Jamie Todd Rubin's Blog, page 375

NaNoWriMo Day 14 (Part 1 complete!)

When I wrote my outline for Far Away Places, I had a rough I idea that the story would be told in three parts.  Since I was aiming for 90,000 words, I assumed that each part would represent a third of the novel, or about 30,000 words and I outlined accordingly.  This morning I finished Part 1 of the novel.  For the 14th day in a row, I not only exceeded the NaNoWriMo pace of 1667 words/day, I exceeded my own pace of 2000 words/day, finishing the session with 2318 words.  It brought my 14-day total to 34,780 words.  Considering I was aiming for about 30,000 words in Part 1, this is pretty darn good, I think.  I had originally outlined 15 chapters.  I ended up with 14 chapters because I consolidated two of the shorter chapters into a single one.  Part 1 ended on a positive note, which is what I was looking for, but the ending needs some work–and I've made some notes for when I return to it in the second draft.

Tomorrow, I'll begin Part 2.  This enters the long middle of the novel and it is here, as I understand it, that many would-be novelists get bogged down.  I am hoping to avoid this, but only time will tell.  If all goes well, I'll be wrapping up Part 2 in about 2 week from now, adding another 30,000 words to what I've already got.  Over the past few days, I've been fleshing out the outline for Part 2 making changes to my original based on things that have happened in Part 1 that I didn't plan for.  There were three main subplots in Part 1.  These will grew into 6 subplots in Part 2 and I hope this will keep things interesting for me as a writing and for any future reader.  The outline still requires some work and I hope to get to that later today.

I'm very pleased with my progress thus far.  I am more than 11,000 words ahead of NaNoWriMo pace–that's nearly a week ahead of schedule.  More importantly, I'm pleased with the writing overall.  The prose can be dramatically improved in the second draft, but the story is compelling, I think, and it is hanging together well through the first third of the novel.  I hope it will continue to do so through the daunting two-thirds that remain.

Here are the stats for today:

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NaNoWriMo 2010 Day 13

I was up at 6:30 this morning as opposed to 7, thanks to going to bed just after 8 last night and getting a full night's sleep.  I wrote chapter 13 this morning, which consisted of the first three scenes after the climactic Chapter 12.  I got in a total of 2,199 words (would have been nice to squeeze in one more I suppose) for a 13-day total of 32,462 words.

I think I'm more than 11,000 words above NaNoWriMo pace which is a comfortable feeling, but I also have yet to encounter a day where I can't exceed my own personal daily goal of 2000 words.  I'm sure that day is coming, but it's nice to know that at this point, I've more than made up for it.  At my current pace, I can cut down to just over 1000 words a day and still hit 50,000 words by November 30.  But of course, I'm aiming for 90,000 words by December 15 and I'm going to keep plugging away, and keep the pressure on my NaNo buddies.

Here are the stats for today:

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NaNoWriMo 2010 Day 12 (afternoon session)

I finished up Chapter 12 at lunch today, adding another 1500 words and bringing my daily total to 3,862 words, which is my best day so far this year.  The extra session brought me past the 30,000 word mark so that my 12-day total now stands at 30,076 words–an average of just over 2,500 words/day.

Chapter 12 really grew into a good climactic action sequence that shifts rapidly back and forth between two main viewpoints in what I think is a very entertaining way.  In second draft, I think it will be an even stronger chapter because the implications and what is at stake will have more meaning as I back-fill from notes I've taken along the way.  As it stands, there are 11 short scenes in the chapter that alternate viewpoints throughout an fairly complicated action sequence and that alone was fun to write.

And while I was completing the chapter an implication emerged that forms the basis of a major subplot for the second novel in the series (assuming the first one is successful, and my definition of successful = published).  When I originally outlined this, I did so in the context of a trilogy, with a detailed outline for the work in progress and a loose plot summary for a second and third follow on story, the overall story arc leading up to an event that is revealing in the third book.  Today, the catalyst for the second book emerged and it is wicked-cool (as I used to say when I lived in New England).

I'm feeling pretty good today with how things are going.  That's not to say that what I've written in perfect by any means.  A substantial amount of rewriting will be required, but I think I have a strong, complex story with strong, complex characters and the whole concept of a novel is starting to gel in my brain.

Here are the revised stats for today:

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NaNoWriMo 2010 Day 12 (morning session)

Whenever I hit a day where I don't do quite as good as the previous day, I feel like I've missed my mark, and perhaps this is one of the downsides of NaNoWriMo.  In focusing on quantity, a good days writing session, well above your target, still fells like a failure if you didn't do as good as the day before.  This morning, I jumped into Chapter 12 and managed to get through 2,317 words before I ran out of time–with the chapter unfinished.  2,317 words is 317 words above my daily target and some 650 words above the NaNo suggested target.  A very good day by any measure, and yet it was some 200 words short of yesterday.

