Speeding Along: http://t.co/dSSPOVyckF

Plotting Fun: http://t.co/dSSPOVyckF

Looking Good: http://t.co/dSSPOVyckF

Oh Dear: http://t.co/T0yJF9Ch

Been too long: http://t.co/T0yJF9Ch

Slight Change Of Plan: http://t.co/T0yJF9Ch

This Weekend: http://t.co/T0yJF9Ch

What A Difference: http://t.co/T0yJF9Ch

Speeding Along

04-05-2013

I've somehow managed a good run of writing in the last few weeks. Since the last post I actually have written six complete chapters for the follow-up to The Fairy Detective.

Six!

Even at my normal typing speed that is impressive to me. If I manage to keep up a similar pace I should have the second or third draft finished within the year. Which would be awesome.

Once again I owe most of this increased productivity to the fact that I get a bus into and home from work each day. That's an hour and twenty minutes were you have nothing to do but write. If I ever have to get a job that requires me to do driving I figure I will see this level of writing plummet.

Of course I am not saying that these six chapters are perfect by any means. The lady friend has read them and given me back some notes. Notes around jokes that don't work, lines that could probably be tweaked a little, even ones around scenes that just do not make sense.

All good stuff. It has not been all bad though. Some of the ideas in the story she has really liked, along with how the overall plot is going.

But the first draft is always going to be like that. You just need to hammer out the majority of it. No point trying write a novel perfectly in one draft. Down that path madness lies.

-Derek

Plotting Fun

16-03-2013

I think I enjoy the plotting stage of writing a novel the most.

Sure the actual writing is enjoyable in itself. Plus there is nothing more satisfying than typing that last word on the first draft and realising that you've just written a book. That the last few weeks and months have produced something that, while not necessarily tangible until you print it, is still impressive.

But the plotting has to be the most fun. It is the most raw stage of the entire writing process. You are not confided to follow the guidelines of the plot. You don't need to worry about missing out on character development. You can just let the ideas pour out onto the page without caring about anything. They can be good, bad, mediocre. It doesn't matter.

Right now I am plotting the follow-up to Filthy Henry. I have fifteen chapters plotted out and they are raw as raw can get and it is great.

I may very well go over the outline and polish it before starting the first chapter, I may not. Who cares though, right? At the end of the day plotting has to be fun, because it is the only point during the writing process that you can try out every and any stupid dumb idea without worrying about how it turns out.

Ah, with five chapters left to plot (give or take, could be more or less right ) I might just throw in poker playing dragons just for fun.

Doubtful they will make it into the final draft but they might.

-Derek