548 words of brainstorming. It is like a big black depressing uninteresting void.

Ok, so 548 words [of brainstorming] as I said and [the scene's] not SO uninteresting as it was.
But what I've come up with so far is rather lame.

What is wrong with me? I'm so stuck. I can't see the next scene at all. It's not the sub plot but still no interest in the next scene.
I really need to identify the conflict. The main conflict needs to be brought into my next scene.

Goal 1: Determine what should happen in next scene which will bring conflict and twist into it.

So maybe my old standby phrases will help... any progress: paragraph, decision, anything is progress.
The rough draft is supposed to sound stupid.

ugh, i can't even remember my phrases. BUT, they make me smile, so that's something.

This will be worst book ever but I did pay for HTRYN so why not?

And for today...

Goal:
Complete next planned scene.

And I'm back

Wow a week lost.

I must finish the story, that is the decision/nothing new.
I will not follow the sub-plot I will move on to the next planned scene. Either the sub plot will show up again and I will be able to tie it off without hijacking my story or I won't be able to. If I can't, I will go through and cut it out.

And that's that.

So this guy is great: http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/
He's all about writing in a white hot rush to the end. Sounds awesome. 'the end' heh, heh
but he's also about just fixing the typos and mailing it out to editors. sounds meh.

But that's what got me to the decision of ignoring my sub-plot-for now. My critical mind is too involved in where this story is headed. And the sub-plot just shouldn't be keeping me from finishing the main story.

Not done yet

Plotting and plotting. but ran out of time unfortunately. I'm starting to make some headway.

Additionally overall it looks like two black holes are what's really stumping me. Possibly not as bad as i originally thought.

What happens next?

I HAVE NO IDEA.

Gah. This is horrible!

Work was terrible and no time to figure out this troublesome sub plot. I feel like just dumping it/pretending it never was. But it would pull a lot of loose ends together if I can finally figure this out.

It feels like one of those simple plot points too. There's just not all that much to it so why am I having so much trouble figuring out. It goes back to the antagonist problem. I just cannot figure them out. Which means I am trying to fit the story into the scenes I already wrote. And it just ain't gonna happen.

So I need to replot and give up some stuff I like.

Wah.

This is NOT any fun. I don't like plotting.

Oh and other problem. The scene I wrote last night: the voices are too childish. Yick. don't like that either.

So There's my goal for today and not enough time to do it.

I need to forget about word count tonight (wah)
Focus on figuring out what the hell my antagonist is up to. what in hell all the protag groups are up to. and how they all intersect to create my previous scenes and future scenes. And, please oh please, slash out all the trash.

Simple enough?


And, yes, I have done this over and over again and I simply cannot figure this crap out. What the hell?

747 words in new scene

The Next Scene went off in a different but important direction. I did not even get to the planned part of the scene. And I'm not sure I like the focus of this new scene.
It's about a whole section i haven't figured out yet and it's making that part more important then I wanted it.
I guess I need to take yet another look at my scene list and figure out whether this is a good direction or not.
If it is a good direction, which it probably is, I need to figure a few more very important things out before my writing session tomorrow.

And now my word count is haunting me. I thought I was okay with being over but now. Well this scene just opens up too many potential scenes. I don't think the story can handle the influx.

Must analyze, must analyze. Don't panic, don't panic :)

Finally found my next scene

This was definitely harder than I thought.
It involved a lot of reorganization. I also combined and got rid of a couple of scenes.
I now only have 16 scenes left. [WOOT, cause I love to woot] :)
Since my word count is fine already for a first novel, I'm definitely okay with losing some scenes.

My next scene is another biggie.

On to goal 2, brainstorm the heck out of it :)

And my updated scene order is better now. I'm so happy with the progress I've made tonight.

Goals for Today: Wed 9/22

Today:
1.) Figure out next scene in my list. (I have my scene list but the order just isn't right.)
2.) Brainstorm the scene
3.) Write 250 words moving the story forward.