Chapter 12 is the climactic chapter of Part 1 of the novel.  Two plots finally come together, told through two different view points, and in this chapter, I did something a little difference.  To pick up the pace, the chapter, as it presently stands, is broken into 8 scenes that shift back and forth between the two viewpoints in a kind of jump-cut fashion.  One viewpoint leaves off at a semi-cliffhanger, and the other picks up at that cliffhanger from a different viewpoint.  Fun to write, but it slowed me down a little, and in fact, I couldn't finish.  I ran out of time with about 2 scenes left to complete. It is for that reason that I titled this entry "morning session".  I'm thinking I'll come back to it at lunchtime today and finish it off.

Chapters 13 and 14 are on the downhill side, wrapping up the loose ends and emphasizing those threads and subplots that will play an important role in Parts 2 and 3 of the story line.  The threads that run through the story are the complicated part, and trying to keep the tension high makes it even more difficult.  To illustrate what I've been trying to do, without giving too much away, I've put together the following diagram which describes the narrative arc of Part 1 of the novel.  (Click on the image for a larger version.)

The thick, red line represents the narrative arc over the course of the 14 chapters in Part 1.  The higher the line goes, the more of an increase in tension until things come to a head in Chapter 12, which is what I was working on this morning.  The color coding of the chapter lines represent the major viewpoint character of the chapter and a dashed line represents multiple viewpoints.  Underneath the arch are three lines that roughly illustrate the narrative arch for the three major subplots that unfold in part 1 of the novel.  This is what I am trying to achieve–I think.  Whether or not I'm successful at it is something that I'll worry about in January when I begin the editing process.

If I do finish up Chapter 12 at lunch today, you can expect a second, "afternoon session" post later on today.

Here are today's stats:

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Veterans Day

Veterans Day in the metro DC area used to mean a day off (until our company changed its policy–now we're open) and now means a day free of traffic.  Even so close to the Pentagon, we can sometimes be isolated from the fact that people volunteer to serve and put themselves in harm's way.  I wanted to take a minute to thank all the people who have served, especially those people who I know personally.

The photo above was taken almost 67 years ago to the day, in November 1943.  My grandfather, Paul Friedlander, is 3rd from the right.  He and four of his brothers served during World War II.  Thanks also to my Dad, my brother, my father-in-law, my friend Rich (whose service in the Air Force is nearly up), my coworkers who've served and everyone who is serving today, especially those who find themselves in harm's way today.

Thank you for serving.

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NaNoWriMo 2010 Day 11

I passed the NaNo halfway mark this morning.  What began as another slow start ended in a mad race for me to wrap up a scene before 7am rolled around and before I knew it, I found I'd finished the day with 2,562 words.  It's my second best day so far and it brings my 11-day total to 26,215 words.  I've passed 25,000 words which marks the halfway point for NaNoWriMo.  And I've done so on November 11, 4 days ahead of schedule.  Indeed, I could now skip 4 days this month and still finish on schedule.  But, of course, I don't plan on skipping.  And besides, my own goal is to hit 90,000 words by December 15.  At my present pace, I'll hit 50,000 words in 10 days, on November 21.  Assuming I maintain my same average of about 2,300 words/day, I'll hit 90,000 words on December 8. That is an entire week ahead of schedule.  It may not work out quite that well.  I'll be in New York for a few days later this month and I may not be able to get in as much writing on those days.  And then there's Thanksgiving, and I may be forced to take a break there as well.  But my goal of 90,000 words by December 15 is still well in sight.

I wrote 2 scenes this morning.  The first needs a lot of work, but I did my usual and added plenty of notes and comments to the scene as to what needs work, rather than rewriting what I wrote this morning. The second scene was actually a drop-in chapter, inserted between the original chapter 10 and 11.  I wrote this scene in a completely different style.  The scene itself is a talk-show interview of a Senator opposing an issue that is central to the plot of the novel.  The Senator is on the talk show in order to clarify her point.  I had a ton of fun writing the scene, the banter between the Senator and the host, the political avoidance of the Senator's answers to questions, but most of all, making a compelling argument for the opposition, that sets up the tension for the second part of the novel (which I think I will get to on Sunday or Monday).

