Wow!

In my last post I lamented that November really didn't go so well on the writing front. I vowed December would be different. But so far it hasn't so much. A million excuses and most of them boiling down to doubt. When I get stuck on a project I have a bad habit of starting a new one. It leaves a graveyard of half finished (or less) novels that lately have taken to rising up and trying to eat my brains during writing time. Poor un-rhinestoned Glennis has been neglected so. I've been really doubting if I can actually write something that someone who isn't related to me or friends with me would like. Then something happened: http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/2009/12/in-which-i-vow-to-never-hold-another.html

Earlier this week Kiersten (her debut novel Paranormalcy is coming in Sept 2010 and sounds awesome) hosted a contest to give away books. Considering I am reading my way through the local library, my friends libraries, and my four overflowing bookshelves... you can NEVER have to many books. So I entered. I read my way through the honorable mentions and thought, wow there are so many good lines here. Then I scrolled down to the end... and I'd won.

I scared the cats, such was the depth and volume of my squee. Max is still hiding under the bed. Glennis is booted up, (still bemoaning the lack of glitery goodness), the husband has been informed (with a confused, "of course you are a good writer dear why were you doubting?" Therein lies why we love him) and I've spent ten whole minutes twirling about in a resting laurelish glee. Back to making words. And thanks Kiersten, you made my day!

Current progress

Project: Superhero YA novel
Starting Word Count: 31366
New Words: 1682
Present Total Word Count: 33048
Goal: 50000ish


Observations: I went with writing Maisie as male in this chapter and the character is coming out more. I've talked before about writing badly but plowing through to get the plot down on paper. Yeah this stuff is bad. But I can see how to fix it and the rewrite is going to be better... I hope.

Resolutions: Tomorrow I do want to get to chapter 20. This is the vital chapter. Everything is revealed here.... I have most of an outline on that. I think it will end up with some holes ala [insert clever line here] but if I can make everything tie together reasonably logically I will be happy. Even if the writing sucks. I can prosery after I'm done holding the live wires and trying to macrame with them thank you very much.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: I planted blackberry bushes, tore out bushes and gardened for 3 hours straight. I ache.

Reason for Stopping: Finished chapter 19.

Irony

Writing is happening, among other things including coming up with a marketing plan for a small business.
One thing that never fails to amaze me is the turns that a story can take. Massie's tale has taken a strange turn that seems to involve my main character being rewritten as male. So rewrites are happening, scenes are being corrected and progress is decidedly sideways.

And back again

I am happy to announce that I am now Mrs. D. M. Beucler and the wedding went off with only one hitch, and that was the intended one. I decided to keep my maiden name. There are a variety of reasons why but professionally all the writing I have submitted so far is credited under this name. I would hate to lose that shadow of credibility. Besides, this means I don't have to stand in line at the social security office or change my signature or monograms.

As things are beginning to get back to normal around cricket house expect more writing updates. There might be actual content! Shocking. In the mean time I am applying butt to chair and hoping to get through this chapter soon. Over halfway through draft 1.

An update...

I have not forgotten this blog exists. Right now I in a state of "Can't sleep wedding will eat me!" This mostly contains panic attacks because the wedding dress isn't done yet (EEEP!) and odd dreams about missing the wedding due to scrubbing out the downstairs bathroom. Blogging will commence sometime after 9/20. Once I can sleep a full night with out getting up to check if I really did get enough wedding favors for everyone. In the mean time I did come up with a title for Massie's tale. That ought to count as major writing progress... or not.

Writing through the weekend

I spent the weekend writing, which sounds quite virtuous until you realize that I should have spent the weekend unpacking boxes, cleaning up the chaos from the unpacking and getting the wedding stuff done. But I managed a thousand words a day, and 1700 yesterday. The word count is up and I can see the flaws but... I can also see a story.

As a motivating factor...background noise I can tune out helps and setting my screen saver to scream "GET BACK TO WRITING!!!!" in large red letters has also helped.

Tonight is my night for dance so I expect the word count will remain low but tomorrow 25K should be my next achievement. I can not wait.

Settling in

I moved into the house completely and I am trying to vary unpacking boxes with writing. There is some success thus far.

Today's odd writing tip is flashbacks. Flashbacks can be one of the most overused bits in writing. They can work, but they can also be a crutch. And I know why. They are easy to write. You aren't immediately in the scene and your hero of choice is retelling the choice bit of action. You know they made it out alive and the is more objectivity for the writer. They take you out of the "what happens next" head space and let you plot backwards.

For example our hero Mary has blown up a spaceship and by her reflecting back we can reason out how she did it and why with a lower pressure. It's already happened. Connecting the dots in reverse. When I get stuck with a piece of action that I can't figure out how to resolve I skip ahead and write a flashback. All of these flashbacks have ended up on the cutting room floor. Once I knew where the scene needed to go I wrote the ending and deleted the flashback.

Right now I am in middle of chapter 12 of a planned 23. Things are turning out a bit different then I planned and the outline is being modified on the fly to keep it on the track to the ending. Nothing major but things have come out in the writing that give a new spin to the ending. One of my favorite parts in writing is figuring out just how the story will end up going together.

If anyone is interested in the word counter I use it is located at Zokutou. Now back to boxes, wedding invitations, and word counts. The goal for today is to finish chapter 12.

And so it begins.

Hello and welcome to the pit of insanity, commonly referred to as the brain of D. M. Beucler. Mind the draco-kittens in the corner they bite, but don’t worry in here they don’t shed. I hope your journey here wasn’t too taxing. The labyrinth outside can be a bit convoluted. Oh yes, leave your swords over here please. You can pick them up on your way out.

Well ladies and gentleman, this where it happens. Why the writing of course. It’s a little bit dinged up and starting to show some silver but here is the head where her ideas come from. Yes D. M. Beucler is female. Her head and the rest of her reside in Ohio surrounded by cats, costumes, and enough novels to build a fort. When she is not currently writing about superheroes, sorcerers, spaceships, and swords (sometimes all at once) she is a LARPer, a Wench, costumer and musician.

Her goal in creating this space was to occasionally write about the process of her writing, hopefully not always in the third person. Over here you can find the pile of notes and pages of Massie’s story. It’s about half way done on the rough draft and watch out for the dust and cobwebs. It will need a very good cleaning before it’s fit to view.

Over here is Lily’s tale which is very sparse and delicate right now. Most of D. M.’s attention is take up with Massie at the moment. Well that is the tour. If you stick around D. M should be back in the next few days to comment with a less colorful version of her writing techniques, tips and trials. She currently scales more to the trials. In the mean time D. M. recommends some of the following links on the subject of writing to educate and amuse. Please do drop by again.

SFFWA The Science fiction and fansty writers of America.

Writer Beware This is a must read for anyone who is thinking of getting published.

Miss Snark This blog is complete but the archives are a trove of information about the nuts and bolts of publishing.