The week end is a good time to refocus, consolidate ideas, and finish up loose ends from the previous week. I didn't get through the first three chapters of An Empty Place, so I hope to finish up the 3rd draft of Chapter Three - Alchemy and Alarms before Monday.
Other than that, what comes, comes.
1/30/10
1/29/10
1/28/10
Tryst - new novel idea
Occasionally I'll post my new fiction ideas (or old, since I just started this blog).
Five or six years ago when I lived on Farwell and we were still in school, I wrote a short screenplay for a film I wanted to direct called "Tryst". I started to adapt the screenplay into a short story a year ago, but I'm thinking it would work better as a novel.
It's about a couple who visit the woman's aunt and uncle at their summer cabin in the north woods. Over the course of the vacation (my working title was "Vacation" but it sounded too much like a Chevy Chase movie) Melanie is seduced by her aunt and uncle, and Mark, who is left in the cold, grows increasingly jealous. Mark has powerful connections back in the city, and he's willing to use them to regain the upper hand in his marriage. Things end violently.
Some aspect of this story will be the difference between the surreal moments of seduction that Melanie experiences, Mark's paranoid fantasies, the idyllic lake cabin, and the weird, almost animal behavior of the aunt and uncle . I'm thinking of approaching the story in a similar way to how I wrote All Shapes . . ., with alternating 3rd person p.o.v.'s between Mel and Mark, though I'd probably want to stay more firmly in dramatic voice.
Fun note: pretty much everything I've written in a contemporary or historical setting has been set in the north woods.
Five or six years ago when I lived on Farwell and we were still in school, I wrote a short screenplay for a film I wanted to direct called "Tryst". I started to adapt the screenplay into a short story a year ago, but I'm thinking it would work better as a novel.
It's about a couple who visit the woman's aunt and uncle at their summer cabin in the north woods. Over the course of the vacation (my working title was "Vacation" but it sounded too much like a Chevy Chase movie) Melanie is seduced by her aunt and uncle, and Mark, who is left in the cold, grows increasingly jealous. Mark has powerful connections back in the city, and he's willing to use them to regain the upper hand in his marriage. Things end violently.
Some aspect of this story will be the difference between the surreal moments of seduction that Melanie experiences, Mark's paranoid fantasies, the idyllic lake cabin, and the weird, almost animal behavior of the aunt and uncle . I'm thinking of approaching the story in a similar way to how I wrote All Shapes . . ., with alternating 3rd person p.o.v.'s between Mel and Mark, though I'd probably want to stay more firmly in dramatic voice.
Fun note: pretty much everything I've written in a contemporary or historical setting has been set in the north woods.
I watched Lorna's Silence by the Dardenne brothers. I highly recommend all of their films that I've seen. I'm much less sick today, though still congested and woozy from the cold medicine.
"I would only make a film if it was in french. And I don't speak french."
Progress report:
1000 words in A Moment in the Storm, Chapter Nine - Sons of the Statum
completed editing An Empty Place, Chapter Two - Evocation of the Protector, and scene 1 of Chapter Three - Alchemy and Alarms.
"I would only make a film if it was in french. And I don't speak french."
Progress report:
1000 words in A Moment in the Storm, Chapter Nine - Sons of the Statum
completed editing An Empty Place, Chapter Two - Evocation of the Protector, and scene 1 of Chapter Three - Alchemy and Alarms.
1/27/10
My head is a heavy ball filled with crystal fluid. I will be updating my goals in the middle of the week (Wednesday or Thursday morning) to reflect the progress I've made and my expectations for the rest of the week. Because I've been sick and my focus poor, I'm scaling back.
Adjusted goals:
finish Chapter Nine - Sons of the Statum in A Moment in the Storm
complete editing through Chapter Three - Alchemy and Alarms in An Empty Place
continue developing outline for My Sleep Debt.
At this point it looks like my goal of a February 15th start date for My Sleep Debt is still possible. I'd also like to be finished with the 3rd draft of An Empty Place, and I'll probably be done with Part II of AMitS. Though this break between new ms is only going to be five weeks, it feels like much longer. I'm hesitant to adjust that period oto much (I already bumped up the start date for MSD by two weeks out of growing impatience), as I worry a shorter gestation period will lead to inadequate ideas and poor execution.
Adjusted goals:
finish Chapter Nine - Sons of the Statum in A Moment in the Storm
complete editing through Chapter Three - Alchemy and Alarms in An Empty Place
continue developing outline for My Sleep Debt.
At this point it looks like my goal of a February 15th start date for My Sleep Debt is still possible. I'd also like to be finished with the 3rd draft of An Empty Place, and I'll probably be done with Part II of AMitS. Though this break between new ms is only going to be five weeks, it feels like much longer. I'm hesitant to adjust that period oto much (I already bumped up the start date for MSD by two weeks out of growing impatience), as I worry a shorter gestation period will lead to inadequate ideas and poor execution.
1/26/10
Sickness deepens. Finding it very difficult to concentrate on any new material, though I've made some progress editing. E-'s making thai noodles tonight.