I went over my allotted time morning, which is why there was a delay in getting this post out.  (As soon as I finished writing, I dashed upstairs, gave Zach and Kelly kisses and hugs, jumped in the shower, dressed and rushed off to work.  Fortunately, Veterans Day in the metro-DC area means no traffic.)

And I've come within 400 words of my Arlington Writers Group colleague, Pam, who still has a small lead.  It might not stay that way for long, unless she comes through with another 3,000 word day today.

There was another post last night from another NaNo naysayer.  But there was also a post from Mary Robinette Kowal, the current Vice President of SFWA, talking about how her first published novel, Shades of Milk and Honey, was a NaNo novel.   I'm not sure I understand what the naysayers are so upset about. Do they feel threatened in some way? How does doing NaNoWriMo hurt them, or anyone for that matter?

Here are the stats for today:

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Books and babies

Note to Parental Units: this is NOT an announcement of a new grandchild.

In the world of friends and family, some of the best possible news you can receive is to discover said friend or family member is having a baby.  It brightens your day and makes you feel all good inside.

In the world of writers, some of the best possible news you can receive is to discover that said fellow writer is having a literary baby–a.k.a., they sold a book to a Major Publisher.  This evening I learned of just such a fellow writer–and she'd having triplets!–or as it is called in the Biz, a 3-book deal.  It brightened my evening and made me feel all good inside.

So congratulations, Fellow Writer (you know who you are).  I bet right now you wish you had a 9-month gestation period to get that second novel written.

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Fan first, writer second

I am getting the feeling that things are picking up for me as a writer.  I don't have any outright evidence for this outside of my recent sale to Analog, and the fact that I am now a full active member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.  But many small things are beginning to add up to a feeling that I just may be able to continue to sell stories (and maybe someday, novels) and that I am getting better with each attempt.  Some of the credit goes to persistence. Despite an onslaught of rejections, I continue to write, and continue to try and learn and improve my craft. Clearly this paid off with the story I sold to Analog, which incidentally, was the first time that a story of mine was accepted to the first market to which it was submitted. Some of the credit goes to some amount of native ability. Not much, mind you. I've always spoken of myself as a brute force writer, one who has to learn by repeatedly making mistakes and learning from them, one who keeps writing and writing until out of sheer dogged force and persistence, starts to sell stories.  But a lot of the credit goes to other people who stand in the wings, so-to-speak.

The professional science fiction world has embraced me in a way that I could never have dreamed possible. People who I've viewed as demigods have treated me as a professional and colleague. Some of these people have become good friends of mine. Michael A. Burstein was perhaps the first to do this. For those who don't know, Michael is a Campbell Award-winning science fiction writer whose work has appeared most frequently in Analog. Nearly everything he's written has been nominated for a Hugo or Nebula award, two of the more significant awards in our field, so much so that they fill his book, I Remember the Future.  (A book that you should buy and read if you want examples of how science fiction is done right.) I was a fan of Michael's work when we first met, and he encouraged me and gave me advice even before I made my first story sale. Since then, he's introduced me to more people in the science fiction world than anyone else, and I go to him frequently for advice in the field. Michael edited the special themed issue of Apex Magazine in which my story, "Hindsight, In Neon" appeared, and it was a very special thing for me to have a story in an issue that Michael edited.

Other's have embraced me as well. Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo and Nebula award-winning author (and the author of the novel Flash Forward on which the ABC series was based) treated me like a pro when I met him for the first time at RavenCon in 2007, inviting me to dinner with him and many other writers. It was an experience I will never forget. By example, he's taught me how to be a "professional" in this business and whether or not he knows it, I am grateful to him for that.

There are people like Edmund Schubert, editor of Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show, who worked patiently with me on the first story that I sold, and who since, has continued to work with me on stories I've submitted to him, providing me with excellent lessons on what make stories work.  There's fantasy writer David B. Coe, whose public posts and private words on the subject of writing a novel have encouraged me to give it a serious try.

Even further in the wings are people that I almost never mention by name.  I refer to my "first readers" from time-to-time, but they tend to be anonymous. They read and comment on my stories before anyone else sees them and do so out of the goodness of their heart and I trust and value their opinion on my fiction immensely. Their comments make my stories better. Michael has played this role for me, from time to time, but more often than not, the job falls to Sophy and Will, both of whom I met in James Gunn's science fiction workshop in the summer of 2008. Both are accomplished fellow writers (and Sophy is also an editor) who generously take time out of their schedules to read my stuff. Sophy is Z.S. Adani, whose first collection of short stories, The Last Outpost and Other Tales is coming out in early 2011.  Will is Willis Couvillier, fiction writer and poet and the man who brought me into the Young Gunn's in the first place.  That their feedback is helpful is indisputable. The both read "Take One for the Road," the story I recently sold to Analog, and it was probably their feedback that helped ensure a sale the first time out.

