I meant to do this every Sunday, but last week kicked my butt like woah. It was a very physically taxing week. So by the time Sunday came around, I was too tired to do anything. So I just vegged in front of the tv at Noelle's house with all the lovely animals (and Noelle, too, of course). It wasn't a bad week, just a lot to do all the time. I stayed very busy. But there were also fantastic body lotion sales all over the place so I have a life time of lotion scattered around my living room right now. I just want to roll in it. Soooo good!
So anyway, current progress report:
Page numbers: 15.5 YAY!
Query Letter: None. :(
I also worked on some character designs for Alice. I'm still trying to figure out how I want them all to look, but I'm getting closer, I think. I'll post something if I can ever get them finished.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Goals
So currently, I have two people (hopefully) who are actually going to read Alice and give me some much needed feedback and typo checking.
In the meantime, I've got two other stories I'm working on. Both are in the beginning stages. I'm just mucking around in the first two chapters, waiting until one of them takes off, then I'll probably focus all attention on that one to get it done.
The first one is Fisherman's Paradise, a project I had during my college animation class. It's a fantasy setting, but with technology. I'm not sure what genre that is. But it's a treasure hunting adventure story that doesn't take itself too seriously. The characters are all really high energy. They make me tired after I write them, but it's fun.
The second one is called Red. This story is based off of Little Red Riding Hood and I consider it my "werewolf story". It's a little bit more serious, but I'm still having fun with the characters.
Right now, I feel like I need to start setting some goals for both working on these stories and taking further steps to get Alice published. Otherwise, I have a tendency to let things fester under the pretense that I am working simply by keeping them in mind. It's not very productive.
Goal number 1: 15 pages of writing per week, no matter the project.
Goal number 2: Complete query letter by June 30th.
I will return next Sunday with a progress report on these two goals.
In the meantime, I've got two other stories I'm working on. Both are in the beginning stages. I'm just mucking around in the first two chapters, waiting until one of them takes off, then I'll probably focus all attention on that one to get it done.
The first one is Fisherman's Paradise, a project I had during my college animation class. It's a fantasy setting, but with technology. I'm not sure what genre that is. But it's a treasure hunting adventure story that doesn't take itself too seriously. The characters are all really high energy. They make me tired after I write them, but it's fun.
The second one is called Red. This story is based off of Little Red Riding Hood and I consider it my "werewolf story". It's a little bit more serious, but I'm still having fun with the characters.
Right now, I feel like I need to start setting some goals for both working on these stories and taking further steps to get Alice published. Otherwise, I have a tendency to let things fester under the pretense that I am working simply by keeping them in mind. It's not very productive.
Goal number 1: 15 pages of writing per week, no matter the project.
Goal number 2: Complete query letter by June 30th.
I will return next Sunday with a progress report on these two goals.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Current Status
Alrighty, now that I'm not blogging after midnight, (ignore the time stamp, it lies) I'm a bit more coherent to discuss my projects and what I'm currently working on. Or at least better than last night. My head is currently aching from trying to clean out the Banzai storage space in the heat. It wouldn't have been so bad if we had more than 4 people out of all the staff come to assist. Thank God for Jose and Sara or else it would have just been my sister and I. And I only gave everyone a full two weeks notice we were doing it. Thanks everyone. I still need to go back with some better boxes to organize and label stuff. They are lucky I really, really enjoy organizing stuff.
ANYWAY, back to the topic at hand.
I've really been wanting to write something that could be possibly published for years and years, but I've had such a hard time doing it. A couple of months ago I attempted to do the NaNoWriMo, which is where you attempt to spew out a full novel during the month of November. My project of choice turned out so awful I was scared away from attempting anything else for a while. When 2008 rolled around, I really wanted to try it again and I still have several beginning attempts on my computer. But I kept putting so much pressure on myself to make a perfect first chapter and nothing was working out. I kept discouraging myself.
So finally, over the winter, I made myself commit to one project, a smaller, more simple one. By forcing myself to take baby steps, I felt I would have a better chance in completing my goals and I would have at least one finished product to work with.
I am happy to report my first draft is completed and is now working through several other drafts. It is a mid-grade chapter book of about 60 pages. The title is Alice Through the Ocean Gate and it's an Alice in Wonderland story.
The current problem with Alice is I'm having a really hard time getting feedback on the book or even help getting out the typos. To this date, I have sent out copies to at least SEVEN people. The last copy I sent out was about 2 months ago. Up until now, only one person has read the entire book. And that is my dear baby, baby brother.
Unfortunately, the only feedback he has offered me is "It's good. If you write something else, send it to me". Even though I'm glad to hear it wasn't bad, it doesn't help me too much. Though, I do have to admit, it was a bit encouraging when he read all but the last chapter, then read John Dies at the End. So I thought he would never ask me for the last chapter, as the climax of the story was already over. Because, I don't care what you like, there are very few things as entertaining as John Dies at the End. I thought Alice would seem like a huge snore in comparison. But lo and behold, as soon as he was done, he was asking for that last chapter. So that was a bit more encouraging.
Still, it's a far cry from anything useful I can use. And while I love my friends who are the best friends I've ever had and I completely understand that they all have lives and not necessarily the time to give to my story, it still disheartens me a little to not be able to glean any feedback from them since they're all intelligent, well read people.
But one must keep moving forward if one can. I currently have a beta reader who's been proofreading my "fan projects" that has so graciously agreed to assist me and I'm looking into begging a few other people I've met over the net who I know to be intelligent and useful when it comes to these kind of things.
So I'm just going to keep working on getting the kinks out of that. While I wait for people to send me critiques, I'm already working on two, longer novels for older readers. And I will talk about them in another post. I'm certainly done for tonight.
