Tag: Revision Hell

Last night, I finished up the new Mythomorphoses short story, “Prometheus Unbound.”  It could be longer than 2K — easily! — but that’s the requested length.  Maybe I’ll start with this piece and then write a “sequel” to give away on the blog.  I’ll work on some ideas tonight.

Dark & Early this morning I returned to Revision Xibalba.  I finished up the scene I’d been working on and then went back to the beginning and fixed a few early scenes to better reflect hers and Larry’s static traits.  They sort of sneak up on me as I write the plot out, which probably isn’t the way to do it, but it works.  Most of the time.  I still have about 3 of her sections that will need slight modifications.  Then it’s back to Jaid’s story line.  I also need to explore Quinn’s line up through the intersection.

All by NaNoWriMo if possible.  Sigh.   

On the monster front, I think they’ll all go to school today except Princess Monster.

Good progress today.  I was up, drinking coffee, and working by 5:30 this morning, instead of dragging myself out of bed at that time.  I finished yesterday’s scene (somewhere between 300-400 words — I didn’t record exact word count yesterday) and then started the next.  Another 887 words there.  The murder is getting ready to happen.  I think her weapon may be a simple ink pen but I’m open to ideas.  It has to fit into the pocket of her white lab coat.

I may have to put this murder scene back in that original section.  I’ll have to see how it plays out.  The murder is what brings the FBI closer to the truth — and I can’t wait too long for Quinn and Tara’s threads to cross.  I think this will work fine, but I need to play it out.

i’m 90% finished with my Eppie reading, too.

Still searching for a short story idea.  I think I need to pull out some paper and just brainstorm until something strikes my fancy.  My problem is that there are too many possibilities floating around in my mind.  Ideally, this would be in the Beautiful Death world, but I’m tempted to explore Equus instead, which will do nothing promo wise since that story’s not even started yet!

Last night we had parent teacher conferences.  The monsters are all doing well, although Middle Monster’s teacher had some very colorful stories to share about her.  She hadn’t heard the one about MM trying to start a campfire at recess, though.  She rubbed sticks together so hard, for so long, that she smelled smoke.  It’s my fault — she got the idea from Survivor. 

I didn’t write last night, but I did read several chapters in my next-to-last Eppie assignment.  85% done!

This morning, D&E once more, and another 1083 words in a Tara scene.  I’m glad I decided to just write out her “thread” as far as possible instead of trying to write in true section order in the scope of the whole book.  Maybe I’ll do the same for Quinn too — these two threads intersect very soon.

I’ve got several things on my mind, even beyond Return to Shanhasson for NaNoWriMo.  I would like to write up a checklist for speed — for my own reference as much as yours.  And I’d like to write a couple of short free giveaway stories.  The problem is coming up with a real STORY in 2K or so with appropriate character growth, conflict, etc.  I haven’t come across the right set up yet, so I’m treating this as a personal challenge.  I WILL come up with something.

Eventually.

Oh, you wonderfully wicked people.  Thank you for all your ideas on how to kill someone with office equipment!  Of course, I’d be leery of actually working with any of you now…  Kidding!

I worked on that scene from yesterday and actually deleted the potential murder part for later.  Sad, I know.  However, I needed to draw out the suspense a bit, and putting the danger off until later works.  So I finished up that scene at 1205 words and then went straight into Tara’s next scene (even though it’s not in true section order on the daysheet).  I’m glad I did, because I ended up with 1368 words there!

It was “easy” because it was all key backstory shedding light on many little aspects that deepen the story.  Of course, I concede that some of it may be deleted in revision — I don’t want too much backstory bogging things down — but this is crucial stuff.  It has to do with a private little cenote in Cozumel and the beginning of several key character obsessions.  I intend to write that part up as a freebie eventually.

I also have 80% of my Eppie contest reading finished, too!  (Read 2 more last night) 

Oh, and it’s a good thing I asked off for the week of Thanksgiving (except for Friday — it’s sort of tradition that I work the Friday after Thanksgiving), because I found out I’m hosting That Man’s family dinner.  Joy.  Rapture.   

I dreamed about the Equus story last night.  I wanted to write it so badly this morning, but I know it’s a decoy.  It would be “easy” and Revision Xibalba is “hard.”  No matter how pretty and shiny the new idea is, I must stay the course.

I got a slow start — at one point I e-mailed Jenna and admitted I only had 79 words — but I finally found my rhythm.  The scene is up to 1022 words and not yet finished.  A new character trait came out for a secondary character, so I need to go back and weave it in to lay the ground work.  I also need to think of an appropriate office weapon that could kill someone.  Self defense, of course.  My Beloved Sis already used the stapler…

Update:  Added roughly 20 some scenes to my daysheet (up to 47 now).  I still feel like I have some holes, especially in Tara’s (red) POV, but I decided to just let it go, get what I know down, and then I can print the thing off and eyeball it for symmetry and balance.  Maybe I need to trim back her scenes.  I have her pretty well balanced against Quinn right now, but maybe she doesn’t need so much screen time. 

That’s the thing about plotting.  I don’t believe it should ever be “perfect.”  If it were perfect down to the finest detail, why bother writing the story?  What’s left to discover?  If plotting ceases to be a tool and becomes an alabatross around my neck, why keep bemoaning water (plot) everywhere and not a drop to drink?  Ditch the thing!  

I do find the daysheet helpful for weaving multiple threads, though, so I’m going to keep at it.  I’m not going to stress about not having it perfect and finished, though.  By then, I could write the damned book. 

Also came up with the opening line for Return to Shanhasson today, subject to a hundred revisions (openings kill me).  I know exactly how the story ends.  I know the horrible inciting event.  I know many yummy bits in between.  It’s the timing of the beginning quarter or so that is still not worked out in my mind.  I’m hoping to work out some of those kinks before NaNoWriMo.

I woke up with a brand new story in my head this morning.  While That Man watched the Chiefs lose, I jotted the whole thing start to end on about 40 notecards.

It is *far* from anything I’ve written.  Even riskier than Letters and ANTs and that’s saying something.  I hope I get to write it, and soon.  The working title is Mei Bellus Equus.

Despite the temptation, I returned to Revision Hell this evening.  I shuffled the next few scenes around in my daysheet, edited the next section in Jaid’s POV, and pasted in the new scene in Quinn’s POV that I wrote yesterday after some light polishing.  The story is up to 97 pages now and I’m ready for a new scene in Tara’s POV tomorrow morning.  So about 25% finished, I’m guessing.

The bad news:  I’m pretty much out of scenes in my daysheet.  I need to sit down and really grind out the proper scene order but I need uninterrupted time to concentrate, which is few and far between.  I guess maybe I should have done that yesterday, but I was too eager to write that new scene.  It ended up pretty horrible–in a good way–too.