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Archive for the ‘writing’ Category

Writing Time and a Sad Anniversary

Posted in Real Life, writing, tagged , , , , , , on December 18, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Starting yesterday, I have seventeen straight days off. I hope to get a lot of writing on BECOME done in that time.

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Though, of course, there will be a few distractions along the way, too.

I don’t expect anything like a chapter a day. Which is good, because I’m not on that pace so far.

Today is also a sad anniversary. Fifteen years ago today was the day my first Cardigan Welsh corgi, Aliza (Tricreeks Simply Irresistible, NJP, CGC) arrived in my life.

My first view of Aliza

The first time I saw Aliza

She was fifteen months old when she came to me and four months shy of sixteen years old when I lost her last spring. Miss you, sweetest girl.

 

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Writing by Feel

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , on December 14, 2016| Leave a Comment »

I’ve said before that I’m a modified discovery writer (or pantser). I generally know the broad outline of a story when I start writing, but not the details. Just the high–or low–points. And sometimes not all of those. In effect, I’m telling myself the story as I write the first draft.

In some ways, that’s more true than usual with BECOME.

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Generally, I have a good feel at least for the length of the story. I knew that DUAL MAGICS would take four books to tell, for example, all roughly the same length.

Dual Magics 1-3 Boxed SetI still don’t have a feel for how long this story will be. Not just the number of books, but the length of the books. It still could turn out to be one really long book. Or two or three relatively short books. Or . . . ?

Right now it’s looking like the first stopping point I had in mind will leave the story . . . well, not novella-length, but not really full length, either. Especially for an epic fantasy.

I guess I’ll just have to keep writing and find out.

 

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Progress

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , on December 11, 2016| 2 Comments »

It feels good to be making progress on BECOME again!

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Especially as I’m at one of those delicate points in the story.

So far this weekend, I’ve written one chapter, albeit a short one, and roughed in the dialog for the next. So, things are going well on that front.

As for the delicate part, this is a point in the story where I have to make a romance bloom–in a very short space, because that’s not really what the story is about, though it has a pivotal role in some of the things that will come next. Not a case where I can spend chapters letting these characters come together slowly–while other stuff happens, of course. So that will be a little bit of a trick to pull off.

Fortunately, this is the first draft. I need to keep reminding myself that I don’t have to get it exactly right the first time.

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Schedule Change Disruption

Posted in Real Life, writing, tagged , , , , , on December 7, 2016| Leave a Comment »

For this week and next, my work schedule has changed. And it’s messing with my writing time. Or, at least, I’m finding it harder to whip my muse into action during the time I have available now. Maddening, just as I developed a really good idea of how the next few chapters need to go. At least I’ve made notes.

On the other hand, after next week, I’ll have two weeks off. So that should help me recover and get back to some real work on BECOME.

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More on Brothers

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , on December 4, 2016| Leave a Comment »

A couple of weeks ago I posted about how one of the things my current work-in-process, BECOME

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would focus on was the relationship between brothers.

The story isn’t a direct retelling of the Hercules legend. There won’t be twelve labors, as just one example. And I’ve turned other things on their heads, making my hero the son of the earth goddes, not a sky god (like Zeus). But I have given him a mortal near-twin brother, just like Iphicles was to Hercules.

The Greek legend doesn’t really address this relationship, but a large part of my story–especially early on–revolves around the relationship between these two half-brothers and a bit of understandable fraternal jealousy.

But I don’t want to make the near-twin really the antagonist–or at least, not really the bad guy. And this has been a small part of what’s been inhibiting my writing lately. Well, inspiration struck this week. I’d already supplied the near-twin with a younger full brother, who is just perfect for the part. All it took was to see him that way. And the pieces for the next several chapters all just fell into place. He’ll be the whisperer that stirs things up. And . . . a little more.

 

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Long Weekends

Posted in Real Life, writing, tagged , , , , , on November 27, 2016| 2 Comments »

Somehow, I always set myself up for this. A long weekend comes along and I start thinking about all the writing I’ll get done. Well, of course, it never works out quite like I’d planned. Especially this time of year.

