Making the Change

My original story was in the format of a diary. I now know that I can’t write a story in this way as it didn’t come naturally. I don’t care if this is not the format for me, I’m not going to make myself learn, it’s something I know I’m not comfortable doing so why stress myself trying to do it? I’m going back to good old regular narrative, but my MC will remain in the first person.

I had thirty one entries as a diary. I’ve listed these in a spread sheet and I now have roughly twenty one chapters. This too, may or may not change since I have new scenes to implement and a new climax to also figure out. Instead of the ‘aha’ moment I’ll have more of a ‘dun, nun, nun, nah’ scene.

In Microsoft Word I started a list of these chapters with a bullet point summary of each scene – a basic idea of what’s to happen. This will help me figure out where the new scenes need to go as well as keep tabs on where everything happens during the story. Then, when all my chapters are in place and eveything that’s to happen in them is sorted, I’ll go back to my last draft and start changing over the narrative and dialogue to reflect my new format. As I mentioned in a previous post, most of my story is already in a narrative style so hopefully this won’t take too long.

Once I’m happy with this latest draft I’ll enlist beta reader/s to go over and see how it flows from there.

Research, a Writer’s Foundations

Having The Secret Diary back from assessment, along with all its invaluable comments, it has become abundantly clear that it requires more research. I’m dealing with issues that happened decades ago so it comes with the territory that I need to find out certain aspects to make my story realistic. Something I took for granted but have otherwise found to not be a very good idea. I also need to do a lot more reading in the ways of today’s teenager.

I’m happy to leave out my indecision – the quirk – since it doesn’t appear to be required. That in itself is a good thing in that I don’t have to stress about putting in details after the fact. I do still need to do a complete rewrite as it’s not reading the way I intended. That’s ok too, because I had in fact been writing it – unknowingly, mind – the way I’m planning on changing it, so it won’t cause a great upheaval.

I’ve been researching a great deal for Devil’s Advocate and I’ve found that even the smallest detail – a single sentence – needs to be thoroughly investigated to maintain authenticity. This story is also dealing with past events and I don’t want the story to fall down simply because I failed to find out an actual fact. Thank heavens for the internet. Mind you, I will also be turning to books since not everything is available online, as I’ve frustratingly found out.

Devil’s Advocate

I have just seconds ago sent The Secret Diary to receive a much needed assessment. This will give it the guidance I require to see it through to final completion. It will also affect the direction that furture stories under this series takes. The word count for it stands at 46355, which is still a bit off the mark, but I’m happy nonetheless.

With The Secret Diary on its way I can now turn to the planning and writing of the next book, Devil’s Advocate. I’m quite excited about this one as it sees characters previously introduced coming into their own and there’s one I’m champing at the bit to write about. She’ll take a fair bit of research but I know it’ll be a fun and quite rewarding process.

So I’ll whip out my trusty exercise book – I’ve got a new green one – and start on the journey that will hopefully see another manuscript finished in the coming months. I’m going to start with an outline and make sure the story line is sound. I’ll then begin on my spreadsheet with the list of events. I might even spoil myself with a passage of writing or two.

Even though The Secret Diary is far from finished I feel confident to start the next one as it’ll be either complete rewrite or just a tidy up when it returns and I don’t want my keyboard to cool just yet.

The Prospect of Starting Over

I know this is a situation that has effected a lot of writers and authors as they’ve perfected their craft and worked on their stories, but it’s a situation I’m now facing and I have to say that even though I know I’ve got a long road a head of me, the disappointment only lasted the briefest of moments.

I started my original draft of The Secret Diary in November and tomorrow would see me three months and four drafts into the project. I suppose the obvious question is, am I comfortable with having spent all that time on something I have to start over? Well, in a word, yes. Without all that work I wouldn’t be here, in fact I’d probably still be fluffing about; not having a serious project to concentrate on.

I could, perhaps, blame my daughter, who at the humble age of ten, sparked an idea that would see my story change in its entirety and more than likely for the better. But then too, it was I who asked her the innocent enough question. As I’ve said in previous posts, I felt the need for a quirk in my story. Something different, obscure perhaps, but something to make it stand out from the crowd a little more.

And I think this new idea has the potential to do just that. Of course I gave my daughter a bit of a fright when I went all crazy with excitement over it, but her smile was a mile wide when she realised how happy she’d made Mummy.

So although the prospect of starting over is a little daunting, not everything I have so far will go to waste and I can get stuck into one of my favourites parts about writing – reading.

No. 3 Complete, on to No. 4

I finished up my third draft at the beginning of the week but I’m already into my fourth. I’d originally planned for only three drafts but I think that was a little naive. The story needs more work and if it takes another ten more drafts to get it right then so be it. Of course, I’m hoping it won’t take that many.

I’m also reconsidering my ‘quirk’. As I’ve gone through my story a little more thoroughly, added scenes and bits and pieces I’m having second thoughts about whether or not it’s really needed. The one thing that has me seriously going for it is my competition. The audience I’m targeting are into books of a more adult persuasion, or so it seems. I’m banking on an all important opinion that will either see the quirk implemented or not utilised at all.

I want this next draft to be in the final stages of polishing so I can get this baby finished and sent out to publishers.

