11.01.2012

NaNoMongering 1: This Novel Will Self-Destruct In...

Story: Dark Arcana: The Amber of Time



Word Count: 1,122 words. 

Listening To: 

Apocryphon by The Sword

Dethalbum III by Dethklok
Epica by Kamelot



Status: 

This moment in time is best summarized by a whale who made friends with the ground and a bowl of petunias which said, Oh no. Not again!

I have so far written a thousand completely trippy words about Oscar's imminent birth, from the point of view of his teenage mother. Too many spoilers? Ehh, if it makes up for it at all, I still have no idea who Oscar's father is. 

The fact is, I have no idea what I'm doing. I have a million notes scattered all over the place regarding motivations, conflicts, philosophy, and worldbuilding...but still, this is a load of crap. What's a plan worth, after all? What I have is too loose, and meandering. It takes place in a void. Where the hell IS this street? What else is going on in the background? I don't know. For a pantser who's supposed to make all of this stuff up at the last minute, I sure am horrible at it.

I am just trying to remember to write, and not make notes on the side about where it could go. 

If I don't write it now, it will never get written. 

I know I will never go back and actually write notes that I've planned. It doesn't work that way. That way sucks out all the magic, and leaves only drudgery. When I write, I keep starting scenes, and bits of scenes, and then leaving that line of thought when I get stuck. If there's one thing I'm bloody fantastic at, it's writing long, pointless, meandering scenes that never resolve anything.

Well, when rereading, it was really irritating. I wanted to strangle my earlier self. I wanted to see where I was going with it! 

So, this time, my practice will be: 

No notes. Just write. 

It's just me, and the heartbeat of the keyboard.

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Psst. The bowl of petunias is right.

1 comment:

  1. It will suck. There's no getting away from it. All you can do is keep writing until you find a moment when the character comes alive. After that it all gets better and there's magic in writing a scene you've planned after all.

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