Novel Update
Sep. 17th, 2004 12:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lostcarparkIt's Friday, and it's at least a week since I've done one of these, so I guess it's time for another novel update.
I've gone back and rewritten the opening of chapter one. The original opening wasn't bad, it introduced some of the characters, and gave out a few snippits of background information. But it was a tad dull, and didn't do much to get the reader hooked. Plus the prologue (if I decide to use it) is quite slow-moving, so following it with another slow-moving passage doesn't promise action later on.
So the new version starts from the same point, but things don't go exactly as planned, which leads to more action and tension, and hopefully engages the reader more. The chapter has now grown to over 6,000 words.
Chapter three is approaching the half-way point, though I can't help feeling that more than half of the many things that have to happen in this chapter have yet to happen. I don't see this as a problem. I like the idea of having my chapters a little over-long so I can trim them back during the editing stage. I'm hoping another week or so will see this one in the bag.
I've also figured out a major plot point for much later in the novel, which ties together several points that had been troubling me. But I need to learn more about quantum physics. Can anyone recommend a good book that doesn't melt my brain too much? I'll bet there's a Quantum Physics for Dummies.
I'm also starting to think about NaNoWriMo 2005. I have an idea for a serious, semi-autobiographical novel. I would have to get my daily wordcount significantly up, and I would definitely need to find more than two commuting hours per day to work on it (for my 2003 novel I was probably spending an average of four hours a day on it). It would also mean shelving my current effort for a much of October (when I won't do much writing, on account of getting married), and November. But that would be no bad thing as I'd be returning to it fresh in December. I'll keep thinking about the idea, and see if it develops.
My trusty Psion continues to soldier on, and I've probably now written upwards of 25,000 words on it, 14,000 belonging to the novel. I've more or less given up on the character database idea. Paper just works better for me. It's handy to be able to draw lines between characters which you can't do easily in a (non-relational) database. But for everything else, it's great. At some point I intend to upgrade to a Psion 5MX, which has a "proper" keyboard and a lot of other features, but for now this works well (aside from the iffy keyboard, the only issue is that the wordcount takes about five seconds for a 6000 word document).
I've gone back and rewritten the opening of chapter one. The original opening wasn't bad, it introduced some of the characters, and gave out a few snippits of background information. But it was a tad dull, and didn't do much to get the reader hooked. Plus the prologue (if I decide to use it) is quite slow-moving, so following it with another slow-moving passage doesn't promise action later on.
So the new version starts from the same point, but things don't go exactly as planned, which leads to more action and tension, and hopefully engages the reader more. The chapter has now grown to over 6,000 words.
Chapter three is approaching the half-way point, though I can't help feeling that more than half of the many things that have to happen in this chapter have yet to happen. I don't see this as a problem. I like the idea of having my chapters a little over-long so I can trim them back during the editing stage. I'm hoping another week or so will see this one in the bag.
I've also figured out a major plot point for much later in the novel, which ties together several points that had been troubling me. But I need to learn more about quantum physics. Can anyone recommend a good book that doesn't melt my brain too much? I'll bet there's a Quantum Physics for Dummies.
I'm also starting to think about NaNoWriMo 2005. I have an idea for a serious, semi-autobiographical novel. I would have to get my daily wordcount significantly up, and I would definitely need to find more than two commuting hours per day to work on it (for my 2003 novel I was probably spending an average of four hours a day on it). It would also mean shelving my current effort for a much of October (when I won't do much writing, on account of getting married), and November. But that would be no bad thing as I'd be returning to it fresh in December. I'll keep thinking about the idea, and see if it develops.
My trusty Psion continues to soldier on, and I've probably now written upwards of 25,000 words on it, 14,000 belonging to the novel. I've more or less given up on the character database idea. Paper just works better for me. It's handy to be able to draw lines between characters which you can't do easily in a (non-relational) database. But for everything else, it's great. At some point I intend to upgrade to a Psion 5MX, which has a "proper" keyboard and a lot of other features, but for now this works well (aside from the iffy keyboard, the only issue is that the wordcount takes about five seconds for a 6000 word document).
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no subject
Date: 2004-09-17 06:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-17 08:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-17 07:14 am (UTC)Sounds like you're making great progress with the novel, best of luck with the rest of it! :D
no subject
Date: 2004-09-17 08:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-17 07:57 am (UTC)As for NaNoMo, I'd love to do it. This year is out because of my MBA, but roll on 2005!
no subject
Date: 2004-09-17 08:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-09-17 09:08 am (UTC)What do other people here use?