"Old" People Writing for Teens V

Hi.

Well, not that much activity around here...

I seem to have the most luck writing upper MG at the moment. Though there is the occassional one off adult story.

At first I thought it wasnt following the outline, but it just started a little differently. (The first conflict took two chapters instead of one.)

After three days of helping the family prep for Easter, and an awesome one-year-old's birthday, I'm finally back to my novel.

I applied 23 pages of paper edits. That means I've actually edited 10%. I've also finished all of my beta reading.

Query letter (so surprise) still kind of a mess. I feel so down after QLH pans them, I feel like if I keep working on them on my own, they will fare better, but then I never stop tinkering to post them.

Oh well, progress on a few fronts is still progress.

Prose comes so much easier in short fiction for me, every time I write something long all I can see is crap. Argh.

One of my problems is writing a novel so often feels like going for a walk. Not just any walk, but a walk filled with landmines, giant snakes, and collapsing caves. I'm finding horror for me is easier for long form than science fiction which is easier as short fiction. Not quite sure why.

I am however starting to enjoy pantsing this thing more at chapter 3. Having drawn a fantasy map helps so much.

I have been going through a lot of thinking about my work and decided to put away the WIP I'd been working on. I knew it wasn't working and I wasn't happy with it, but it took something big to finally admit that to myself, you know? It sucks cos of all the time and energy I spent on it, but I learnt a lot, especially about editing, and I'll probably pick it up again at some point so I'm sure it's not entirely wasted. I've started on rewriting another WIP from a couple of years ago. Don't know how this one will go but I'm already happier with the first chapter than I was with the other after half a dozen rewrites so that's promising.

I am hoping that maybe I will fall in love with actually writing this story the more I write it.

Also, in unrelated news, kielbasa dipped in hummus is actually really good.

Hello!

SO CLOSE to 20K on my rewrite.

JustSarah said:

One of my problems is writing a novel so often feels like going for a walk. Not just any walk, but a walk filled with landmines, giant snakes, and collapsing caves. I'm finding horror for me is easier for long form than science fiction which is easier as short fiction. Not quite sure why.

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A walk with landmines, giant snakes, and collapsing caves sounds super exciting (though dangerous) for me. Then again, I'm an obsessive plotter, so I try to bring all of the gear to spot landmines, giant snake repellent, and spelunking equipment I think I might need.

fredXgeorge said:

It sucks cos of all the time and energy I spent on it, but I learnt a lot, especially about editing, and I'll probably pick it up again at some point so I'm sure it's not entirely wasted.

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That's a tough decision to make, but I do feel like some books make for really great learning experiences, and don't have to go further. At least that's what I tell myself about the ones I've put aside. The new ones are better books than the old ones, so at least I know I'm improving...

Hapax Legomenon said:

I am hoping that maybe I will fall in love with actually writing this story the more I write it.

Also, in unrelated news, kielbasa dipped in hummus is actually really good.

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I have an off-and-on affair with a novel while writing it, but I usually love the idea. The idea always feels like the thing I want, the book itself - sometimes I'm all hearts and flowers, other times, I'm cutting up photos of us together and trash-talking it on facebo-- AW.

lisalulu09 said:

Hello!

SO CLOSE to 20K on my rewrite.

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Whoo! Keep up the good work!

I think I might have created a magic system that makes sense. Probably not though.

Magic system doesn't have to make sense. After all, it's almighty M.A.G.I.C. All it matters is it serves your characters well at the right time (traditionally midnight) against/for the right person (nowadays Emilia Clarke or Theo James depending on POV) for the right purpose (typically sex but sometimes hard labor) in the right place (usually the rose garden adjoining the black forest, where sound is silent, where solace meets disparity, and where hatred brews lust.)

That is why I'm more inclined to write scfi where logic is crucial. It's the only way my juiced-up MC can handle both Emilia Clarke AND Theo James in board daylight for academic research in a virtual reality crime lab in Crux Australis.

Just wanted to pop in and share a tiny bit of good news. I entered the Like a Virgin Pitch Contest a while back and today they announced the 10 finalists who will move onto the next round. I didn't make it, but I am an alternate. That's why it's just tiny good news. But anyway, I'm feeling happy about a little validation in my writing and I wanted to share.

Congrats, JTR, even if you're not in the top ten.

I'm currently mulling over how much conditioning/convincing I can have for all these murders and such before I break suspension of disbelief.