Still, I’ve accomplished quite a lot. And had a nice time with family, too. So I’m going to be happy with that.  And try to remember to adjust my expectations next time. (Though don’t hold your breath on that one.)

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Irony

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , on November 23, 2016| Leave a Comment »

So, no sooner did I post that I was going to work on the rewrite of MAGE STORM while writing the first draft of BECOME

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than BECOME started flowing. I’m sure that’s likely to prove temporary. Still, I’m looking forward to a long weekend of writing.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

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Multiple Projects

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , on November 20, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Progress on BECOME continues to be slow.

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Part of the reason for the is just real-life stuff. But part of it is the pauses while I work out exactly what has to happen in the next chapter or two. For some reason, on this story, those pauses are more frequent than usual. Maybe I’m still just trying to refocus that part of my brain from DUAL MAGICS (which is complete now) to this story.

Dual Magics 1-3 Boxed Set

But . . . my creativity has this odd quirk. I only really get this kind of inspiration when I’m writing. So, I’m considering pulling out something else to work on during these pauses.

MAGE STORM (probably needs a new title) is a rewrite. The story’s all there, it just needs to be rewritten. Therefore, it shouldn’t usurp that creative energy while still letting me prime the pump for the first draft of BECOME.

Worth a try, anyway. Doesn’t always work.

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Brothers

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , on November 16, 2016| 1 Comment »

Not mine. 😉

If you’ve read this blog recently, you know the story I’m currently writing, BECOME, is based, loosely, on the Hercules myth/legend.

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Now, in Greek mythology (not what Disney did with it), Hercules had a half-brother, Iphicles.  Hercules was the son of Zeus, King of the Gods, but Iphicles was the son of a mortal king, Amphitrion. The legend doesn’t say much about Iphicles except that he was the father of Herc’s charioteer.

But there’s a lot of story material to be mined in that relationship. Imagine being Hercules’s brother. He could be a great athlete or warrior or whatever–hero material in his own right–but he’d never get out of Herc’s shadow. It’s just not possible. He could try to be a rival to Herc, but that’s doomed to fail and if he’s at all intelligent he’s bound to figure that out eventually. So, he’s pretty much relegated to the role of sidekick. Unless . . . .

So I’ve given my main character a brother, too. Actually, more than one, but one in particular who is almost the same age. It’s not that brother’s story, but he’s an important character. His actions and reactions as various opportunities open up, only to fall to his brother–again–will play a pretty major role in the story.

Only, as I’m going along with this story, I’ve decided that I don’t want him to be the instigator of trouble. He’s got a younger full brother (also half-brother to the main character) who was always part of the story. And now I think that kid brother needs to be amped up to play a larger role in stoking his older brothers half-buried resentments.

Eventually, that’ll mean making some revisions in the part of the story I’ve already written to give that third brother a larger role. But that’s for the revisions. For now, I’ll just make a note and keep on writing.

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Musings on What Makes a Story

Posted in writing, tagged , , , , , , , on November 13, 2016| Leave a Comment »

This topic is brought up by a reader’s comment/question about DAUGHTER OF THE DISGRACED KING.

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????The reader wanted to know when the next book was coming out because they wanted to know what was coming next.

The problem is: there is no next book. This is not a series–at least not in the conventional sense. I might have other stories to tell in the same world as DAUGHTER OF THE DISGRACED KING, but they won’t be centered around the same characters. (Though the main characters might very well turn up as side characters or possibly mentors to the new central characters.)

Anyway, those other stories, if they ever happen, are presently on hold for BECOME.

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(Unless one of them jumps up and refuses to let me go until I write it. It has happened before.)

But the comment led me to think about why I feel this story is finished. The main characters are just starting out, after all, even at the end of the novel. There are certainly more adventures in store for them. But those adventures aren’t–quite–stories. Or, more precisely, not compelling stories. So what do they lack that a story should have?

Character arcs. In overcoming the external story problem, these characters have already also grown beyond the internal issues that were holding them back, the things that made them feel inadequate to really follow their dreams. Their arcs are complete.

Unless, of course, another story occurs to me in which they have another internal conflict to overcome. Always possible, but there’s nothing on the horizon right now.

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