Progress report:
Completed editing An Empty Place, scene 1 of Chapter Two - Evocation of the Protector
200 words in A Moment in the Storm, Chapter Nine - Sons of the Statum
Progress report:
Completed editing An Empty Place, scene 1 of Chapter Two - Evocation of the Protector
200 words in A Moment in the Storm, Chapter Nine - Sons of the Statum
1/25/10
This week's goals
I'm not writing a new ms (manuscript) currently, except for leisurely completing Part II of A Moment in the Storm prior to February 15th. That's six chapters at about 4,000 words a chapter, or 24,000 words. Since it will be five weeks worth of writing total, that's only an average of 685 words a day, well below my targets when seriously focusing on a new ms (though I rarely set wc goals for the week end).
As of today, January 25th, I've completed the first two chapters of Part II (Chapter Seven - Stories and Ceremonies, Chapter Eight - A Very Quiet Man). The goal for this week is to complete Chapters Nine - Sons of the Statum, and finish the majority of Chapter Ten - To Love Is To Fear.
However, the primary goal for this week is to get knee deep in editing the 3rd draft of my first full length novel, An Empty Place. Editing it now, I definitely feel that it is extremely close to submission quality. I'll set the goal of completing the first three chapters. Another minor goal includes continuing the final outline for My Sleep Debt.
As of today, January 25th, I've completed the first two chapters of Part II (Chapter Seven - Stories and Ceremonies, Chapter Eight - A Very Quiet Man). The goal for this week is to complete Chapters Nine - Sons of the Statum, and finish the majority of Chapter Ten - To Love Is To Fear.
However, the primary goal for this week is to get knee deep in editing the 3rd draft of my first full length novel, An Empty Place. Editing it now, I definitely feel that it is extremely close to submission quality. I'll set the goal of completing the first three chapters. Another minor goal includes continuing the final outline for My Sleep Debt.
Wrap up
I watched Conan's last Tonight Show and balled my fucking eyes out throughout the a) entirety of the clip that summarized his time on nbc and b) Neil fucking Young's "Long May You Run". I also received a sickness from someone . . .
Progress report:
edited first scene in An Empty Place, Chapter One - Night Life, 3rd draft. began revising outline for the second novel in the Romances, Devil in the Quick.
Later today look for a post on goals for the week, and a progress report tonight.
Progress report:
edited first scene in An Empty Place, Chapter One - Night Life, 3rd draft. began revising outline for the second novel in the Romances, Devil in the Quick.
Later today look for a post on goals for the week, and a progress report tonight.
1/23/10
Week end projects . . .
Every week end I summarize the projects I plan to work on. On Sunday I'll review my progress.
Beginning 3rd draft of An Empty Place for submission. Working from line edit by E-. Also moving forward with a final outline for My Sleep Debt, transcribing hand-written notes to word processor. May piddle around with the outlines for the latter books in the Romances.
Currently writing:
A Moment in the Storm, Chapter Nine - Sons of the Statum
A Man Averted His Eyes, short story
An Empty Place, 3rd draft
Beginning 3rd draft of An Empty Place for submission. Working from line edit by E-. Also moving forward with a final outline for My Sleep Debt, transcribing hand-written notes to word processor. May piddle around with the outlines for the latter books in the Romances.
Currently writing:
A Moment in the Storm, Chapter Nine - Sons of the Statum
A Man Averted His Eyes, short story
An Empty Place, 3rd draft
1/22/10
Upcoming novels . . .
My Sleep Debt - urban fantasy. the first novel in the 'Sleeper' series. 25 chapters at ~80,000 words. tentative start date of February 15th, 2010
A Stray Light From Tomorrow - sf thriller. 32 to 38 chapters at ~80-90,000 words. tentative start date of July 1st, 2010
"This Living Hand" (w/t) - sf. 16 chapters at ~80,000 words. tentative start date of January 1st, 2011.
A Stray Light From Tomorrow - sf thriller. 32 to 38 chapters at ~80-90,000 words. tentative start date of July 1st, 2010
"This Living Hand" (w/t) - sf. 16 chapters at ~80,000 words. tentative start date of January 1st, 2011.
Novels in progress . . .
The Antilotian Romances, Book I: A Moment In The Storm - fantasy, in progress at 32,800 of ~176,000. tentative end date of December 31st, 2010.
All Shapes . . . - horror, complete at 78,750. 1st draft.
Still Tower At Twilight - horror, complete at 136,899. 1st draft.
An Empty Place - dystopian fantasy, complete at 72,500 words. 2nd draft out to readers. Sub pack, 3rd draft in progress. tentative sub start date of March 1st, 2010.
A Secret Path - lit fic, complete at 35,883. 2nd draft trunked.
All Shapes . . . - horror, complete at 78,750. 1st draft.
Still Tower At Twilight - horror, complete at 136,899. 1st draft.
An Empty Place - dystopian fantasy, complete at 72,500 words. 2nd draft out to readers. Sub pack, 3rd draft in progress. tentative sub start date of March 1st, 2010.
A Secret Path - lit fic, complete at 35,883. 2nd draft trunked.
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