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[minervasolo]

In case anyone's wondering, I've hit over 58,000 words on Greenhelm. Not bad for something I've been working on for... five years. Heh. The part that amuses me most is the average novel is 100,000 words, this is the first of a triology and in terms of plot it hasn't actually begun. When I spereate it into chunks in my head it goes:

introduction
--- in terms of reading out at yorkwriter's, I'm about here
filler
--- in terms of actually writing, I'm here
pre-plot
dramatic bit
filler
beginning of main plot
hell breaking loose
reconciliation of main cast
decision to solve hell problem
quest
hurrah
resolution

Actually, looking at the notes in plotting, I've just realised that I've got a lot more plot in book one than I thought I had. I thought it ended at 'dramatic bit', but in fact it goes on til 'beginning of main plot'. I think I may have to revert to original plan. On the other hand, there's a lot more depth to the revised plot later on, which I'd also forgotten about and am now kinda enjoying rereading. I always seem to be in a good (and silly) mood when I plot, which results in lines like 'genocide impractical'. So dismissive.

Of course, now I've distracted myself,I probably won't write any more tonight. I keep finding it really hard to choose what I want to write anyway. I've got about four things I want to be writing simultaneously. My mind wanders at work, and I work out wherre everything is going next, but then I'm usually too tired to write. Plus I quite want to redesign secretgeek, and make some more icons. Though icons make my shoulders ache, because I have to lean over the keyboard, and my fingers ache really badly in a sort of RSI way.

You know, this was going to be a whining about hormones post. Gah, nasty hormones. So if I'm a bit distant, that's why, though any grumpiness is directed at my own body for deciding that after several years it might try this cramps lark that it's heard about. And I really hope this is water retention, or I've been eating in my sleep or something. I've been exercising more than I used to, and eating roughly the same, so being larger is deeply irritating.

Comments

[ultharkitty.livejournal.com]

It's good to know that more of Greenhelm is happening. Cool :)

[minervasolo.livejournal.com]

Its all planned out, it's just writing it. I go through phases. Luckily, now seems to be a Greenhelm writing phase. It helps that I'm getting all excited about moving into 'real' plot, introducing love interests and antagonists and having some characters accidentally disappear because nothing is happening to them right now.

[rhube.livejournal.com]

Real plot really is a lot more interesting to write, isn't it? I think teh main reason I;m writing more than usual at the moment is that it all feel dramatic and alive ot me still - possibly because this is one of the few things I have ever written where I didn't know where it had to go from beginning to end. I know the imediate plot in dteail, but haven't teh foggiest idea what'll happen just beyond it, as for the ending... My lack of knowledge disturbs me, so I'm carefully developing a 'Somebody Else's Problem Field' around it.

Totally impressed by your word count btw. At 16,000, the cyborg thing is teh longest thing I've ever written.

[minervasolo.livejournal.com]

Greenhelm's been going so long now, the word count isn't really that impressive when worked out in terms of words by month, or something. The thing is, I know that one day I'll finish it, and write the other two, then the sequel trilogy, then several one offs. I've got so far ahead of the plot in my head I find it hard to write because as far as I'm concerned half the current characters are dead and the others have had their limelight usurped by children and grandchildren. The problem is the characters and plots I'm using here were originally conceived when I was about thirteen, so sometimes I might as well be using entirely new ideas, since it's all changed so much. The original version was so glib and flat and hurried. I'd probably reached the same place in word count (though twice as far ahead in terms of plot) in the original before I realised I was better off starting over entirely.

Despite the insane amount of fore-planning of Greeenhelm, I can totally understand the pros and cons of ending-ignorant writing. I've done it a few times, especially with things I started on the spur of the moment. The problem arises when my imgination works far faster than my fingers, and, like with Greenhelm, I'm so far past the ending I've forgotten what happens and how the characters got from a to b. Anyway, I'm really loving the Cyborgs, so I'm glad you're still enthusiastic about writing it! ^_^

[rhube.livejournal.com]

I have books and books of stuff like Greenhelm, that I thought up since about the age of 13 onwards. I *am* going to write them, the sort of freefalling style of teh cyborg thing really isn't my home ground, but I think I just need to get *something* finished first.

[rhube.livejournal.com]

Thta's an awful lot of words!

On filler... is it worth it? I take it this is stuff you haven't read out ye, so I can't judge, but if you regard it as filler, will you be able to make it interesting for the reader?

[minervasolo.livejournal.com]

Most of the filler is character development, really. 'Filler' covers pretty much everything from the arrival in Larada up until Galahad leaves Larada again. I kind of skipped over most of the journey to Larada, so I wanted to spend some time with the characters in small groups, watching interaction and doing some worldbuilding. It's more like a short subplot than just nothingness, and it gives me a good excuse to move some people out of the way and leave time for politic events to get going. My first draft of Greenhelm had events crashing into each other at high speed, making all of the relationships look forced and hasty.

But yes, a lot of it wasn't worth it. I have about 10,000 words in a notepad file, because I can't quite bring myself to delete it completely. I'll probably slash even more out of the section later, but until then it might as well stay and pretend to have a purpose. I get distracted trying to show whatever everyone is doing all of the time, so I end up with chapters of 'got up. had breakfast. walked around a bit. had lunch...' A bad habit and one that might make the chapters I'm going to be reading out soon a bit disjointed compared with preceding ones. The bit I'm writing now is almost purely Galahad, though, which I think I might struggle with. Though i finally have some active villains to play with ^_^

[rhube.livejournal.com]

I've written chapters like that. Usually I don't delete it though, it just sits to grow mulch in another file of my computer.