So I've decided, rather than write about my epic salad making abilities and my torturous attempts to lure the Muse into creating a masterpiece all in the same blog, I'll write about the two main topics of my Plans alternately. I know, I could have two separate blogs for this purpose, but to be completely honest, I've not got the time for all that messing about. This will be good for both of us. It'll be good for me because it'll force me to concentrate on one thing at a time. It'll be good for you because you won't have as much to read. Okay, maybe that's not strictly true. Technically, you'll actually have twice as much to read, but at least it'll be broken down into easy-to-manage sections, rather than five thousand word epics.
My plan tonight will be to get my head down and get Chapter One boxed off. I had hoped to get more writing done during the Christmas break and be working towards finishing Chapter Two off, but that just didn't happen. I'd quote that wise piece of advice about "plans of mice and men" but I can't remember it and I don't think it ever made any sense to me anyway. The point is - I had planned to, but as it turned out, I didn't. So I'm going to have a go at sorting out the mess I'm making of Chapter One and getting it into a vaguely readable format tonight before pulling it to pieces and editing it to death on Friday. Never let it be said that I don't know how to live it up.
I have fallen into my usual trap of writing scenes and not knowing how to link them together. You know how it goes. Sometimes there's just a lot of words you skim through while you're reading because you're so keen on getting to the action, or the acerbic exchanges of wit, or (as will never be the case in anything I write - and that's a promise!) the soppy stuff. Well, I get like that with my stories - the only problem being that I'm actually trying to write the blasted thing and I have no bits to skim through, just the action and acerbic exchanges of wit - but obviously no soppy stuff. This is quite a problem. I'll never get 100,000 words written at this rate (even though I'm only aiming for 80,000 - I'm planning on a sequel!)!
I have four or five scenes written out, some need some quite blatant reworking, some can wait till my first read-through. That's all, though. I mean, I do need to link them together somehow. I really ought to work on patience (it's a virtue, apparently) and being a more methodical sort of writer, I'm sure I'm making far more work for myself than I need to. I'm sure I'm not being particularly efficient with my time.
There again, I don't know how much notice should really be taken of how long it takes to get something done. Shakespeare usually took about three days to write one of his plays. By way of contrast, however, apparently James Joyce was known to take all day to write one sentence on occasion, so maybe I'm not doing too badly in comparison. I'll get there evenutally, anyway. It's all progress.
I shall update you with the progress of Chapter One on Friday - I may *even* tantalise you with a sneak preview!! Tomorrow, however, sees the real Step One of the main mission. My first meeting at Da Club (which is likely what I'd call it if I were 'street'. No, don't worry, I shan't try that again). I have never been to one of these places before, so I'm completely unsure of what to expect, aside from the usual in-built prejudices and urban myths surrounding this sort of process. I am feeling a little trepidatious but no doubt everyone there will be very kind, and varying degrees of cuddly - and hopefully there will be very few skinny people lamenting at how they put on three pounds over Christmas and are finding it a struggle to get into their size eight jeans. Expect a full report of that tomorrow night.
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