Yes, I've decided to start making ~weekly writing check ins~, to update the world on the current progress of my projects. If nothing else, it forces me to post every week even if I can't think of any other appropriate topic to discuss.
*ahem* That said, it's actually been a pretty productive month! Let's see, thus far I have to report:
Camp Nanowrimo
It's the end of day 21 here, and CROSS//Process just broke 34k. Not too shabby, I'm right on target. Once I hit 35k things to tend to be all downhill as the end is in plain sight - this time will probably be none too different. However, although I have a basic outline I am working with, I'm still very much pantsing most of the scenes. Example, I am currently in the middle of a scene I know exactly what I want to do with, but after that it's back to pantsing and literally making things up as I go along. It doesn't do well for me in the plot department, but it DOES help me in characterization and that's what I love most...so...that said, goal now is to keep chugging through 'til the 31st and go from there!
CROSS//Rebirth First Round Edit
...is finished! Hooray! I was able to just slash through the last few chapters at the speed I wanted. This first round of editing was focused on recognizing my plot holes and what I need to fix for the Second Round - while also being Adverb Slayer and the righter of all seeable bad grammar. I've made a list in a separate file detailing what I need to fix - first and foremost, I need to add more butterfly symbolism. I only started doing it in the second half of the novel and now want to go back to make sure there's at least one offhand mention of a butterfly SOMEWHERE in every chapter (since my chapters are on average 10k, this is doable.) I also need to introduce the character that appears in the climax in conversations, files, etc so I'm not breaking a huge nasty rule. I was going to do it in this edit but I could not find an appropriate scene to do it in offhand...gotta fix that. Also, other small plot tidbits that I'm sure readers would go "wtf but..." at. If I can see them now, I might as well fix them before somebody else does!
Gonna let the manuscript sit and rest now, though. Not gonna look at it again until September so I can focus on finishing up Camp and glancing through...
CROSS//Revenge First Draft Progress
...nothing to note on this, just announcing to myself that as of this week it's back to the forefront of mind, since it is what I will be working on in November. Gonna give what I have so far a read through to get my brain caught up on what I've done. After Camp I'm going to try drawing up a proper outline for the rest of the novel...gonna be hard, since most of the plot is still fuzzy in my head as to what I want to have happen in this installation.
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That's it for this week. I've actually accomplished quite a bit, eh? As soon as Camp is over I'll be back in my normal game. But damn it's amazing how much you get done when you're not on a million business trips in one month, lol.
Helluva strong month! Congrats on how far you've come with the Cross Series.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!
ReplyDeleteI've always found I have to go back and "fold in" different things (plot points, character points, themes, etc) repeatedly before I get a really strong draft. It's hard not to get impatient with myself for not doing it in the first place. I have to remind myself that first drafts are meant to have holes and be crappy.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, go you for finishing the first round of edits. Congrats!