A Second Novel

[unforth]

It's funny. As I was plowing through the Hogwarts story and the Changeling stuff, I kept saying that it wasn't like real writing, that the reason my daily word counts were so high was because it was SO much easier than actual writing, and people seemed to kind of doubt that.

Two days in to my second original actual novel, and I feel very vindicated. Starting on an actual page one, with only a vague sense of where things are going? Much harder. Infinitely harder, then writing up events I half remember, stories for which know the end. I don't know how many words I've written, either, because I've been really slaving over my notes, unlike last time. I'm determined not to have the muddle I had in my first novel. ;)

(here's my plot: "over the course of a very long war, both countries have used mercenaries to fight for them so much that this has become a serious problem. Mercenaries are bad." My device: "relate how mercenaries are bad and what will be done about them in a series of entwining stories where elements and characters from earlier stories grow involved in later stories." That's everything I know.)

Comments

[buzzermccain.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for the wonderful purse and mask! They are both awesome, and the obvious one has become my primary handbag. I'm sorry I missed you this time around in Bloomington. I know I will see you at some point- I owes you money and I am holding your plants hostage!

Produce a Claire or the Oxalis dies!

As for the book- I think outlines are your friend, here. Don't just start into Chapter One. Figure out who your primary characters are and what will give them an adversarial or friendly relationship to each other (or what might lead them to initially be friends and then lose that friendship). Brainstorm what conflicts they might fall into and maybe some cool environmental settings. Think about how your magic might work, if that is a factor. Are there gods?

Then figure out what your major and minor plot arcs look like and what timing they need to have in relation to each other.

Tristram leaves home because of the dust, drought and starvation that the dried up river has caused.
Tristram finds the bronze spoon.
Tristram discovers something funny about the bronze spoon.
Tristram gives the spoon to Claire as a token(and might be falling in love a little).
Tristram tries to make th river flow again.
Tristram is killed by Bran.
Claire places the spoon to the lips of the starving child in the tower, and the soul of the River Kesh is returned to life.

Bran's mother is raped by the River God Kesh.
Bran's father makes him help drown his half-divine infant half-brother.
Bran hears Piers ghost whispering to him from the well.
Bran's father drowns himself with the implication that he was also hearing the ghost.
Bran kills the dragon by guile and uses its heartstone to plug the source of the river.

Then figure out when different aspects of each timeline have to happen chronologically and integrate them into a single timeline. This can form the chapter outline of the book, unless you decide to present events out of order. Even if you do, I think you will have an easier time writing if you have laid it out chronologically for your own benefit.

Heed my words of wisdom! Heed them!

After all, I've written a book myself. Really. Yep.

No, you can't read it. But it's real. Didn't make it up at all.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

...you're going to kill my oxalis if I don't come to Chicago? Wow, I feel so blackmailed...it's a good thing (and a funny one!) that I was thinking about going to Chicago just last night, and going, I need to contact you and find out a good time and such. I mean, not my oxalis!

And I'm glad you liked the Christmas presents, and that they found there way to you - I guess you went to New Years. I wish I could of, but I didn't have the money.

The problem with outlining is that I really don't have the patience, I discovered. I sat down at the start of my flight to Japan to outline this book, and I worked 10 minutes before I got sick of doing it. What I DID get was:

Dude is running for mayor of a small town.
Dude wins.
Dude gets murdered by mercenaries when they attack the town.

Dude's wife moves to the Big City.
Dude's wife starts building a life for herself.
Dude's wife falls in love.

Mercenary dude feels bad about committing a murder.
Mercenary dude falls in love in the Big City.

And that was it. A list like yours would, I think, be much more useful, I'm just not sure I've got it in me. You should totally write that story, though.

I've written a book too, after all. And I'll let you read mine if you let me read yours. ;)

[buzzermccain.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but you see... the key element is that I don't actually have a book- I started one in highschool (more or less by the "sit down and start writing" model, but I never finished it.) My "words of wisdom" are just what I've decided to do if I try to write one again.

I have no practical experience whatsoever.

Miss you- hope to see you at some point soon!