Attitude: Relaxed and optimistic
I finished Clyde ’s second
draft about two weeks ago, took a week to mull things over, and dove back into
Bonnie last Thursday or Friday. True to my word from May’s report, I didn’t let
myself go back to her until Clyde was out of
my hands.
So Clyde ’s with beta
readers (hi, Ben, Liesl, and Myrna!), and Bonnie’s coming along. And my streak of firsts continues. This is the first time I’ve ever worked on two projects
simultaneously, and it’s also the first time I’ve ever bounced around while
writing a first draft. I tend to write very linearly, from page one to page
whatever, without skipping a single scene, but I’m not doing that with Bonnie.
In fact, I’ve given up on numbering the chapters altogether, since I can’t tell
right now exactly where they’re going to fall.
I suppose it makes at least a little bit of sense, since
Bonnie isn’t a linear story, anyway. I’m telling the front story going forward
and the back story going backward from two similar events, interweaving related
scenes as I go along. But therein lies the problem. Right now, all of the ideas
my subconscious is spinning out are related to the front story, so I’m running
with those. Surprisingly, this jumping-around isn’t driving me crazy. I’m (mostly)
going with the flow and letting things happen as they will--which, if you know
anything about me, runs directly counter to my usual MO:)
I don’t know how long this carefree productivity will last,
but I’m definitely enjoying it while it’s here. If this keeps up, I may have to
move the family to Hawaii
What about you? How are your projects coming along, and how
do you feel about them at the moment?
14 comments:
I really enjoy reading your posts about your projects. I can't wait until you share more about Bonnie and Clyde. As for me, I'm doing NaNo this month. I'm a NaNo rebel.
I'm really liking my WIP. I'm about 5,000 words in, and I hope to be at 10,000 by Sunday.
Happy writing, Krista. :D
What a lovely comment, Tracey. Thank you so much. And way to be a NaNo rebel:) Sounds like you're flying!
I wrote DUET out of order. I started with all of the trips into the music and then went back and filled in the character arc. I love using Scrivener for that reason. I can move things around easily and jump into another scene if I think of something I want to add.
I just started a new WIP yesterday. I'm using a NaNo approach as well, giving myself targets so I can get a first draft out. That's the hardest part for me. I love revising and could do that forever.
Let me know if you ever want another beta reader. I'd be happy to do it!
I'm definitely a linear writer, though I can drop a sentence or paragraph describing what needs to go somewhere instead of writing the whole scene. But I can see a lot of benefits to jumping around, especially if your story does.
And working on two things at a time- awesome! I think that's really great. I need to get started on another project, but can't bring myself to start until I finish the one I'm working. The thing is, I'm waiting for feedback, so really, I should just move on. Can't seem to bring myself to though. I think that's awesome you're managing it.
I'm so glad you're in a such a happy writing place! Yay!
You're writing like I do. :o)
I'm not sure if the story I'm working on today is a picture book or a magazine story, but I like it. I'm working on short stuff (like a query for TBW) this month, and critiquing, and I'll participate in WriteOnCon in a couple of weeks.
So, what reward are you collecting?
Pretty much without fail, all of my very best scenes have been written out of order. Sometimes I'll have whole folders on my computer filled with individual scenes that I have to piece together. I've started using outlining software, so maybe that'll help me keep track...
Michelle, I far prefer revising, too, although I used to prefer first-drafting. Now I just want to get that first draft out so I can move on to the main event:) And thanks for offering to read. I just might take you up on that...
Janealfalor, as I said, this is the first time I've ever written something new while waiting to hear back from betas, so don't think too well of me:) And it sounds like you and I write first drafts in a similar way. Mine are always riddled with square brackets and blank spaces...
Me, too, Jeni! I far prefer relaxed and optimistic to uptight and down-in-the-dumps:)
I know, Myrna! It's like I'm morphing into you, slowly but surely:) And I told myself a few months back that I couldn't work on Bonnie until I got Clyde to you and Ben and Liesl, so that's the reward that I'm collecting.
Nice, T.L.! Have you ever used Scrivener? I hear it's great for things like that...
Loved the post, Krista.
I'm currently juggling two WIPs. It is driving me crazy having two completely different storylines bouncing around in my head - especially since they are polar opposites (YA Fantasy & YA Contemporary Thriller).
Right now the thriller is getting all the attention but it's back to the fantasy soon!
Good luck with the writing!
I'm still trying to touch up the last details of my mss/letters before sending it off to agents. These have been the most difficult days, but are very important. Keep up the good work with Bonnie and Clyde!
Jennifer
My current WIP is out to beta readers. But I'm excited to get back into it because one has already sent back comments. And I want to get started, but there's other things going on I need to finish first.
I just recently finished a full edit my ms. My beta reader is reading and providing comments chapter by chapter. She's so great! I love her input but it always sets me off in a new direction. I just want a completed ms so I can begin the long process of finding an agent....
Amy, those projects do sound very different, but that only keeps us on our toes, right? :) Bonnie's a YA contemporary and Clyde's an MG one, which would seem kind of similar on the surface except for the fact that the voices are so different. It's been kind of tricky bouncing back and forth between the two (which is one of the main reasons I haven't let myself do too much bouncing).
Jennifer, it's so hard to nail that query down. Have you tried posting it on a forum like QueryTracker or Absolute Write to get some feedback?
That's where I'm at, too, Suzi! Liesl got her notes back to me really fast, but I suspect it's because she's playing the waiting game right now...
Kathy, I know exactly what you mean. I'm always so impatient to finish whatever it is I'm working on because I just want to get it out there, get it out there! Good luck with those revisions.
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