Barry N. Malzberg has been one of my favorite writers since I first read Beyond Apollo nearly 20 years ago. I first met him at Readercon in 2008, and it was once again Michael Burstein who made that introduction. We met again this past July at Readercon, and since then not a week has gone by when we have not discussed some aspect of the field in our email correspondence. Barry's influence has been tremendous on me. He, too, has graciously been giving me advice, reading stories, providing feedback, and encouraging me in my career as a writer. He seems to have high hopes for me and if my career were to end today, I will have called it a success because of that. I am fortunate beyond measure to know him.

Kelly has been patience incarnate through this writing mania of mine. She puts up with my creeping out of bed at 4:55am each morning to write. She reads my stories and provides critical feedback that always makes the story better. She keeps Zachary busy while I revise a manuscript or attend my weekly writers group. And she patiently listens to my blabbering about this and that in the writing world.

These ruminations come at a time when I am deeply ensconced in my third attempt at writing a novel. Earlier in the week, I completed a new short story which I sent off to my first readers.  The feedback on the story was very positive. I might be misleading myself here, but it was positive enough to lead me to think that with the suggestions they offer, I'll have no problem placing that story. And possibly the next one. And the next one. And the one after that. I think I am on the verge of beginning to sell more regularly, taking yet another step closer to that Platonic ideal of Real Writer.  In two weeks I'll be heading up to New York to attend the annual SFWA reception (where I'll have the chance to meet another demigod of mine, Joe Haldeman). While there, I'll also get a chance to meet some of my fellow Codexians in person, as well as have lunch with an editor.  All of these things combine to make me feel, just dimly, that at last I am on my way.

When I started out as a writer, long before I ever sold a story, I decided that despite my desire to be Science Fiction Writer, I would always be a fan first. I have this legend taped to the top my laptop screen, reminding me of this every time I sit in front of the computer: "Fan first, writer second." (Click the image below for a larger image.)

It serves as a reminder that the genre is bigger than me and always will be. It is a genre that I love and I feel extremely fortunate to be slowly accepted into the group of writers who've I've admired since I was a boy–and into the newer group of writers who are making waves today. No matter how far I go in this genre, I can't ever imagine myself going to a convention where I do not stand in lines, waiting for books to be autographed by writers whom I admire; or standing in awe next to luminaries of the genre, talking about who might win the Hugo or where things are going with eBook rights. These people tell good stories, they tell stories that fans like me love to read. I hope it will always be that way.

And maybe one day my stories will do that for someone else.

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NaNoWriMo 2010 Day 10

I thought I was going to be able to tear through the morning and hit 2,500+ words because I was excited about the scenes I was writing, but things moved more slowly than I expected and I ended up with 2,115 for the morning.  That is still good, of course, but I felt like I really had to work for it today.  Still, it brings my 10-day total to 23,652 words and I find myself in 2nd place on my list of NaNo buddies, ahead of everyone but Pam from the Arlington Writers Group.  Our friendly competition continues.

I wrote 4 scenes this morning each taking up a different view point, and that is what might have slowed me down.  I've moved into a phase where the pace is picking up and things are rapidly moving toward a kind of event horizon in the first part of the novel.  Having to shift between viewpoints as opposed to sticking with one is good for dramatic effect, but it's more difficult than I expected to do the mental shift.  I imagine this is because you are shifting from characters in very different emotional states and going from, say, a suicidal character to one who is nervously excited can be disconcerting.  Anyway, I press onward.

Tomorrow I should pass through the halfway mark, 25,000 words, and as I approach the end of Part I of the story, I need to spend some time over the next couple of days tweaking the outline for Part II to bring it in line with the way the story has evolved from the original plan (not too much, so far, thankfully, at least in any significant way).  I'm hoping to attack that in the evening.

Meanwhile, here are the stats for today:

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New book Tuesday

Sometime in the wee hours of the night last night, the magical book elves crept into my office and put an electronic copy of Stephen King's newest collection of novellas on my Kindle.  Full Dark, No Stars is another book I'm looking forward to.  As much as I enjoy King's novels (for the most part), I think he is a brilliant short fiction writer.  His collection Different Seasons was remarkable and I'm hoping that this one will be just as good.  My biggest problem is that I have no idea when I'll have time to read it.  There are at least 3 books in line in front of this one and with NaNoWriMo going on, and various critiques and other projects, it may have to wait until I'm on vacation in December.

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