scenes is going to change, because it made no sense to make all the characters go somewhere they hadn't been before to wrap things up, but the basic ending remains.
5) Research is seductive. It's so fun to spend time looking at ancient paintings of Chinese junks to see if they had a crow's nest, or reading about southeast Asian traditions for warding against ghosts. I love that part of writing. It's a huge time suck though, so if I can't think of a name for a mountain range, I put _ Mountains in the MS. If I don't know a funeral custom, I type ___research funeral custom__ in the sentence and just keep going. On the good side of it, I have tons of research to look forward to on the rewrite.
With 17,301 words to go, I can see that I'm nearing the climax too soon. That's not a problem. I'll write through to the end, then add a few scenes toward the beginning that I know that I need, and I'll clean up some of the scenes I wrote on uninspired days. They aren't hard to find. They're almost entirely dialog. Adding setting and beats could easily take me over the top of 50,000.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Update
My NaNoWriMo word count is 19945. I could have dashed off another 55 tonight to round it up to 20,000, but I was at the end of a scene and I'm tried. It seemed like a good place to stop. Besides, then I'll have the thrill (?!) of passing 20,000 as I work on it tomorrow.
So what have I learned so far? I know that the motto of NaNoWriMo is "No plot, no problem," but if I had gone into this without my outline, I'd have a couple thousand words at most. I never, ever thought I'd embrace the idea of an outline, but it's working very well for me. Every time I sit down to write, I know what scene I'll be working on and what needs to happen in it. Like most writers, I'm a master at procrastination, but with this outline, I can't fritter away my writing time. So it's efficient, and I still have plenty of space to be creative.
The other thing I've learned is how to keep forward momentum. I'm not editing or rewriting anything. Everything has to be new word count. So I'm saving all that for after I finish the first draft. Sure, it drives me nuts as there are things I'm itching to fix, but I'm moving ahead at a brisk pace. I also have to write every day. I had two low word count days when I worked on short stories that had to be submitted this month, but I at least manged 352 words one day and over 500 the next on my NaNoWriMo novel, so I got to update my total a bit. The discipline involved is good practice.
(oh, and I can't add this blog entry word count to my total. bummer)
So what have I learned so far? I know that the motto of NaNoWriMo is "No plot, no problem," but if I had gone into this without my outline, I'd have a couple thousand words at most. I never, ever thought I'd embrace the idea of an outline, but it's working very well for me. Every time I sit down to write, I know what scene I'll be working on and what needs to happen in it. Like most writers, I'm a master at procrastination, but with this outline, I can't fritter away my writing time. So it's efficient, and I still have plenty of space to be creative.
The other thing I've learned is how to keep forward momentum. I'm not editing or rewriting anything. Everything has to be new word count. So I'm saving all that for after I finish the first draft. Sure, it drives me nuts as there are things I'm itching to fix, but I'm moving ahead at a brisk pace. I also have to write every day. I had two low word count days when I worked on short stories that had to be submitted this month, but I at least manged 352 words one day and over 500 the next on my NaNoWriMo novel, so I got to update my total a bit. The discipline involved is good practice.
(oh, and I can't add this blog entry word count to my total. bummer)
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
NaNoWriMo update
In case you're following, my word count stand at 16680 tonight. I only wrote 350 words tonight, but I spent my evening working on a short story due in a couple days, so I'm fine with that.
In other news, I got word that I'm in Carnal Machines, an erotic steampunk anthology, with my story In The Lair of the Red Countess. Yay!
In other news, I got word that I'm in Carnal Machines, an erotic steampunk anthology, with my story In The Lair of the Red Countess. Yay!
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Day 3 of the Forced Death March
It's too early to call NaNoWriMo a forced death march, but it sounded good as a title.
First day, I wrote 2023 words. The second day, I hit around 4500 (total). My three day total is 6844 words.
But much more interesting (to me) is how this whole outline experiment is going. If you've been following along thus far, you know that NaNoWriMo veterans warned me not to go into this unprepared, so I prepared using the snowflake method. What that gave me is a fairly detailed outline to work from. I thought I would hate it. I thought it would kill creativity. I thought I'd get tired of the predetermined arc and chafe until I ignored it and went off on my merry way.
Day 3 is way early to make any definite judgments about it, but so far, I have to say that the outline thing works for me. I know which two scenes I'll write tomorrow. I know which characters are in it and generally what will happen, so I won't waste time staring at the screen as I wonder what will happen next because I already did that at the outline stage. It doesn't feel any less creative.
I know that people hate NaNoWriMo because it seems to value quantity over quality, but I think that the quantity is a way to measure writer's discipline. Pro writers have to create even when they aren't in the mood. NaNoWriMo demands the same thing. Besides, anyone who thinks first drafts are readable hasn't figured out the greatest writer's secret, ever, and that's how to embrace the sucky first draft. NoNoWriMo tells you to stop editing and just write. Finish the first draft. THEN edit it. Let yourself write poorly in the first draft. Rewrites are where true writers are made. So NaNoWriMo is all about embracing the sucky first draft, and I can totally get behind that.
First day, I wrote 2023 words. The second day, I hit around 4500 (total). My three day total is 6844 words.
But much more interesting (to me) is how this whole outline experiment is going. If you've been following along thus far, you know that NaNoWriMo veterans warned me not to go into this unprepared, so I prepared using the snowflake method. What that gave me is a fairly detailed outline to work from. I thought I would hate it. I thought it would kill creativity. I thought I'd get tired of the predetermined arc and chafe until I ignored it and went off on my merry way.
Day 3 is way early to make any definite judgments about it, but so far, I have to say that the outline thing works for me. I know which two scenes I'll write tomorrow. I know which characters are in it and generally what will happen, so I won't waste time staring at the screen as I wonder what will happen next because I already did that at the outline stage. It doesn't feel any less creative.
I know that people hate NaNoWriMo because it seems to value quantity over quality, but I think that the quantity is a way to measure writer's discipline. Pro writers have to create even when they aren't in the mood. NaNoWriMo demands the same thing. Besides, anyone who thinks first drafts are readable hasn't figured out the greatest writer's secret, ever, and that's how to embrace the sucky first draft. NoNoWriMo tells you to stop editing and just write. Finish the first draft. THEN edit it. Let yourself write poorly in the first draft. Rewrites are where true writers are made. So NaNoWriMo is all about embracing the sucky first draft, and I can totally get behind that.
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