So I just realized it's been nearly two whole months and haven't said a word. I thought as the weekend approaches I'd just pop in to say I'm still working hard at the new job, still writing when I can, but it's going slowly.
I also think I might be hitting a problem I didn't anticipate. I created Surda, a made up country, so that I wouldn't have to make someone be from a real place I'd be able to make it up to be whatever I wanted it to be for the purpose of the story. What I might not have considered, is that because I've created a whole new place I want to fill it. I keep struggling as I write to not sidetrack myself with needless details that slow down the movement of the story. So I may end up having quite a few "cut scenes" that don't make it in because it adds nothing but details in a story that's frontloaded with details and not a lot of action till later. I've cut back on now thousands of words that I had written but going back over could be replaced by something much smaller or removed completly. Some of it will get folded back in later on perhaps, but that's also adding to my slow pace. From when I went back to "tighten things up" to now, the word count is almost unchanged but I've gotten a lot farther which at least feels like forward progress.
Not cutting it all out of course, don't want a totally empty world, but it's just a problem I hadn't predicted. I thought making my own world would save time than finding the perfect real world equivalent, I might have been wrong, but I'm not going to go back now and do it any differently. I like the world I made, even if its details will only be known to me and maybe anyone here who wants to read the extras.
So.. I'm trying to progress along it's just being slow, BUT I am still writing!
if it is worth, I'll wait for a nice story :)
ReplyDeleteCarry on carrying on.. You have to be as happy as us, your readers, with the tales your mind constructs. Although, speaking personally, I think your standards might be a lot higher than mine..? Nice Xmas gift for all..?
ReplyDeleteI'd just write a separate text that contains all information about the universe, history, geography, etc. Then, write the story and when you want to add information, just refer back to what you wrote before. That way you get the universe creation urge out of the way before trying to write the story.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you publish uncut versions of your stories? Pointless details are like my thing.
ReplyDeleteI may end up doing just that. What happend was I'd been writing on and on, and when I finally got to the first "event" of sorts that wasn't just setup or exposition, I was already nearly at the length of a small story! So I kind of took a step back, created a new copy and wnet through and asked myself two things with everything I had written: (a) does it add a detail that's vital to later events and (b) does it have to be now or can it be later in the story. I ended up removing a lot of filler and moved a bunch of other conversations to later in the story to make it not so lopsided. The easiest thing for me, and so it might be what I do, is to basically release that first half uncut. Although, since I almost never give myself the easiest job, I might end up making an "extended cut" with the detail back in but with the moved conversations still moved.
DeleteHaven't decided yet, but everything after that particular point where I created a second copy will likely be unchanged. Hopefully doing that once was enough and now I can just write and feel satisfied with the level of chatter and fluff, which I wasn't happy with in the first pass.
Yes, pointless details are my fetish also.
DeleteI also support a director's cut version of the stories. Your details are some of the juiciest parts of what you write!
Hoping for an early(?) Christmas Present...
It should be before Christmas at a minimum. I might be going slowly, but despite what store decorations may indicate, Christmas is still a month and a half away. I find it hard to imagine a situation where I can't get something out by then.
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ReplyDeletejust because you have made a new place it doesn't mean you can't have old already existing places in it you have mad a new place for this story so we don't get mixed up with real life so just throw in so stupid place on the islands like airs rock with the leaning tower of pezer on top hehe
ReplyDeletehoping all is well with you
ReplyDeleteGenerally well, but end of the year always adds a bit of stress. Trying to finish things up at the office before Christmas shuts it down for a while as we all go our separate ways for the holidays. It may sound like a broken record at this point but progress *is* coming along, and when I feel I won't be needing to make any more changes I'll post it here, hopefully before Christmas.
DeleteSimply take your time. ... After all it should make fun, both reading and writing. ...
DeleteMay your Holidays be Merry and the fights with your family be nonexistence
ReplyDeleteA very modern and very accurate kind of wish, thank you.
DeleteYour welcome keep up the good work. I can wait for the next part knowing time is always at a good cost
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