Friday, May 25, 2012

Someday never comes

Sometimes I read a lot. Sometimes it takes me a long time to get through a book.

Sometimes I don't write for months. Others, I have a project going that I really focus on and really make headway with. Sometimes it's multiple projects.

Right now in the rubrick, I'm in the "not really reading, writing a lot" portion. I started a werewolf novel in April that's coming to its climax. I started a new writing project involving horror short stories. With June coming up, I'm trying to get myself to actually outline my CampNaNoWriMo novel.

I know I'm doing a space scifi thing. I know that the main characters are two sisters, and that there's at least one dude (no, this is not going to be a love triangle). I know some aesthetics of the space world that I'm operating with, and even though it's in space, it'll be on a smaller, character driven scale. But story? Eh, I've got an idea of the conflict. I think.

So, I need an outline, or else I'll be dead in the water at 10k words.

In NaNo lingo, I'm typically what's known as a "pantser", i.e. I write by the seat of my pants. I also typically have a story arc in mind, though, a culminating event, how I want things to shake out, that kind of thing. I wish I knew that already, this time. I'd really like for this to work out, and I'm always up for a NaNo!

2 comments:

  1. I tried to be a pantser once - epic fail. I have been leaning toward the storyboard method, or what I like to call connect the dots. I know the big things that I need to have happen - the dots - and then I just figure out how to get the lines to the dots. Just found your blog - new follower :)

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    Replies
    1. Yay, thanks for following!

      Connect the dots is something I'll frequently do mentally. Like "we've got these characters...they find a thing...explosions here..." etc. (less lame than that, anyway. I hope!)

      Have you tried the program Scrivener ever? I downloaded the trial and messed around with it a bit, but I think it's far too fussy for my style. It does let you storyboard and character portrait and all of that to your heart's content, though.

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