OK. I have written more, now up to an estimated 19.9%, at just under 12,000 words written. Agents seem to want around 20,000 to look at, but we need to get moving - plus, if I can get an advance from a publisher that would help production of the book considerably. And, agents all claim to be really choosy, going by the web sites I have seen - but then, if most applicants are rubbish, they would claim that, wouldn't they? Here we have a decent product and commercial prospect for them.
I doubt that I can write the book any faster, but I could do with an income... this year (and thereafter)! :-)
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
Another new scene?
Well, I am up to 11,000 words. The question is, do I need to create another new scene? I don't know. And, having done over 18% of my estimated total, all of a sudden the rest looks daunting! Sigh. At least it is Friday. I can spend the next couple of days considering the next scene. Back to the script, or is there something else that could be said?
Thursday, February 15, 2007
17.2% and Counting
Well, even though I haven't written anything for the last few days (I have been planning and... er... procrastinating (a little)), today, the plans having been made, I wrote a whole load and have now done 17.2% of my estimated 60,000 words.
We shall see what tomorrow brings. I still have to complete this planned scene. I am not sure what will follow. The current scene is one that doesn't appear in the current version of the script and I have not decided whether I need to add another, or maybe even more, at this point. Such extras are tougher to plan than the normal ones of course since the script has been worked on for years already, whereas my extra bits are completely new. But in the book I can include extra detail and characterization that there isn't necessarily time for in a movie.
We shall see what tomorrow brings. I still have to complete this planned scene. I am not sure what will follow. The current scene is one that doesn't appear in the current version of the script and I have not decided whether I need to add another, or maybe even more, at this point. Such extras are tougher to plan than the normal ones of course since the script has been worked on for years already, whereas my extra bits are completely new. But in the book I can include extra detail and characterization that there isn't necessarily time for in a movie.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Another Scene Bites The Dust
Well, I didn't procrastinate again... or whatever it was. I wrote another thousand words or so and completed another scene. So it was worth the wait.
The next scene or two, I have decided, are going to be added onto this scene, continuing it for a while longer though. I have not written anything for the last two days since then though. I have been... er, procrastinating I suppose, or 'resting' anyway, and also reading some of the philosophers that Katherine would have known about - Marcus Aurelius and Seneca in particular. Socrates I already know about.
The next scene or two, I have decided, are going to be added onto this scene, continuing it for a while longer though. I have not written anything for the last two days since then though. I have been... er, procrastinating I suppose, or 'resting' anyway, and also reading some of the philosophers that Katherine would have known about - Marcus Aurelius and Seneca in particular. Socrates I already know about.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Procrastination?
Well... no writing so far. It is not that I have not felt like writing: instead, it is that I have felt like not writing. Is that the same thing? Normally, not feeling like writing I see as a non-feeling, so I just sit down and write. Today, I positively did not want to write. So, I suppose it is different.
However, maybe it is not so simple. I am aware - or I believe - that sometimes things need to be left alone for a time to allow the subconscious mind to do a bit of long-term processing on the data, separate from the conscious mind. Well, maybe that is it.
However... I notice a feeling too. A slightly daunted feeling. Now that feeling has 'procrastination' written all over it.
You see, I have planned out the next scene, playing the people's actions and the main protagonist's thoughts out in my head like I'm there, but instead of wanting to write it out quickly like last time to see it working, this time there's a feeling of, "let's not bother," or "it seems like so much to do," or something along these lines: I already know it will work. So now the idea is that since I know how it goes, why go to all the effort of writing it? These ideas look to me like my verbal mind playing tricks on me. The old inner demon working against me instead of for me, as per Don Miguel Ruiz's book, The Voice Of Knowledge.
Old habits die hard, don't they? :-)
OK, I will allow it to pass today. But two days in a row would definitely be procrastination, and that is not going to happen. The inner voice will need to find another excuse for tomorrow. I know from experience that that feeling - being rather daunted, tired, not wanting to bother - has been behind much procrastination in the past; but I am more alert to it these days.
The answer? Don't think. Sit down and write.
However, today I will rest. I will procrastinate a little. All things have their place. A little leeway, a little sympathy with myself, a gentle pat on the head and a rest can go further than forcing myself against those impulses too strongly. To push too hard would be to invite a counter-reaction. I must enjoy what I am doing. Force is the opposite of that. So I will give myself a break today.
However, maybe it is not so simple. I am aware - or I believe - that sometimes things need to be left alone for a time to allow the subconscious mind to do a bit of long-term processing on the data, separate from the conscious mind. Well, maybe that is it.
