Shazam! Chapter 13 breaks 50k!

Well, I did it, 50k for the month. Squeezing out 2.2k today, to bring it to 50k for the month of May.

This really is a master work I'm producing. I don't feel it can get any better and I can't wait for people to read it.

Obviously there are some grammar issues, and I have 30k more words to write. There will certainly be rewrites for filling in gaps, such as detailing scenes and characters. Paying more attention to sentence structure, and scene flow possibly. But everything I want to be in the story is either there or it's going to be written in during the following 30k words.

Exciting. The real test though, will be the reception it gets from you guys.

Chapter 13 continues tomorrow!

Chapter 12 starts. Still raising the stakes!

I guess it's good when you get to the final chapters, and you are still raising the stakes in your novel. I just find that every time I plan a scene, I end up raising the stakes sometime during the scene, so that the characters are just a bit worse off than I thought they would be.

So far it's working. I guess it's my instincts taking over. I go into a scene thinking, well, this isn't gonna be good. And come out thinking, wow, this just got 10X worse! After being on an outline for 2 chapters, I am really seeing how unnecessary (and yet extremely valuable!) an outline can be.

For instance, let's say you want your main character to go into a bar, get into a fight, and come out friends with the guy afterwords, to start an old western posse.

Your character goes into the bar, and gets into the fight. But he winds up dismembering the opponent. Well, now he has a partner, with no hand! It doesn't stop there, he dies from an infection. The two remain friends, but his partner is now a ghost! Anyways, I would avoid such inventions, but it is a good example of how writing can lead to things you would not have thought possible.


Chapter 12 continues tomorrow!

Chapter 11 continues - getting through edits, and working on the craft

The novel continues to grow in size. I spaced it out and calculated. The next 9 chapters must average 4k to hit 80k, at 43k right now.

It was a big deal. I went to target and picked up a printer for 29.99, so that I can print up my work, share it, and even edit it with an actual pen while lying in bed. No, I'm not lying down on the job. I only want to get as many edits as I can in before showing it to people.

Continuity still seems to be the scariest issue. I'm finding myself having to go back a bit, and add details that I didn't expect to have to add. Mostly I love staying open with the process of writing. If a character needs to rise up and fill a role, I want them to have that ability. And thats when re-writing tends to happen. Having a great cast of characters is what allows me to do that, many carrying over from what I created over the past year. Some obviously are brand new and those are the characters that I need to pay the most attention to, because they can surprise me.

The adventure continues tomorrow.

Chapter 11 begins, the end is in sight!

Well past the half way point, both in chapter count, and word count.

I decided yesterday to do an outline for the final 9 chapters. Basically, what it came down to was there was far too much pressure to finish at 80,000 words, while not sputtering to an early close, or creating a situation too complicated to be closed out properly. So I did some careful work over the past few day's, and outlined each chapter's content.

The effect is of course that the book may come off as more "predictable", but the end result should be very clean, and fun to read. After all, a 300 page book if nothing else, should be enjoyable. There are a few things planned, which I hope you will all find surprising and rewarding. Hell, the book is full of surprises.

Chapter 11 continues tomorrow, chapter 20 is in my sight!

Chapter 10, AdviceTo Writers in Action!

So some of you may be knowledgeable of a certain twitter account, which publishes daily advice to writers. Many times this advice comes in the form of a webpage link to a quote, or some random facts. It has been my habit to glance at these, and where relevant pull from them, to keep my writing a bit current and fresh. Yesterday, the quote I read had particular potency. It's a subject I will not try to broach, or explain, because it's a bit complicated. Rather, I'll post the quote directly.

The Dream That We All Have

The dream, surely, that we all have, is to write this beautiful paragraph that actually is describing something but at the same time in another voice is writing a commentary on its own creation, without having to be a story about a writer.

IAN McEWAN

Wow, thats a big one isn't it. Oh well. I found it particullary was relevent to a device I used in chapter 9, and since this was in essence backing me up I decided to plunge along more with it in chapter 10.