Left of Field

I had a great conversation over the weekend with my oldest friend regarding my story. It was good to be able to bounce ideas off her as her opinion matters a great deal to me.

I’ve found my quirk and it’s more or less a supernatural one. I’ve decided to give my MC an ability that will make her stand out from the rest of the characters and hopefully appeal to my targeted audience. I know I wanted to deviate slightly to the left and this probably throws it out of the ball park but I think it’ll have that subtle darkness that teenagers seem intrigued by.

There’s a lot to do in that I’ve got a few more scenes to find locations for then write, as well as the rewrite to implement my MC’s quirk. I’ve also got a few subplots to interweave and make sure they don’t get tangled.

I’ll make a list of what needs doing and tackle each issue one by one. I don’t want to be put off my writing each time I consider what needs to be done. The last thing I need is to sit in front of the computer and achieve nothing because there’s too much to do.

The Search for a Quirk

It has been a long and frustrating time since I last posted. I’ve been in the throes of renovation – in particular my room. No, not the bedroom, but my very own room. Yes, I’m spoilt as I’m sure a lot of parents don’t have a space of their very own away from the kids and other half, so in that respect I’m extremely lucky. The room got a coat of paint, some new curtains and a new desk. Due to this extensive make over I was without my computer for at least a couple of weeks – it was the desk that took up the time. I made do with long hand but nothing can really compare to the speed and ease at which typing gives me.

I’ve got a few more bits and pieces to slot into the second draft of The Secret Diary but as I was mulling over it, it occurred to me that the story is a tad on the bland side. My MC has a normal family background. She’s the new kid on the block but she manages to confront her challenges like any other normal teenager – with smart alec sarcasm – but her life in general is nothing to really get very excited about. So I’m considering giving her a quirk. I’m not entirely sure what it will be, but I want her to deviate slightly to the left of norm.

I’ve read a lot of YA books where the MC is relatively normal but there’s that certain something that gives them a bit more spark. It’s the thing that makes you form that all important attachment as a reader, there’s something that sets them apart from the other characters and makes you want to find out what happens to them, and make sure they come out all right in the end. I have considered several options of what her quirk could be but I haven’t made a definite decision as I’m still unsure if it’s altogether needed. I think it is, but what if it isn’t? You see my conundrum.

I’ll continue to work on the second draft but hopefully I’ll sort out the question of the quirk as I write.

New Year, Same Story

I do hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and equally joyous New Year. It was nice to spend time with the family even though I ended up working on Boxing Day.

I kept up the writing and I’m nearly through the second draft. I’ve then got a few more passages to insert, a few more ideas to implement and I’ll tackle draft three.

I started my exercise book for Devil’s Advocate and already have a couple of pages of ideas and outline in that which is most encouraging.

The kids are off to Canberra tonight for two weeks and hubby goes back to work on Monday so I’ll have time to myself – in between actual work – to really get stuck in.

We’re also in the process of renovating one of the bathrooms, as well as my study. I hope to get it painted in the next week or so, so I can get it back to working order. My files are piled up everywhere and it’s very frustrating when I realise the one I want is the one at the very bottom.

But things are good and I’m happy with The Secret Diary’s progress.

My, How Time Flies…

I can hardly believe it’s been a month since I started my current project The Secret Diary. I feel as if I’ve accomplished so much in that time and am thrilled that I’m already deep within my second draft at this point.

My current word count is 31900 which I’m really pleased with. I’ve come up with a few more ideas that need implementing but I’ve simply made a note in my book and will slip them into draft three. I would really like to see the final draft finished before the end of the second month at which point I’ll source out my beta readers and get a bit of much needed feedback. And while that’s out and about I’ll start on the second book Devil’s Advocate of which I’ve started to collect a few bits and pieces. Mainly internet stuff – sites etc, but I’ve yet to get the all important exercise book.

So the red pen is flowing well, my little exercise book is fast beginning to fill up entirely and I’m very happy with where I am with the whole thing.

The Editing Phase

I love editing and I’m not afraid to say it. Some writers I know *winks at one in particular* absolutely dread it and have to force themselves to comply. I love it. I often get lost in it and will only come up for air when I realise a) I haven’t eaten or b) remember that I actually have kids that do need my attention every so often.

I’m working quite well through to the completion of draft two. This one quite possibly won’t be finished by year’s end, but I was satisfied that I was able to finish the first one.

My editing has morphed into a process of:

1. Printing each segment to be worked on
2. Going through with my trusty red pen
3. Making numerical footnotations – nothing like reading the fine print
4. Writing in full what the notation is ( all this goes into my little exercise book) – usually added narrative, dialogue etc.
5. Inputting all the new stuff onto the new version on the computer

My first draft had the suffix – ver 1.1. The next draft will have – ver 1.2. And so on. I still envisage three drafts, but the final one will be working on the nitty gritties – punctuation, spelling etc. I did the decimal point thing with my suffixes as I’m still working on a decent system to organise my writing. I figure if I start that way it won’t matter if it’s not needed but could be annoyingly confusing if I did and hadn’t. Got it?

So, I’m enjoying this stage of my writing The Secret Diary even more so than the first draft. I like working with a skeleton.