However... I notice a feeling too. A slightly daunted feeling. Now that feeling has 'procrastination' written all over it.
You see, I have planned out the next scene, playing the people's actions and the main protagonist's thoughts out in my head like I'm there, but instead of wanting to write it out quickly like last time to see it working, this time there's a feeling of, "let's not bother," or "it seems like so much to do," or something along these lines: I already know it will work. So now the idea is that since I know how it goes, why go to all the effort of writing it? These ideas look to me like my verbal mind playing tricks on me. The old inner demon working against me instead of for me, as per Don Miguel Ruiz's book, The Voice Of Knowledge.
Old habits die hard, don't they? :-)
OK, I will allow it to pass today. But two days in a row would definitely be procrastination, and that is not going to happen. The inner voice will need to find another excuse for tomorrow. I know from experience that that feeling - being rather daunted, tired, not wanting to bother - has been behind much procrastination in the past; but I am more alert to it these days.
The answer? Don't think. Sit down and write.
However, today I will rest. I will procrastinate a little. All things have their place. A little leeway, a little sympathy with myself, a gentle pat on the head and a rest can go further than forcing myself against those impulses too strongly. To push too hard would be to invite a counter-reaction. I must enjoy what I am doing. Force is the opposite of that. So I will give myself a break today.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Planning
I think the reason I was able to write the last scene so quickly was because I had planned it out in my head beforehand.
Normally, I just sit down and begin writing, but I find that it can be slow going because I get stuck at various points where things don't work out so well. But with that scene, I had gone over it many times in my imagination, running the scene many times like a movie and imagining the action and the dialogue, and even the thoughts. In that way, I had ironed out many of the wrinkles before I started - things like, who was to be the main protagonist (whose point of view would it be told from), what things were worth showing and what could be skipped, and so on.
So... I have been doing the same thing with the next scene. I only wrote a few words today. I have spent a lot of time, on and off during the day, imagining the scene and the things that are to be said and done. And whose point of view is to be primary. One point of view does help things to hang together, I think. In terms of the action, much of it stays the same, but the one point of view allows me to explore the thoughts and the character of this individual. As well as describing the action, the scene suddenly becomes a scene about that character. The reader learns more about this person than they would otherwise.
Normally, I just sit down and begin writing, but I find that it can be slow going because I get stuck at various points where things don't work out so well. But with that scene, I had gone over it many times in my imagination, running the scene many times like a movie and imagining the action and the dialogue, and even the thoughts. In that way, I had ironed out many of the wrinkles before I started - things like, who was to be the main protagonist (whose point of view would it be told from), what things were worth showing and what could be skipped, and so on.
So... I have been doing the same thing with the next scene. I only wrote a few words today. I have spent a lot of time, on and off during the day, imagining the scene and the things that are to be said and done. And whose point of view is to be primary. One point of view does help things to hang together, I think. In terms of the action, much of it stays the same, but the one point of view allows me to explore the thoughts and the character of this individual. As well as describing the action, the scene suddenly becomes a scene about that character. The reader learns more about this person than they would otherwise.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Katherine of Alexandria
Well, I got a fair bit of writing done this week. I am estimating the length of the completed novelization to be around 60,000 words, so I have done about 13% of it so far at 7,800 words (first draft only).
I don't think I will get very far with finding an agent until I have written more. I get the impression they will need around 20,000 words to read and assess before considering me seriously as a client. I guess they are busy people and get a lot of time-wasters contacting them.
I have been thinking about Katherine's philosophy somewhat this week. In a film, it is hard to show, except in short sound-byte style, but in a book it ought to be possible to expand on that considerably. However, at this stage I am not clear about how exactly I am going to do that. Instead, I am just continuing to write. I am not making a plan as such (given that I have the script, after all). But I may need to take a little time out to plan that aspect more carefully.
I don't think I will get very far with finding an agent until I have written more. I get the impression they will need around 20,000 words to read and assess before considering me seriously as a client. I guess they are busy people and get a lot of time-wasters contacting them.
I have been thinking about Katherine's philosophy somewhat this week. In a film, it is hard to show, except in short sound-byte style, but in a book it ought to be possible to expand on that considerably. However, at this stage I am not clear about how exactly I am going to do that. Instead, I am just continuing to write. I am not making a plan as such (given that I have the script, after all). But I may need to take a little time out to plan that aspect more carefully.
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