Word Count Update: 81,162 (+2117); 2 new scenes

Just like it says :) added 2117 words today and completed two new scenes. I readded the transition scene that I had decided earlier not to write. But it's not the reaction scene. It's just maybe a sentence of that and then a different thing that was totally needed and completely perfect. Today is one of those perfect writing days that I love so much.

New total: 81,162

Time out to woot [party, party]

80,141 (+1096)

Amazing!!

Oh and previous scene is finished. Now I am on to the next one.
So far it has been a summation of a week that passed. And now the scene I cut earlier cries out to be put back. Cause I'm kind of wondering how the characters are getting along. Now I kind of need the reaction scene back where I originally had it. I'm going to keep going to see whether I can sneak some quick categorization into this whole summary.

Goals for Today: Tues, 9/21

[No evil box time; any progress is good]

1.) brainstorm candybar scene  (This was something I did at work today.  But I love to take the space to woot for myself.  I have slightly better handle on the scene now.]

2.) 250 words in new scene

Update for yesterday (new total: 79,045

So yesterday I got 280 words. Fine/ok not good.  Really not seeing the scene yet.  I didn't meet either goal 3 or 4.  But I did meet primo goal: any progress is good

New word count: 79,045

(Yeah I lost a lot of words. I found a later scene where stuff had been started but no longer fits. Woops, totally forgot it was there but it was adding to my word count).  Lost some words just getting rid of that old attempt..

3rd Goal: what's needed for this one...

Took a bit of an interlude for breakfast with hubby and then we were chatting for awhile.  At least I am in my next scene so I think my Muse has been adjusting to the next task ahead and I do feel pretty focused on the scene I need to write.

I cut two scenes before my break (bringing me to about 20 scenes left to go).  I just couldn't face them, they felt like filler scenes.  Every book has then but I always feel like skimming them cause it feels like the author is trying to make their word counts.  And I can always add reaction scenes in later.

They're the type of scene where people discuss their feelings/their plans/what they thought about what's happened so far.  The balance question is though: I'm sure they are necessary in some amount. But because I've read too many where the whole book is pretty much characters talking about how they feel and what they think that --ugh-- there is no word strong enough for my dislike and tense disinterest in writing that type of scene.

So I skip ahead and leave the reader to fill in the blanks.  

My next scheduled scene is a candy bar scene [insert 'woot' here].  :)  The story is moving forward!!

Oh, the pressure to get on page some joy of discovery and fun and wonder.  Talk about pressure.  But when this type of scene is done right it makes the whole story worth reading, again and again, just to relive that moment.  

That's what I'm up against today. 

And I can't quite see it yet.  So I am back to my main goal for the day: 

“If I do something to improve the story, then I’ve made progress.”

Technically goal accomplished: I've gone through my scene list to make sure my book won't be 350K before I reach the end.  I finished the last scene and got my Muse to move on.  

But really/honestly... progress is moving the story forward.  

Today I need to dive into story and write a first draft version of my candy bar scene.  I might try the old trick of starting in the middle at the point when the power is revealed and then working my way back and then forward to the end.  Yes, I think that might work really well today.

2nd goal done

MC is now firmly in next scene.  

Several things are nagging at me about my next scene (about 200 words in) but I have decided to keep going.  Typically the feeling will build and then I'll have to rewrite the scene.  But I think it's necessary.  It's like the old adage "you can't edit a blank page."  I can't seem to imagine the scene until I put crap down and that frees me up to reimagine it properly.  

It probably shouldn't but it gives me hope that I will really like revision.  Cause at that point the whole story is free to be reimagined.  

