42 - 15 = 27
Twenty-seven years of storytelling.
Twenty-seven years of getting the timelines right.
Twenty-seven years of ordering the chaos in my head.
Twenty-seven years of manuscripts.
Twenty-seven years of finding a new keyboard, a new notebook, a new way of recording the madness in my head.
Twenty-seven books all set in the same scape.
31-27 = 4
Four years left to go.
Four more books before it is all done.
Four more times.
Saturday, 23 February 2019
Friday, 22 February 2019
Book 2 - Too much info (Problem Statement)
So, this is another one of those blogs where I discuss my writing issues in the attempt to shed some light on my writing process, with the slim chance that someone might find it helpful.
Question: Where do you go when you have the whole story mapped out on paper, and in your head, but you cannot seem to get started on the keyboard?
To put this into context, book one of #T2B landed at around 120k words. It took around 3 months of actual writing time. OK, so around a year in total, but to be honest, I only took approximately 9-12 weeks to get the first draft out. Another month to get the edit through the team.
So what's the problem I hear you yell?
Well, the problem is simple. When you land a good story, sink all your efforts into a great (well I think it's excellent) plot. You want to make sure it keeps flowing, keeps moving forward.
There are many problems which come with writing a sequel.
So where do I find myself?
Question: Where do you go when you have the whole story mapped out on paper, and in your head, but you cannot seem to get started on the keyboard?
To put this into context, book one of #T2B landed at around 120k words. It took around 3 months of actual writing time. OK, so around a year in total, but to be honest, I only took approximately 9-12 weeks to get the first draft out. Another month to get the edit through the team.
So what's the problem I hear you yell?
Well, the problem is simple. When you land a good story, sink all your efforts into a great (well I think it's excellent) plot. You want to make sure it keeps flowing, keeps moving forward.
There are many problems which come with writing a sequel.
- You can fracture too quickly.
- You can deviate from the characters original core.
- You can spin in all the wrong directions with characters that your readers have come to love, and fear.
So where do I find myself?
- I cannot just cut the same story, and send it out with the #2 on the front.
- This is too dangerous, although the reader will be safe in the knowledge that they will be up for mark 2, you as a writer will be following the same old motion.
Sunday, 3 February 2019
Five in Five
Book two is going well, so just as I was gearing up to punch into act two, I received a challenge to undertake the following.
Five stories in five days. They are ranging from two thousand words all the way to five thousand. Yes, the writing competition season is upon us. So my editor and longtime writing buddy wants a backlog for possible submissions.
That said, he also does not want me to take my foot of book two. So, with all that in mind. Here we go.
Five stories, five days. #5in5Writing
For those that have read my blog before or for that matter my twitter feed. Will know that sleep, or my lack of it, has enabled me to generate ideas pretty quickly and abundantly.
So let's put that statement to the test shall we, and see if we can produce five fully formed short stories in just five days. The genre's and size will be set by the other half of the Richards&Howell101 team.
Check back to see how we are getting on. The official start date will be Monday the 4th, for those that want to join us. Please feel free to drop me a line, and we can do it together.
Wednesday, 30 January 2019
Book Two
There are so many times in life when as a writer you sit and stare at a blank screen and wonder why. So why bother.
It's writing advice time, yet again.
Having put the last word to a 100K+ project, it was a little daunting when the other half of the writing team said. 'Let's do another.'
I was not quite sure whether or not I should laugh, get excited or hang my head in desperation. I'm sure you've all felt this way, you get to the end of a substantial project, only to realise its not really the end. There more to come, and your proofreaders want it now.
So, good feedback aside. That pressure of people wanting more is good, right? You've created colourful characters that people care about, have invested in, and desperately want to read more of.
Yet when the time comes, and you sit there in front of that huge screen of white nothingness. We find ourselves doubting. The usual questions come to mind, list time:
So how do I get over it? Well the above counts for all of us. I would loop back to my default here, and remind everyone that I do not sleep. Which always comes in handy when you need to write to a deadline. Yet I can offer a bit of advice.
Leave the PC alone, step away from the keyboard. Grab a notebook and a pen. Yes, a good old paper writing session. Firstly it takes longer to write longhand, your brain can often work quicker then you can scribble. This is the opposite to when you type, when you feel that words are flowing 1:1.
So the first bit of advice is, grab a pen and slow down a bit. Take time to plot, and to think. it can really help.
The second bit of advice is this. Take pride in the pen. Yes, love that notebook. Rinse and repeat. Keep coming back to the one book. Build it over the years, full of anything and everything. The next time you get stuck, flip it open and read some of your past entries. You'll be surprised how a blank spell can be unstuck by your past version of yourself.
So do future you a favour and keep scribbling, even when you are prolific.
Anyway, I hope this helps somebody, somewhere.
For me and the rest of the team (you know who you are). It's onto book two. The notebook method really worked this time, a little too much I might add. Yet it served its purpose until next time its needed.
It's writing advice time, yet again.
Having put the last word to a 100K+ project, it was a little daunting when the other half of the writing team said. 'Let's do another.'
I was not quite sure whether or not I should laugh, get excited or hang my head in desperation. I'm sure you've all felt this way, you get to the end of a substantial project, only to realise its not really the end. There more to come, and your proofreaders want it now.
So, good feedback aside. That pressure of people wanting more is good, right? You've created colourful characters that people care about, have invested in, and desperately want to read more of.
Yet when the time comes, and you sit there in front of that huge screen of white nothingness. We find ourselves doubting. The usual questions come to mind, list time:
- What happens if I mess it up?
- Should I kill off a main character?
- Should I take it in a different direction?
- What happens if I go too far?
- ,,,
- ..
So how do I get over it? Well the above counts for all of us. I would loop back to my default here, and remind everyone that I do not sleep. Which always comes in handy when you need to write to a deadline. Yet I can offer a bit of advice.
Leave the PC alone, step away from the keyboard. Grab a notebook and a pen. Yes, a good old paper writing session. Firstly it takes longer to write longhand, your brain can often work quicker then you can scribble. This is the opposite to when you type, when you feel that words are flowing 1:1.
So the first bit of advice is, grab a pen and slow down a bit. Take time to plot, and to think. it can really help.
The second bit of advice is this. Take pride in the pen. Yes, love that notebook. Rinse and repeat. Keep coming back to the one book. Build it over the years, full of anything and everything. The next time you get stuck, flip it open and read some of your past entries. You'll be surprised how a blank spell can be unstuck by your past version of yourself.
So do future you a favour and keep scribbling, even when you are prolific.
Anyway, I hope this helps somebody, somewhere.
For me and the rest of the team (you know who you are). It's onto book two. The notebook method really worked this time, a little too much I might add. Yet it served its purpose until next time its needed.
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