Did I succeed? I had my doubts, but on re-reading, I am still pleased with the direction I took in one particular scene (CH10 As doctors Argue and CH9 The Game). If the scene stays in the book, you'll be able to follow along, and see if you can see the quote represented, or reflected in my writing.

Further explanation, would be an exercise in madness.

Chapter 10 continues tomorrow!

Chapter 9 Defining "Overproduced" - Lady Gaga vs Napoleon Dynamite

Finished chapter 9. Very close to half way there for the book.

I was having a discussion today with someone about my book. I mentioned that I was writing 2000 words a day, and keeping a pace of writing every single day. The person said, "Isn't that a lot? Shouldn't you slow down?"

That's a good question. My response was that I did not want the book to become overproduced.

This term-- overproduced --is rather subjective.  So I was put on the spot to define it.

For an example, I said,

Napoleon Dynamite, the short film, not the feature, was NOT overproduced. It didn't hire the best looking actors of the time. Nor did it recruit the best cinematographer. It concentrated on a few things it did well, and presented just that. Later that was taken, and manufactured into a feature length film, which was just more of the same, but still very popular. The original idea if over produced, may not have been as well received.

For an example of something which IS overproduced, I present Lady Gaga music videos.  Songs which barely have any meaning left in them when the video is over. Every facet of the characters, and designs are taken and exaggerated to the 9th degree in the video, so that when its over-- you are like... what does this mean? and why do i care?  Just look at her makeup... it's insane. --Maybe thats not the best example because Lady Gaga is obviously doing it right. But 9/10 times people try something like that, they end up failing because it's very hard to do, and very easy to overdo.

Hmmm. I guess that was fair.

I don't want to spend time analyzing every paragraph, or every word. I don't want the book to come in rhymed couplets, or with 100,000 unique words. I want it to be the book I am writing. It might not be perfect, but if there are improvements to be made, I don't want to make them while I am in the middle of writing it.

The discovery of writing is part of what is driving me. Each day brings new challenges, new adventures and new ideas.

So far I have written 40,000 words, and I love them all.

I have created 4 alien races
Written 6-7 new characters
Choreographed tons of scenes as well as 3 battle scenes.

It's been quite an adventure, and I want it to be just as fun when people read it. I want it to be exciting, and new, not a over-analyzed, over-conceptualized exercise in style, or form.

I want it to be as fun, fresh, and funny as fiction can be.

So there you have it..

Chapter 10 tomorrow, and I'll be halfway finished

Chapter 9 begins. Browsing Congo - Are we there yet?

So today was my first day with a totally new and different exercise for writing. 

Mind you, I have said before, there are many tools at our disposal, but which one to use for a given scene or chapter, is really whats going to make the difference, I think, in delivering a book that all of you will enjoy.

I started off yesterday, reading a few chapters from Michael Crichton's Congo book.  You see, I wanted to get a feel for what its like in a completely foreign space.  I had ended Chapter 8 quite greedily, happy to be sloshing through the space. But I wanted to wallow in it in chapter 9, and that would take work.

I decided on an exercise. I wrote out as many adjectives, idea's and features as I could come up with. I paid no mind to how different, or awkward it sounded. Finally, I came up with 20 words that would help fill the space. Then when I woke up today, and arrived in the scene Chapter 8 had left me in, I carefully wove each featured word into the book. 

Every time I felt my pen die in my hand, I glanced up, and had a renewed vigor for writing. I know I did not get to all 20 words/ideas, but the ones which added to the book, well, I think they were special.

So I guess the question is, is there an slight homage to Congo in this book.

Yes, no, maybe, I'll let you all be the judge.

I'll be happy to continue chapter 9 tomorrow.

Chapter 8 in the books, Chapter 9 Awaits. May 50k, and the Juice is worth the Squeeze.

