Details, Details

So I had a dream involving things like a Tardis, and traveling back and forth between two times in the same huge, complicated, hotel-like building. There was this other character I was working with, and I was pretty sure she'd end up taking a lead role, and, while dreaming, I found myself thinking that there should be tension between us before I got used to the fact that she'd be the leader, not me. 

The dream also involved running repeatedly down long, complicated corridors, ferrying items like china dishes from one time to the other. I kept thinking that, in any good story, I should succeed at this a few times, and then, I should get caught, or at least run into trouble. This made me anxious.

Apparently, my inner editor was having way too much fun critiquing my dream - but I'm not sure I mind.

It's been a while since I've posted about my writing.

Lately, I've been getting back into the habit of trying to spend an hour a day on my writing. Right now, that means revision. While my Nanowrimo novel from 2008 sits on the back burner for a bit (it needed some feedback, and I couldn't stand to look at it anymore), I am working on the second draft of my Nanowrimo novel from 2009.

I realized tonight that, depending upon how you measure, I'm 2/3 of the way through it. Since I'm basing that on what page I'm up to relative to the last page, I'm probably further than that, since I deleted a bunch of scenes and pages along the way. The end is in sight, and this makes me excited.

I don't know why, but I actually enjoy chopping out parts of my story. One less paragraph or page or scene to spend time reworking/rewriting/tweaking, I guess.

But sometimes, I worry I've chopped too much. That scene that seems to add nothing, what if it tells us something about the character? What if it helps with the pacing? What if I've taken out all of the quirky parts just because I don't think they drive the plot forward? What if I've somehow sanitized it, made it more generic?

These are the thoughts that sometimes go through my head, the worry that, in revising a scene, I will somehow make it worse instead of better.

But most of the time, I just enjoy the process. This time around, I made some massive structural changes from Draft 1 to Draft 2, and I've also been enjoying how the novel keeps getting shorter, because I know my original word count was too high, and the new one will be significantly lower. And there's something satisfying about making it all work. 

And there's also something satisfying, in general, about just getting back to my writing. Over the winter, I moved away from it for a bit. I forgot how good it feels. I keep wanting to stay up later to work on my story. It's a good feeling.

So, as it turns out, that final read-through is taking me a bit longer than planned. I still have 90 pages to go out of 250-ish, and then I have to go back and fix one inconsistency that I found.

So remember how I said I'd send it out to the beta readers by the end of the weekend? Well... how about some time before *next* weekend?

Also, so many of you volunteered to beta read for me, and so I want to say thank you. I think it would be a bit too overwhelming to send it to everyone who offered, so if you don't end up getting to beta read, please do not take it personally.

As of this evening, my novel has hit 75,736 words.

And no, it isn't done yet. I thought it would be, by 75,000, but the story just keeps going. I know what the climax is, and I know what steps I need to take to get there, but all this other stuff keeps happening in between! Still, it's exciting. I don't think I have ever written anything this long.

And I do still plan to finish it by the end of November. (Really. Really, really.)

If I can keep it under 100,000, I should be able to, based on the pace I have been keeping.

Also, on a completely unrelated note, saw Twilight the movie last night. It was bad. It really was. In so many ways.

Maybe now, I can finally stop being obsessed with the series.

Oh, and I went to the annual discounted booksale I go to today. The one where brand new books cost $4 and $2 and all sorts of other fun, low prices. I am pleased to report I spent under $50 this year. But they had a terrible selection - or lack thereof - on the scifi/fantasy table. So much for stocking up on new books to read. Oh well.

I think I may finally have finished the rough draft of the novel I began during NaNoWriMo back in November. As some of you may recall, I hit 50,000 words - the word count needed to "win", then sort of stopped mid-book.

The "final" word count is around 57,000, and there are definitely some things I wanted to put in there that didn't make it, but hey, it's a rough draft.

And it found a spot to end.

So now, I need to let it sit for a while, and then begin a process that is going to be new and strange for me - actually revising it and getting it past Draft I and into Draft II.

If anyone knows of any good resources on revision, please do let me know.

But meanwhile, I think it's done!

So it's been nearly a year since I've written anything - and much longer than that since I have worked seriously on a story that went beyond brainstorming and detailed outlines in the form of detached, unordered scenes.

Until this week.

Sunday evening found mysticengineer and me in Barnes and Noble, randomly browsing, first in the scifi/fantasy section, and then in the writing section. And it was probably during the time we spent in the latter section, browsing through random books of anecdotes, exercises, advice and general writing humor that we both started lamenting - again - the fact that it has been far too long since either of us has written.

So we made an agreement. Sort of like how we learned Mishlei by keeping each other on track (if only we could finish Yirmiyahu the same way...) Anyway, we both agreed to write 1000 words of story a day - the same story - though I got her to give me a week to try out different ones until I got one that was working - five days a week (Shabbat sort of messes with Friday and Saturday).

And I have to say, the whole chevruta thing - sharing this goal with a partner - seems to have something to it. Granted, today is only Day 3 (and for my story, it's Day 2, because the first one I tried felt all wrong from the start), but so far, it is a good feeling, both to be writing again, and to have a day in mind.

It is interesting to need to write 1000 words a day. It is also interesting to stop when I reach that point. I could take out my story right now and continue it - but I feel like maybe there is something to be said for restraint. By using 1000 words (or, in my case, about 6 pages, since I am writing by hand) as not only a daily goal, but also a rough daily limit, I am pacing myself in a strange way - and also anticipating another day of writing.

I mean, if I am on a roll and it isn't my stop yet on the subway, I would keep going beyond that mark, but once I stop, I won't go back to it until tomorrow. This not only builds the anticipation and the desire to continue, but also gives my ideas some time to stew so that I don't just keep ploughing forward.

It also helps to know that by stopping when I want to continue, I leave myself with an idea of where to continue tomorrow.

Anyway, pacing myself like this is an interesting exercise in both discipline and restraint and I am enjoying it.

Now, let's see how many days mysticengineer and I can keep this up...

But so far, it feels like it was a good idea.