ANYWAY, back to the topic at hand.
I've really been wanting to write something that could be possibly published for years and years, but I've had such a hard time doing it. A couple of months ago I attempted to do the NaNoWriMo, which is where you attempt to spew out a full novel during the month of November. My project of choice turned out so awful I was scared away from attempting anything else for a while. When 2008 rolled around, I really wanted to try it again and I still have several beginning attempts on my computer. But I kept putting so much pressure on myself to make a perfect first chapter and nothing was working out. I kept discouraging myself.
So finally, over the winter, I made myself commit to one project, a smaller, more simple one. By forcing myself to take baby steps, I felt I would have a better chance in completing my goals and I would have at least one finished product to work with.
I am happy to report my first draft is completed and is now working through several other drafts. It is a mid-grade chapter book of about 60 pages. The title is Alice Through the Ocean Gate and it's an Alice in Wonderland story.
The current problem with Alice is I'm having a really hard time getting feedback on the book or even help getting out the typos. To this date, I have sent out copies to at least SEVEN people. The last copy I sent out was about 2 months ago. Up until now, only one person has read the entire book. And that is my dear baby, baby brother.
Unfortunately, the only feedback he has offered me is "It's good. If you write something else, send it to me". Even though I'm glad to hear it wasn't bad, it doesn't help me too much. Though, I do have to admit, it was a bit encouraging when he read all but the last chapter, then read John Dies at the End. So I thought he would never ask me for the last chapter, as the climax of the story was already over. Because, I don't care what you like, there are very few things as entertaining as John Dies at the End. I thought Alice would seem like a huge snore in comparison. But lo and behold, as soon as he was done, he was asking for that last chapter. So that was a bit more encouraging.
Still, it's a far cry from anything useful I can use. And while I love my friends who are the best friends I've ever had and I completely understand that they all have lives and not necessarily the time to give to my story, it still disheartens me a little to not be able to glean any feedback from them since they're all intelligent, well read people.
But one must keep moving forward if one can. I currently have a beta reader who's been proofreading my "fan projects" that has so graciously agreed to assist me and I'm looking into begging a few other people I've met over the net who I know to be intelligent and useful when it comes to these kind of things.
So I'm just going to keep working on getting the kinks out of that. While I wait for people to send me critiques, I'm already working on two, longer novels for older readers. And I will talk about them in another post. I'm certainly done for tonight.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Steps to a great story continued
Okay, so now you have all the tools you need to start your masterpiece. You are ready to write. Here are continuing steps to ensure your story will succeed.
Step #2: Get yourself a title. I don't care what it is. It doesn't even need to reflect anything involving the story whatsoever. The title is so you can mention it while in company and sound important. "Well, I finished ten more pages of Chairs on Mars today." And people will wonder if they're out of the loop when they have no idea what you are talking about. Then you know something they don't. How important are you?
Step #3: Put some people in there. Like three. Maybe four, if you're feeling adventurous. But two is definitely not enough.
Step #4: Make them do stuff. And make them do it until the end of the story. Also, they should say things. And there should be bears.
Step #5: The story should have a moral. People loved being tricked into learning things they should already know like 'War is bad'. And 'Don't leave broken eggs in the refrigerator'.
Step #6: End it with a twist. No one likes to be able to predict the outcome. Killing off all the characters suddenly with a nuclear bomb or asteroid usually does the trick. Because, after all, your characters will have been doing stuff until the end. And that is what they should be doing.
Step #2: Get yourself a title. I don't care what it is. It doesn't even need to reflect anything involving the story whatsoever. The title is so you can mention it while in company and sound important. "Well, I finished ten more pages of Chairs on Mars today." And people will wonder if they're out of the loop when they have no idea what you are talking about. Then you know something they don't. How important are you?
Step #3: Put some people in there. Like three. Maybe four, if you're feeling adventurous. But two is definitely not enough.
Step #4: Make them do stuff. And make them do it until the end of the story. Also, they should say things. And there should be bears.
Step #5: The story should have a moral. People loved being tricked into learning things they should already know like 'War is bad'. And 'Don't leave broken eggs in the refrigerator'.
Step #6: End it with a twist. No one likes to be able to predict the outcome. Killing off all the characters suddenly with a nuclear bomb or asteroid usually does the trick. Because, after all, your characters will have been doing stuff until the end. And that is what they should be doing.
Getting Down to Business
Wow, so I don't use this blog. At all. Mostly because my life is extremely boring and I have nothing to write about. Here is an attempt to change.
About using the blog. Sadly, I think my life will still be as boring.
But lately, I've really been wanting to get serious about writing something I could actually hope to publish some day. I was thinking if I took some time to document my progress and set some goals I could keep myself motivated and have something fun to look back on as projects get finished.
In theory.
So here we go.
Step #1. Every great story that has every been written started with one thing:
CUTE STATIONARY!
This is my idea book. It currently houses all story titles scheduled to be worked on and their summaries. It is also possibly upside down in this picture.
With preparation like this, how can I lose? They better just get a movie contract ready for me right now.
About using the blog. Sadly, I think my life will still be as boring.
But lately, I've really been wanting to get serious about writing something I could actually hope to publish some day. I was thinking if I took some time to document my progress and set some goals I could keep myself motivated and have something fun to look back on as projects get finished.
In theory.
So here we go.
Step #1. Every great story that has every been written started with one thing:
CUTE STATIONARY!
This is my idea book. It currently houses all story titles scheduled to be worked on and their summaries. It is also possibly upside down in this picture.
With preparation like this, how can I lose? They better just get a movie contract ready for me right now.
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