Coffeebeans: Oh I totally agree, that's why I even plot short fiction. Albeit in a different way than I do for novella's.

I want to experiment more with my own magic system. I'm really into that "magic isn't really magic, but ancient tech." And then structure it like a collection of mysteries.

I'm not really feeling it today, I don't think.

Hapax Legomenon said:

I'm not really feeling it today, I don't think.

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It's hard to know when to force yourself to crank out words/editing, and when you just need a break. I took the past 2 days off writing (after more than 2 weeks without a break), and now I've come back to my WIP feeling so refreshed. But other times, I write through the "blah" feelings. Has it been awhile since you had a day off?

This has been a rough week, both life- and writing-wise. My grandfather passed away so I was at his funeral, and even though we weren't all that close and he lived a long life, it was still a very sad occasion. Plus my family (like most families) is crazy. So. Much. Drama. Coming home and writing feels like a refuge.

Also - I hit 20,000 words in my WIP! Now I only have to do that, er, 4 more times to complete the draft. Onwards and upwards!

casualrungal said:

It's hard to know when to force yourself to crank out words/editing, and when you just need a break. I took the past 2 days off writing (after more than 2 weeks without a break), and now I've come back to my WIP feeling so refreshed. But other times, I write through the "blah" feelings. Has it been awhile since you had a day off?

This has been a rough week, both life- and writing-wise. My grandfather passed away so I was at his funeral, and even though we weren't all that close and he lived a long life, it was still a very sad occasion. Plus my family (like most families) is crazy. So. Much. Drama. Coming home and writing feels like a refuge.

Also - I hit 20,000 words in my WIP! Now I only have to do that, er, 4 more times to complete the draft. Onwards and upwards!

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Sorry about your grandfather

I mean... it depends on what you mean by "off". I mean I was writing maybe 500+ words a day for the past few days but I guess the thing is that for YOS I've realized that I do not have any characters (a common realization for me for new works, so I've been populating it for the last couple hours) and I've not worked on Eidolonomics for at least a week and am thinking of trying to take it in a new direction with more focus on aliens or something.

It's been a rough week for me, yeah.

casualrungal said:

It's hard to know when to force yourself to crank out words/editing, and when you just need a break. I took the past 2 days off writing (after more than 2 weeks without a break), and now I've come back to my WIP feeling so refreshed. But other times, I write through the "blah" feelings. Has it been awhile since you had a day off?

This has been a rough week, both life- and writing-wise. My grandfather passed away so I was at his funeral, and even though we weren't all that close and he lived a long life, it was still a very sad occasion. Plus my family (like most families) is crazy. So. Much. Drama. Coming home and writing feels like a refuge.

Also - I hit 20,000 words in my WIP! Now I only have to do that, er, 4 more times to complete the draft. Onwards and upwards!

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Funerals are *usually hard. Perhaps you can channel that emotion into your writing, though? My family is super nuts, but it's at least given me a lot to draw from!


I had an idea for my WIP yesterday that I think will improve the story. Except it means tearing down the three chapters I've already worked so hard on and starting over from the ground up. *sigh* I think (hope) it will make the story better overall, though, so there's that.





*I say usually because my dad's funeral was actually really fun. We called it a celebration not a funeral. He wanted a New Orleans jazz style service, which starts slow and mournful and turns into a big party. Complete with a jazz band and his favorite foods. We danced and laughed and celebrated his life and it was awesome. Not a single tear was shed. That's the way I want to go out. (Of course many tears came later, and still do, because he was my best friend, but for one day we had a party for him).

casualrungal said:

This has been a rough week, both life- and writing-wise. My grandfather passed away so I was at his funeral, and even though we weren't all that close and he lived a long life, it was still a very sad occasion. Plus my family (like most families) is crazy. So. Much. Drama. Coming home and writing feels like a refuge.

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Sorry for your loss, casualrungal

Hello.

*hugs CR*

I may have to take this second book experiment as a loss. While it might be good to stray from the outline, it went from like a collection of mysteries to this epic conflict regarding the sole cause of each mystery.

And then started inserting talking fantasy animals that came out of nowhere. This is what usually happens when I try to pants stuff.:/

Thanks everyone for the condolences. My grandfather and I barely had a relationship, but it's very sad for my dad who has now lost both his parents.

Congrats on the finished revision, Sage! That must be a good feeling.