Finished chapter 8 today

I have been posting on twitter recently, and noticing that, well along with the #amwriting hashtag, several people were participating in the #may50k hashtag right alongside. So over the last few day's, I've been pushing for 2200 words, instead of 2000, so that I can reach the 50k mark for the month.

The amazing thing is, I have had to step out of my shell and squeeze one more paragraph out of every scene.

The Juice, is worth the Squeeze.

Chapter 9 awaits.

Chapter 7 in the books, Chapter 8 is doing great.

When I finished chapter 7, I really felt like my story was coming to a close, 1/3 of the way through the book. None of the alternate story paths seemed to be opening as I had planned. But sometimes, it just takes alot of careful thought. As a writer, you have many tools at your disposal, but if you don't use the right one, it could come off as quite pompous, and weird I imagine.

So I used the white board to plan out the paths, visually, and just before bed, came up with some dialog repoir that would lead the scene of chapter 8.

I must emphasize, how this is recieved by all of you is what matters most, but to me, I have made a good choice yet again. Each chapter, I feel has been special, and enlightening. I hope when it comes time to make distribution, you all have as much love for these scenes as I do.

Chapter 8 continues

Chapter 7, the sorting hat?

I guess I missed a blog. I was going to do every day, but I simply ran out of things to say I guess. Having never written a book before, I am really starting to feel the pressure of writing. 

So I decided on an exercise, taking J.K. Rowlings first Harry Potter book as a point of reference. I opened to chapter 7, and looked at the title. The Sorting Hat.

Now the question is simple.  Are my character's aligned, and sorted, or are they set in stone, and straight as an arrow already. Am I good, or am I evil. On which side of the fence do I lie.

I'd say I'm on target, but I'll have to wait and see how the book is received by all of you. Let you be my judges.

Chapter 7 continues.

Chapter 6 continues, a little less serious and black

This is of course my first book.  As the plot unfolds, I try not to let on too much at a time. After all, if I answer all the questions, all at once, I would not do the story justice.

So taking more time to get to know the characters, and introduce some new ones, which I did not expect to encounter. 

Chapter 6 should be wrapped up, as 7 begins, tomorrow.

Chapter 5, finishes, Chapter 6 begins

Chapter 5 ended up being my longest, and I think first emotionally touching chapter.  

I'll have to wait and see how people receive it. 

Chapter 6 continues the story.

Chapter 5 will be done soon, and then chapter 6 begins

I guess the major question is, will Chapter 6 begin tomorrow, or will I close the day early.

That question, will be answered tomorrow, my friends.

Believe, that chapter 4 is done.

Chapters 1-3 had a magical ending to them.

Chapter 4 wanted out early.

Let Chapter 5 continue the saga.  Let us continue, with Chapter 5.

Believe.

Chapter 4 starts.

Chapter 4 started today.

"Life will find a way."  Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park


Having never written a book before, I often trust to my senses to tell me where the story will go next.

"Life will find a way." Was used many times in Jurassic Park to explain how the dinosaurs were doing it.  How they could be bred in captivity and brought back from extinction.  And then, find a way to survive.  Thats how I see my writing

The words find themselves. By characters, find ways to survive.  As impossible as the world may seem at times.

As sure as I am that characters are life, I am just as sure, that they will find a way.

Chapter 4 continues.

Chapter 3 is in the books, Chapter 4, coming up soon.

Remember my first blog? Deleted. Eaten by the internet monster.

Lets try this again.

I am Will O'Reagan.

I go by Will Regan, legally, but am looking into the former name legally as well.

I was at one time point bitten by a sort of bug-- the creative sort of bug.

Since that day, I have experienced many things.  

Many insanely fun moments.  

Many not so fantastic, confusing moments.

One thing has remained a constant.

I have remained creative.

When I am not hopelessly staring at what others have done,
I tend to create things.

Chapter 3 is in the books. Chapter 4 is coming up soon.