I am sorry that it's been so long since I put anything up here. There has been so much going on in my life that this has taken a step back from my life. As you can see on the right hand side the bars have changed. NaNo 2013 has gone and my total 2014 word count is now up.
Now, in other news, my little project (The Youngest Guardian) is now on week 12. If you've missed the start, here you go: http://penguinsandninjas.wordpress.com/first-draft/week-1/
If you are much further than that, well, there's the drop down list at the top (kind of) and navigation buttons at the bottom of the page.
Have fun.
Happy Writing.
Monday, 24 February 2014
Thursday, 13 February 2014
Are you a "Planner" or a "Do-er"?
What's the difference? Well, I'll tell you that technically, these are terms that I think summarises all writers out there.
Planners
Planners are the kind of writers who like to plan out how the story will go. It may be case that they have a story outline, or they have a start and and end, or scene by scene breakdown of each chapter. Planners may have a basic outline of their story but they in some way know in which direction their story is going.
Do-ers
Do-ers only have the name of all or some of their characters. They may have a general idea of where their story is ending but they have no idea what's going to happen next. These types of writers prefer to be surprised by what comes next. A woman singing badly out of tune or some crazed idiot demanding to be locked away from the fairies? Who knows? The writer doesn't.
Personally, I am a do-er. Planning a story, to me, sucks the fun out of writing. I like the surprise of not knowing who's going to turn left or right, of not knowing if somebody's going to jump when told or tell the instructor to jump themselves. What I enjoy about writing stories is the mystery of it all. If I planned out every scene, or the general story arc, I wouldn't want to write it because it's already there. I tried that once. The story died horribly in a pit of flaming death.
But the point is that planners make plans to do with plot. Do-ers may make plans about characters, but not usually about plot.
So, which one are you? Are you a Planner? Or are you a Do-er?
Happy Writing
Planners
Planners are the kind of writers who like to plan out how the story will go. It may be case that they have a story outline, or they have a start and and end, or scene by scene breakdown of each chapter. Planners may have a basic outline of their story but they in some way know in which direction their story is going.
Do-ers
Do-ers only have the name of all or some of their characters. They may have a general idea of where their story is ending but they have no idea what's going to happen next. These types of writers prefer to be surprised by what comes next. A woman singing badly out of tune or some crazed idiot demanding to be locked away from the fairies? Who knows? The writer doesn't.
Personally, I am a do-er. Planning a story, to me, sucks the fun out of writing. I like the surprise of not knowing who's going to turn left or right, of not knowing if somebody's going to jump when told or tell the instructor to jump themselves. What I enjoy about writing stories is the mystery of it all. If I planned out every scene, or the general story arc, I wouldn't want to write it because it's already there. I tried that once. The story died horribly in a pit of flaming death.
But the point is that planners make plans to do with plot. Do-ers may make plans about characters, but not usually about plot.
So, which one are you? Are you a Planner? Or are you a Do-er?
Happy Writing
Sunday, 2 February 2014
First drafts
My first drafts always seem to lack the meat that every story needs. They consistently exist of the bones plus a little fat, but not the meat. For some, I know that they have the problem of getting everything in there and cutting back. But for me, it's a case of getting everything that happens down, then expand on this with emotions, thoughts, actual meat.
I'm not sure how many other people have this problem of including too little information the first time around, but I like working this way. The first draft let's me get the story down, let's me get the main cast of characters that are going to participate within the story. I know what happens first, second, third and so on.
The second draft is when I start to expand on this. I add thoughts, emotions. I tweak what happens to accommodate extra material in terms of character and history. I add tiks, nervous habits, family members. The second draft is when everything seems to flourish.
What I've heard people say before is that the first draft is just to get the story down. Seriously. You know what direction you want your story to go in? Write in. Forget about your character's emotions, thoughts and desires. Have them reacting and acting to the events that take place and get the story down. In the second draft you can bulk it out and make it better. You can humanise the characters then.
That's what my second draft of Redux is for, humanising the characters so that you, as a reader, feel more sympathetic to what happens to them.
Happy writing.
