Making it all make sense...
Well first off, I should let you all know that my proverbial black cloud has lifted a bit since yesterday. I was just getting nothing on any level yesterday, whether it was ideas, creativity, luck... whatever it was, I didn't have any. I'm better today though. I have just spent the last few hours locked up with my computer and I got some pretty interesting results. A good number of pages were written, and I've gotten through one of the many, many tough parts in the book that I know will have me looking for a bridge to jump off of.
With that said, I still have a lot to go. I still have the problem of not understanding that this is my first draft of this book. Some chapters won't look anything like what I have now, when I'm done. Hell, some chapters may not even exist. Who knows? Right now, I just need to let the story flow and worry about all of that other stuff later. I've had to refer back to my notes a few times today, which is funny when you spend an hour working on a certain part of a book and then you think, "Where was I going with this?" That's why I'm glad I planned a lot before I started. I think it has, and will continue to help me while I'm writing this thing.
I also came to the decision yesterday that I'm going to write another first chapter. I'm going to keep the one I have now, but it will now become chapter two. I want something that really grabs the reader's attention. Something that they will have to wait a while to understand, but that will be so good they can't help but read until they get there.
I saw an interesting article yesterday written by David Brin, who has written many, many books. In it he said that, as a writer, you want people to show up to work tired and looking a mess because they just couldn't put your book down. (It wasn't exactly in those works, but you get what I'm saying. No? OK, read the article here.) It dawned on me then, that that is exactly what I want, because I am that person. When I read good books, I don't put them down, so I show up to whatever I have to do the next day, a mess. And all I can think about is getting back to that damn book. That's what I want.
Anyway, that's enough rambling from me today. As usual, comments should be sent to me at racechick@bellsouth.net
Take it easy everybody.
With that said, I still have a lot to go. I still have the problem of not understanding that this is my first draft of this book. Some chapters won't look anything like what I have now, when I'm done. Hell, some chapters may not even exist. Who knows? Right now, I just need to let the story flow and worry about all of that other stuff later. I've had to refer back to my notes a few times today, which is funny when you spend an hour working on a certain part of a book and then you think, "Where was I going with this?" That's why I'm glad I planned a lot before I started. I think it has, and will continue to help me while I'm writing this thing.
I also came to the decision yesterday that I'm going to write another first chapter. I'm going to keep the one I have now, but it will now become chapter two. I want something that really grabs the reader's attention. Something that they will have to wait a while to understand, but that will be so good they can't help but read until they get there.
I saw an interesting article yesterday written by David Brin, who has written many, many books. In it he said that, as a writer, you want people to show up to work tired and looking a mess because they just couldn't put your book down. (It wasn't exactly in those works, but you get what I'm saying. No? OK, read the article here.) It dawned on me then, that that is exactly what I want, because I am that person. When I read good books, I don't put them down, so I show up to whatever I have to do the next day, a mess. And all I can think about is getting back to that damn book. That's what I want.
Anyway, that's enough rambling from me today. As usual, comments should be sent to me at racechick@bellsouth.net
Take it easy everybody.