Current Project: Untitled
Status: still thinking, but getting nervous...
I've been brain dead this week. Part of it was just not feeling well and part of it was book fatigue. However, with August starting today comes a thirty day deadline for three chapters and a synopsis so it's time to get back to work.
Last night I sat out in the yard and looked up at the trees. It was that time of day when everything is some shade of gray. The oak leaves looked one way, those of the rose that has climbed thirty feet into the tree, another. Without color to lead my eye the usual direction, I saw shape and that got me to thinking about perspective. When puppy-cake came strolling by and I hefted all fifteen pounds of her into my lap and she looked up at the sky, I wondered what she saw and that got me to thinking about individual perspective and how important it is in fiction (as in life) to always understand how your characters are seeing their slice of the world. Drawing this a little further, you know how we always say if a character is injured, for instance, you have to keep it in mind for the duration? An injury (or any unusual event) colors the way we perceive, both physically and emotionally, the situations that arise and guides our reactions. Nothing earth shattering here, just musing.
How are you doing?
13 comments:
Interesting thoughts, Alice! I agree that even where a character is at mentally and physically(injured) will make a difference in their perspective of things.
Well, drum roll, Doctor in Petticoats is finally off to my editor! YAY! Now to start on the book I'm co-writing with another TWRP author.
My goal for this week is to get two to three chapters written on the new project. but first, I have some research to do. Anyone know the names of gambling establishments in Portland in 1870?
Very nice post, Alice. And I love the word "puppy-cake", or is that puppy's actual name? Either way, it's very cute. ;)
Sounds like you've needed a break this week. I hope you're feeling better now. I guess having a deadline will whip you into shape whether you're ready or not though. LOL
I think about perspective a lot. My poor husband has to deal with me and my strange perspective of the world around me everyday. We have two children out of five who have similar perspectives to mine and it makes it interesting around here, for sure. *rolling eyes*
Thanks for your nice musings.
Paty- Congrats on getting Doctor In Petticoats off to you editor!! You're as smokin' busy as Eli. I swear you two have some sort of natural drug in your systems that give you crazy energy! But that's a great thing. :)
I'm working at a turtle's pace on my WIP and having fun when I write. I love to just write when I want and know there's no pressure. It's great fun to share in the excitement of everyone's different ways of writing and pushing for their stories to get published. I'm always rooting for you all and hoping the best for you!!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Hi, Alice! I agree, nice musings. And, as always, good things to keep in mind when we write.
Congratulations, Paty, on getting Doctor in Petticoats off to your editor!
I'm with Piper about enjoying being able to write when you want. That's what I'm doing right now on my nine-book series and it's nice! It seems to let the creativity flow--in a different way than deadline mania pushes creativity. LOL!
I'm making notes as ideas come to me and have had several aha! ideas about the different stories this past week about motivations, conflicts and possible scenes.
And hopefully I'll be able to move back into my downstairs office next week. Of course, that will leave the disaster area upstairs to clean up. :)
Paty -- Major congrats on getting the book out the door. Your goal is two or three chapters? That's forty to sixty pages, right? Ack, good luck. And needless to say, I know nothing about gambling establishments past, present or future.
Good luck!
Piper, I am in major envy of your situation. Enjoy. One of these days, you are going to finish something and the phone is going to start ringing and bye-bye euphoria.
Until then, have fun!!
Genene, you always keep things in perspective. i'm glad you're enjoying your writing life and the rhythm it is now reaching. I think you said the other day something about that changing (with the seasons...) so true.
YAY Paty!!!!! You rock!
I actually did work last week. FINALLY. I worked on my synopsis and made progress on my contest entries. I would like to get golden rose out the door in the next two days and golden pen ready to go. That's my goal for the week. Of course, golden pen necessitates finishing said synopsis.
Wavy -- you said last week that you wanted to get to work on your Golden Rose entry and the Golden Pen (Is that the YA?) and you made fantastic progress! Good luck this week!
Alice, my chapters tend to be 10-15 pages not 20. I've always been a short chapter writer and thought that was bad, but I learned in listening to the cd that it's not a bad thing. It ups the pacing.
Paty, I totally agree about the chapter length and pacing. I try to keep them short and then they just sort of grow. Even at an average of 12.5 pages a chapter, I think your goal is impressive (and I have no doubt you'll make it if the sprinklers and the cows leave you alone long enough...)
Ugh. Not a great start to the week--I just found out that I didn't final in the Rebecca. But that's okay, it's just double the reason to enter these two.
Alice--I'm entering the YA in anything with a YA category, preferrably with an editor as a final round judge. But, I'm also entering my contemporary (the "Funeral" one) to a variety of contests as a warm-up for the GH. First I did a few like the Rebecca that don't require a synopsis. Then I'm doing one with the synopsis. Critique group by proxy :)
Wavy, bummer that you didn't final in the Rebecca. Good luck with the rest of your entries!
Perfectly said, Alice. I can tell you that after I got out of the hospital I saw everything differently (and still sorta do). But I'll never forget sitting in the car on the way home from the hospital after I was released. The sky was bluer, the trees were greener. It was almost as if I'd never seen this area before. I soaked it all in. (and now I'm rambling...) So you're right experiences DO change our (and our characters') perceptions.
Good luck on the new book! Can't wait to hear all about it.
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