[Update: apparently I already reached that point.  I cut it out immediately upon return.  What I wrote already just couldn't stay.  It needs to be moved to the next book.  As it turns the focus of the book to something that just won't be dealt with yet.  Now how to get the scene right.  Gah, I hate this part... dark, black void of a scene.  meh]

First goal done :)

79,580 (current word count)

100,000 (the longest I could have the book and hope to sell)

20,500 (how much is left)

1000 wds/scene (sometimes 700, sometimes 1500... so I'll say that's my average

20.5 scenes left

Took a quick look and I only have 22 planned scenes left [!!]

My scenes always generate extra scenes but I'll certainly have stuff to cut later anyway.  So I'm going with it.  

Goals for today:

* REMEMBER:  “If I do something to improve the story, then I’ve made progress.”

1.) Replot to bring the story to the end with less scenes [done]

2.) Edit the end of the scene so it makes more sense and brings scene to a close and transitions to the next one. [done]

3a.) Next scene

3b.) 500 words- new word count to 80K [!! then throw party !!]

New total: 79,524 (+640)

Scene is re-written to make more sense.  ended up with 640 new words (even with the 1026 words I had to take away).  The ending is still not right/smooth.  But I'm out of time.  I'll have to work on the ending tomorrow.  And new scene for tomorrow would be nice too !!

UPDATE:  OK, time to woot.  I just re-read my previous post.  and it makes me prouder.   :)  It just seemed to happen for me today; i came unstuck.  yay!

my scene is hopeless

I'm working on the rewrite.  

Here's the main problem: I don't know how it should go.  How people would act.  How he would carry out his assignment. If there's anyone who believes that people would have handled the situation the way the bad guys have.  

that's what's bothering me.  It makes no sense.  If you have rules setup to prevent information leaks, you don't let a girl run around ANYWHERE until you are safe from that person releasing that information.

A security risk like her would never have been allowed in that situation if it was in their power to prevent it.

how do I fix that?  I see no way out right now.

UPDATE:

so yeah, just want to write this out because it just strikes me as so odd.  This will be fixed too.  The amount of times I have been stuck with a hopeless scene. and it magically fits once I've thrown enough stuff at all.  Although re-reading shows how much more is left to be ironed out but still,  I am feeling SO down in the dumps. It's so amazing to think that one day I will be through even this scene.  

Goals for Today- Fri, Sept 10th

Well as previously stated:

~Rewrite scene, either with different character.  Or, MUCH, MUCH preferred, keep character but smooth out and change the way it went.  read as: character should behave in a way that fits their personality.  

Note: I shall keep original version to look back on later cause too funny.

~I don't care about word count, I just want to fix the scene above

~If I have time, I would like to get a hook into my next scene.  Either decide to skip ahead a week or figure out what is the conflict for the breakfast scene.

UPDATE: and, oh whine, see previous blog entry back end of August when I talk about this habit of mine of quiting when times get tough.  I called it.  grrr.  I called it. and there's no excuse.  How will I ever finish if I keep to these fits and starts?

so yeah, the scene is stuck

Last week was vacation.  But no, i'm not excusing my lack of progress. I had company the whole week before that.  But no, again, I'm not excusing my not sitting quiet for an hour to work on it.  I just didn't feel like it. 

I had a very quiet week of vacation. Easy to write.

I had a very self-sufficient guest.  Easy to write.

I just didn't want to.  Yeah, it's that last creepy scene that I wrote. And the boring scene that needs to follow it that's waiting for me. Either I skip ahead or I make next scene interesting. But before I can tackle that, my muse requires that I fix creepy scene cause it wasn't right and muse is pouting and silently glaring: not right, not right, not right.

So even though it had plenty of drama--being creepy and all--it just won't even get past my internal first reader and Muse refuses to let me think I'll wait and see how actual first readers will react to it.  I know already.  YUCK.  

And that's the problem in a nutshell.  The scene must be smoothed out and make sense and fit with the character that's in the scene.  But rewriting the scene is always easier than the first go through with a blank page. I'm in the scene already (after all), I just have to shape it better.

Here's to another go on the scene.