I'm not sure how many other people have this problem of including too little information the first time around, but I like working this way. The first draft let's me get the story down, let's me get the main cast of characters that are going to participate within the story. I know what happens first, second, third and so on.
The second draft is when I start to expand on this. I add thoughts, emotions. I tweak what happens to accommodate extra material in terms of character and history. I add tiks, nervous habits, family members. The second draft is when everything seems to flourish.
What I've heard people say before is that the first draft is just to get the story down. Seriously. You know what direction you want your story to go in? Write in. Forget about your character's emotions, thoughts and desires. Have them reacting and acting to the events that take place and get the story down. In the second draft you can bulk it out and make it better. You can humanise the characters then.
That's what my second draft of Redux is for, humanising the characters so that you, as a reader, feel more sympathetic to what happens to them.
Happy writing.
Thursday, 30 January 2014
Getting to know your characters.
Struggling to find out what is particular to your character? What they do when they're in a queue, waiting, when they're sat on the bus? Never thought about those wrinkles or creases in the corners of their eyes or mouth?
All of the little things that you never knew existed could be yours, by doing a few of the following. Or just one. No matter which one you choose you're bound to learn something new.
1) Have your character talk to themselves, in the second person "you", whilst looking in the mirror. One of my characters I did this for spiraled off somewhere deep and dark.
2) Put your character in a room with another character. Be this one from TV/film, another one of your creations, from a book you've read, but as long as they are somebody your character has never seen/heard or would know about, do it. See what happens. Do they fight? Argue? Flirt? Get along? Debate? Talk? Ignore one another? What do they do with their body? Face each other? Turn away?
3) Put your character somewhere out of their comfort zone. You have an Earth bound character? Put them on a space ship. Somebody who likes loud music and the city life? Stick them in an opera theater, or in the country side.
4) You, as the creator, write a letter to your character. Start it with "I saw last Tuesday in that small cafe," or something similar. Don't talk about what they basically did... (you lined up, got a coffee, paid and left) Talk about the minute details. They tapped two fingers against their thigh. Every few seconds they had to push a strand of hair out of their face. When they sit down they bounce one of their legs. It's always the left leg over the right. You get the picture.
5) Rant and rave as your character. Put yourself in their shoes, find a topic to complain about and go wild.
6) Go shopping for them. Shop for food, clothes, books, CD's, DVD's, magazines. Anything. Shop and buy what your character would want and love. Not you, your character.
7) Interview them. Maybe create a series of questions, and start answering them as your character. Maybe add more questions depending upon the answers you're given and explore a point further.
There are many other ways to get to know your character but personally, I like these seven and I hope you'll have some fun with this and find out some rather interesting things.
Happy Writing.
All of the little things that you never knew existed could be yours, by doing a few of the following. Or just one. No matter which one you choose you're bound to learn something new.
1) Have your character talk to themselves, in the second person "you", whilst looking in the mirror. One of my characters I did this for spiraled off somewhere deep and dark.
2) Put your character in a room with another character. Be this one from TV/film, another one of your creations, from a book you've read, but as long as they are somebody your character has never seen/heard or would know about, do it. See what happens. Do they fight? Argue? Flirt? Get along? Debate? Talk? Ignore one another? What do they do with their body? Face each other? Turn away?
3) Put your character somewhere out of their comfort zone. You have an Earth bound character? Put them on a space ship. Somebody who likes loud music and the city life? Stick them in an opera theater, or in the country side.
4) You, as the creator, write a letter to your character. Start it with "I saw last Tuesday in that small cafe," or something similar. Don't talk about what they basically did... (you lined up, got a coffee, paid and left) Talk about the minute details. They tapped two fingers against their thigh. Every few seconds they had to push a strand of hair out of their face. When they sit down they bounce one of their legs. It's always the left leg over the right. You get the picture.
5) Rant and rave as your character. Put yourself in their shoes, find a topic to complain about and go wild.
6) Go shopping for them. Shop for food, clothes, books, CD's, DVD's, magazines. Anything. Shop and buy what your character would want and love. Not you, your character.
