Angela Verdenius's Blog - Posts Tagged "progress"
Blue - you're killing me!
So Blue's story is killing me. I really thought his would be an easy write. Right? Wrong! When will I ever LEARN?!
*banging forehead on keyboard*
I had the prologue and first chapter done but was having so many problems. I didn't like the stories, the characters were wooden, no one was speaking to me (except Blue, who kept telling me to get a freakin' move on!). I was a mess, looking at the time that has passed with me wrestling him (and if you saw his cover, which I have stuck up on my desktop hutch, you'd know that's not a bad thing!), but wrestling the story and knowing it was...just...well let's be honest - crap!
So last night as I'm gloomily typing away and knowing it wasn't going anywhere, I leaned back and looked at it, and said "That's it. This is ending right now." and I put the whole bit into a special file (labelled 'Tries' but really meaning 'Failure'), and I started again - still with Blue, but a new heroine and a new story-line.
Can I just say that it is now going well? Yes, it has put me behind a lot in regards to my personal deadline, but I honestly cannot work on a book that has no heart. So this new story-line is working so much better, and I'm feeling the characters.
So right now, I'm going to stop here and do a couple of hours on Blue's book before I have to go to work. But at least the story is now flowing!
And if Blue decides to give me more problems later, I have the DELETE key! Just sayin', Blue, just sayin'...
*banging forehead on keyboard*
I had the prologue and first chapter done but was having so many problems. I didn't like the stories, the characters were wooden, no one was speaking to me (except Blue, who kept telling me to get a freakin' move on!). I was a mess, looking at the time that has passed with me wrestling him (and if you saw his cover, which I have stuck up on my desktop hutch, you'd know that's not a bad thing!), but wrestling the story and knowing it was...just...well let's be honest - crap!
So last night as I'm gloomily typing away and knowing it wasn't going anywhere, I leaned back and looked at it, and said "That's it. This is ending right now." and I put the whole bit into a special file (labelled 'Tries' but really meaning 'Failure'), and I started again - still with Blue, but a new heroine and a new story-line.
Can I just say that it is now going well? Yes, it has put me behind a lot in regards to my personal deadline, but I honestly cannot work on a book that has no heart. So this new story-line is working so much better, and I'm feeling the characters.
So right now, I'm going to stop here and do a couple of hours on Blue's book before I have to go to work. But at least the story is now flowing!
And if Blue decides to give me more problems later, I have the DELETE key! Just sayin', Blue, just sayin'...
New Book Progress
So, as usual, I was having a lot of trouble with the first chapter. It's always hard introducing new characters without rushing everything and trying to explain their different personalities in long explanations. Setting the scene, etc.
So I wrote and re-wrote and cursed a little (okay, a lot, because I do, let's be honest), and then I wrote five more pages and lost the lot (I thought) and cursed heaps because I had no idea why my manuscript hadn't saved those last 5 pages and I panicked then chucked a wobbly (yes, I admit it, I act like a 2 yr old at times), and stormed off to bed to read instead. Yesterday I got up and lo and behold, my 5 pages I'd lost had magically reappeared! Then I realized (much to my embarrassment) that the five pages had always been there but what I'd been looking at was an earlier piece I'd cut and pasted at the bottom of the working manuscript to check out later and maybe add...
Oh dear.
Never mind. The creative juices are flowing again, and I needed that break because I've re-written the scene and am happy with it! So much so the hero and I aren't fighting and I like him much better ;-)
Onward I go!
So I wrote and re-wrote and cursed a little (okay, a lot, because I do, let's be honest), and then I wrote five more pages and lost the lot (I thought) and cursed heaps because I had no idea why my manuscript hadn't saved those last 5 pages and I panicked then chucked a wobbly (yes, I admit it, I act like a 2 yr old at times), and stormed off to bed to read instead. Yesterday I got up and lo and behold, my 5 pages I'd lost had magically reappeared! Then I realized (much to my embarrassment) that the five pages had always been there but what I'd been looking at was an earlier piece I'd cut and pasted at the bottom of the working manuscript to check out later and maybe add...
Oh dear.
Never mind. The creative juices are flowing again, and I needed that break because I've re-written the scene and am happy with it! So much so the hero and I aren't fighting and I like him much better ;-)
Onward I go!
Current Book Writing Progress Report
Hey-ho all! Thought I better bob back up from the swirling waters of life/work/cats/bills to give you all an update on the WIP.
Okay, the book is going well so far. I've not killed anyone off, even though one in particular SO deserves it! (And you know who you are *stares hard at hero*). They have all survived.
Even better, I'm nearing the middle of it. Yes, the middle! I'm so excited (and relieved...definitely relieved) that I want to flop onto the sofa but alas, that flopping is not to be. Not yet. I'm saving that for when I type 'The End'. Not that I do type 'The End', but - okay, I know you've never seen 'The End' actually written on the end of my books, but believe me, it's a little thing I do to thrill myself when I write that very last word. I type 'The End', stare at it for several seconds, have a drinky-poo (of soft drink, 'cause I'm a teetotaller), then I stare at it some more, grinning delightedly the whole time, and then delete the two words.
What can I say? It's like my little reward for finishing the book! Then, of course, starts the revision, checking for spelling mistakes and plot holes, etc, but NOTHING beats the thrill of typing 'The End' just for my own personal pleasure!
However, I'm not yet at that point, but every page I do is a page closer .
So saying, back to the keyboard - got the day off work, lovely weather outside, music playing, no sick cats - life right now is great!
Okay, the book is going well so far. I've not killed anyone off, even though one in particular SO deserves it! (And you know who you are *stares hard at hero*). They have all survived.
Even better, I'm nearing the middle of it. Yes, the middle! I'm so excited (and relieved...definitely relieved) that I want to flop onto the sofa but alas, that flopping is not to be. Not yet. I'm saving that for when I type 'The End'. Not that I do type 'The End', but - okay, I know you've never seen 'The End' actually written on the end of my books, but believe me, it's a little thing I do to thrill myself when I write that very last word. I type 'The End', stare at it for several seconds, have a drinky-poo (of soft drink, 'cause I'm a teetotaller), then I stare at it some more, grinning delightedly the whole time, and then delete the two words.
What can I say? It's like my little reward for finishing the book! Then, of course, starts the revision, checking for spelling mistakes and plot holes, etc, but NOTHING beats the thrill of typing 'The End' just for my own personal pleasure!
However, I'm not yet at that point, but every page I do is a page closer .
So saying, back to the keyboard - got the day off work, lovely weather outside, music playing, no sick cats - life right now is great!