7) Interview them. Maybe create a series of questions, and start answering them as your character. Maybe add more questions depending upon the answers you're given and explore a point further.
There are many other ways to get to know your character but personally, I like these seven and I hope you'll have some fun with this and find out some rather interesting things.
Happy Writing.
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
2nd 2nd draft
I have decided to restart my second draft of Redux. I like the fresh start, I think, I may yet change that... ideas are a forming. And I've just restarted the opening scene on the bridge and, well, it took a surprisingly dark turn pretty quick. Look:
That's only a 136 words in and I think I have a new found idea for the Captain. But seriously, that took a dark turn right? I don't even know where I'm going from here but hopefully, somewhere a little bit brighter.
Happy Writing.
Charlie
eyed the empty vastness of space before her. Something about it always did draw
her in, but it also left her uncertain. Uncertain about what would be waiting
for her crew behind the next lump of space rock, uncertain about what her crew’s
next job would be, if they were allowed their leave. Redux, her pride
and joy, and the one ship the unwanted people of Command went.
Her feet sat upon the edge
of the console, a still warm cup of coffee cradled in her hands. Stars winked
at her. They spoke of untold secrets waiting to be discovered. But the stark
contrast of the pervading black turned her stomach with an uneasy jump. The
black went of forever, eating everything it came to, circling, waiting, playing
the predator until the light went out.That's only a 136 words in and I think I have a new found idea for the Captain. But seriously, that took a dark turn right? I don't even know where I'm going from here but hopefully, somewhere a little bit brighter.
Happy Writing.
Depression
There is no word to describe it,
only thoughts and emotions.
It is a burning hole in your chest.
Everybody can add a plaster
or rip one away.
You never know which they choose
until it is too late.
In a marathon you are behind,
wading through mud
with concrete shoes.
Nobody looks twice
and you wander
what is it that they see?
You stretch a hand out
but it is only slapped away.
So you smile
and say that everything is fine.
It's far from it.
Silent tears will stain your pillow.
How can you express your feelings?
How do you say you are mess up
without saying,
'I'm very very sad a lot of the time'?
It is the thoughts you lock away
and throw away the key for
that nobody can see but you.
And they mock and taunt,
tell you that you're pathetic. Worthless.
How can it be expressed
the pain of living everyday?
How can it be said
that you'd rather cry
than attend that party?
How can you put it
that everyday is a struggle
just to smile
and to walk, one foot in front of the other,
without taking two steps back?
only thoughts and emotions.
It is a burning hole in your chest.
Everybody can add a plaster
or rip one away.
You never know which they choose
until it is too late.
In a marathon you are behind,
wading through mud
with concrete shoes.
Nobody looks twice
and you wander
what is it that they see?
You stretch a hand out
but it is only slapped away.
So you smile
and say that everything is fine.
It's far from it.
Silent tears will stain your pillow.
How can you express your feelings?
How do you say you are mess up
without saying,
'I'm very very sad a lot of the time'?
It is the thoughts you lock away
and throw away the key for
that nobody can see but you.
And they mock and taunt,
tell you that you're pathetic. Worthless.
How can it be expressed
the pain of living everyday?
How can it be said
that you'd rather cry
than attend that party?
How can you put it
that everyday is a struggle
just to smile
and to walk, one foot in front of the other,
without taking two steps back?
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Week 7
The Youngest Guardian - Week 7 is up and it's more a less the words of Joanna Frost, Amber's mother. Go take a look, please: http://penguinsandninjas.wordpress.com/first-draft/1912014-2/
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
Redux Editing
So I started re-writing Redux. Aries. The month after I'd written it. It is now, seven months later and I want to start again. Again. Like, I've gotten to a point where I've said to myself, "What was I thinking? What is that? Seriously?"
Yes, what I have so far is a hell of a lot better than what I had had, but it isn't quite there. I've gone back to the started, added a tiny prologue, added an extra scene with McCallister that just ends. Like that. *clicks fingers* And I just- bleh.
I may have to start the second draft again. Just a little bit.
And I have Uni starting again.
Four other weekly writing projects.
Another story for my dissertation.
Damn.
Happy Writing.
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